Pope Leo XIV arrives in France for UNESCO address on AI and peace

During a four-day visit to France—the first papal visit there in 18 years—Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in Lourdes attended by about 150,000 people and condemned France’s newly legalized assisted dying as “false compassion,” saying legality does not make an act moral. He affirmed the inherent dignity of sick and disabled people, including those in severe pain. Leo also met seven French survivors of clergy abuse, heard proposals for stronger safeguarding and pledged to prevent further harm, while urging bishops to confront the Church’s past failures; a 2021 inquiry estimated that about 330,000 children were abused by clergy or lay members of the French Church over seven decades. During the trip, he urged Catholics to persevere in secular France, warned that unchecked AI could threaten human dignity, and condemned nuclear deterrence while calling for dialogue and diplomacy. The visit drew large crowds and political attention amid debates over secularism and end-of-life legislation, with church leaders hoping it would renew interest in Christianity.