Pope Leo draws 800,000 to France visit

Pope Leo XIV’s four-day visit to France drew large crowds and focused on renewing Catholic faith in a traditionally Catholic but highly secular society. He emphasized human dignity and the sanctity of life, criticized practices including commercial surrogacy and medically assisted dying, and called on Europe to draw on its Christian heritage. The visit also brought attention to rising numbers of young people seeking baptism, as well as issues including artificial intelligence and clerical sexual abuse. On migration, Leo has advocated both safe, legal routes and the right of people to remain in their home countries; that approach contrasts with Cardinal Robert McElroy’s denunciation of U.S. immigration enforcement.