Pope Leo XIV continued his visit to France on Sunday with engagements in Lourdes, including a meeting with French bishops and a Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. The pontiff was also scheduled to meet survivors of clerical sexual abuse before travelling to Metz on Monday.
The visit is one of the pope’s first major European trips and has combined religious ceremonies with messages about reconciliation, peace and unity. It is being closely followed in France and across Europe because of the planned meetings, the public ceremonies and the Church’s continuing focus on addressing abuse.
Pope Leo XIV’s Lourdes programme
The pope met French bishops at the Saint Bernadette auditorium at the Lourdes shrine on Sunday morning. He then travelled to the prairie, an open area used for large religious gatherings, to celebrate Mass.
Lourdes is one of the Catholic Church’s best-known pilgrimage sites and attracts visitors from around the world. The town, in the foothills of the Pyrenees in southwestern France, is associated with the Marian apparitions reported by Bernadette Soubirous in the 19th century.
Public events in Lourdes formed the central part of the second stage of Pope Leo XIV’s France visit. The programme also included a private and highly significant engagement with people affected by clerical sexual abuse.
Meeting with abuse survivors
Pope Leo XIV was due to meet victims and survivors of clerical sexual abuse in Lourdes. The meeting highlights the continuing importance of safeguarding, accountability and support for those affected by abuse within the Catholic Church.
No further details about the format or content of the meeting were provided in the source information. Such encounters are generally conducted with sensitivity and are distinct from public religious ceremonies.
What happens next in Metz?
On Monday, the pope is scheduled to travel to Metz in northeastern France for the final stage of the visit. His programme includes an interreligious meeting and a speech focused on “the roots of Europe for peace and unity”.
The Metz events are expected to place greater emphasis on dialogue between faith communities and on Europe’s shared cultural and historical foundations. The visit is not an EU institutional meeting, but its themes have wider relevance to European affairs, particularly debates about peace, coexistence and social cohesion.
The trip will conclude with a farewell ceremony at Metz–Nancy–Lorraine airport before the pope leaves France.
Why the visit matters in Europe
Papal visits often attract attention beyond the Catholic community because they bring together religious, civic and political themes. In France, the itinerary has combined:
- Public worship at a major international pilgrimage site;
- Meetings with senior Catholic representatives;
- Engagement with survivors of clerical abuse; and
- An interreligious event addressing peace and European unity.
These elements give the France visit both a pastoral and a broader public dimension. The Lourdes programme centres on faith and care, while the planned Metz speech is intended to connect Europe’s historical roots with the search for peace and unity.
France visit draws international attention
The pope’s appearance in Lourdes follows an earlier stage of the visit in Paris, where large crowds gathered for public events. The movement from the French capital to Lourdes and then Metz has allowed the programme to reach different audiences, from pilgrims and bishops to interfaith representatives and local communities.
For French Catholics, Lourdes remains a particularly important setting for a papal visit. For the wider public, the planned meeting with abuse survivors and the interreligious programme in Metz are likely to be among the most closely watched moments.
What to watch next
The next major moments in the itinerary are the pope’s arrival in Metz, the interreligious meeting, his address on peace and unity, and the closing ceremony at the regional airport.
Coverage will also focus on any remarks concerning safeguarding, relations between religious communities and the role of Europe’s shared traditions in supporting peace. The visit is taking place in France rather than within an EU institutional framework, so it does not itself create European Union policy or legislation.
Conclusion
Pope Leo XIV’s France visit continued in Lourdes with a Mass, discussions with French bishops and a planned meeting with survivors of clerical sexual abuse. The final stop in Metz will shift attention towards interreligious dialogue and a message about Europe, peace and unity. Together, the events make the visit a significant moment in European religious and public life.
