Rearmament, end of life, secularism. Pope Leo XIV arrived today in a France that on many issues distances itself from the Holy See. And the American Pope makes no concessions, reiterating the need to build a society where human dignity is always at the center. Paris had been awaiting a visit from a Pontiff for 18 years: the last was Benedict XVI in 2008, with Francis subsequently visiting France three times (Strasbourg in 2014, Marseille in 2023, Ajaccio in 2024), but without visiting the country or its authorities. And Bergoglio, despite being invited, had not even wanted to attend the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in December 2024. He had preferred to meet with the Corsican confraternities and families during those days. It was his last trip abroad.
Emmanuel Macron thus receives the Pope's long-awaited visit, but Leone emphasizes the need to review domestic and international policies. Looking at today's France, increasingly multiethnic and multireligious, the Pontiff calls for embracing this diversity as a "wealth" and says that dialogue is "urgent" to avoid "authoritarian tendencies." Among the topics discussed is the protection of life, in a country with a law on the end of life, which has drawn harsh criticism from local bishops, and which has elevated the right to abortion to a constitutional right. "Sometimes I note with concern the current tendencies of societies that risk distorting science and technology, transforming them into profit-making enterprises that favor genetic manipulation, surrogate motherhood, organ purchasing, or the offer of a planned death," Leone stated bluntly. "I forcefully reiterate that the protection of the right to life constitutes the essential foundation of every other human right," said Leo XIV in his speech at the Elysée.
And in the leading country of the so-called "willing" that is looking to rearmament to prevent conflict, the Pope replies that "the mistaken belief that the possession of nuclear weapons constitutes a guarantee of security is increasingly spreading, fueling a new, difficult-to-control arms race. In reality, peace is not a balance of power, but is built daily through dialogue and justice." That afternoon, in his address to UNESCO, he reiterated that "the most terrible of human acts is war; for in it, science itself is placed at the service of an inhuman will to destroy and kill." On secularism: "just secularism does not exclude religion," Prevost warned.
Among the most iconic moments of the day was Pope Leo's entrance into the "new" Notre-Dame; he is the first pontiff to cross the threshold of the cathedral, restored after the disastrous fire of 2019. Tonight, a veritable crowd of 80,000 young people is expected at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. On the flight from Rome to Paris, the Pope greeted journalists. And on the topic of press freedom, another long-distance "duel" with US President Donald Trump took place. To the CNN Vatican correspondent, one of the media outlets excluded from the White House at certain events, he said: "I'm happy you're all here, you're welcome, good media coverage is important everywhere and for everyone." He then recalled his French family origins and, when asked if he'll see cousins, replied with a smile: "Never say never." Finally, he joked about the news reports that he was brushing up on his French, specifically for this trip. Duolinguo? “I don’t use it anymore” and the recent news about this “are fake news”.
(Unioneonline)