French common response has been overwhelming.
No quasi-pagan ‘blessing of the ice’, no homosexual rainbow garments in Cathedrals, no give attention to leftist proselytism, no obsessing over Ukraine and Gaza.
Pope Leo XIV’s historic go to was surprisingly full of… faith.
The eldest daughter of the Church, France blossomed to obtain the Pontiff: church bells rang throughout the nation for seven minutes to mark the arrival.
Leo rode his Popemobile whereas 300,000 individuals lined the streets of Paris with chants and flags.
He spent Vespers on the magnificent Notre-Dame Cathedral, the primary papal go to for the reason that 2019 fireplace and 2024 reopening.
There, 8,000 individuals chanted the Salve Rainha with him, bringing him to tears.
Transferring scenes as Pope Leo XIV cries as 1000’s of trustworthy sing the Salve Regina in Latin to honour Our Woman of Paris, on the steps of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. pic.twitter.com/bsIKknJGFE
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) September 25, 2026
However there was a lot extra to return: Leo’s youth vigil at Stade de France gathered 80,000 fervent younger individuals aged 17–35.
A visibly moved Leo known as them ‘the saints of France’.
The sound you hear is the noise of 80,000 younger individuals gathered within the Stade de France in Saint-Denis to hearken to the encouraging phrases of the Vicar of Christ himself, Pope Leo XIV. pic.twitter.com/4ZfezzRM9J
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) September 25, 2026
It was one of the shifting moments of Pope Leo XIV’s Prayer Vigil with younger individuals on the Stade de France.
Lots of of actors represented France’s greater than 1,700 saints and blesseds, making a hanging picture of a real “military of holiness.”
Pope Leo XIV was deeply moved and,… pic.twitter.com/NaRj50JSBR
— EWTN Information (@EWTNews) September 25, 2026
Saint Joan of Arc honoured by a lady on horseback at Pope Leo XIV’s Youth Vigil with 80,000 younger individuals within the Stade de France pic.twitter.com/QUFhis4aOd
— Catholic Area (@CatholicArena) September 25, 2026
And the Christian ‘common response’ in France is maybe greatest expressed by the surge in grownup baptisms.
The ‘secular Republic’ is seeing a pointy rise in chosen (slightly than inherited) religion: in Easter 2026, a complete of 21,386 adolescents and adults acquired baptisms – up 28% from 2025, and greater than tripled since 2016 (4,124 that 12 months).
In whole, as much as one million individuals are anticipated – in Paris alone – to catch a glimpse of Leo within the first Papal state go to to France in 18 years.
FRANCE 🇫🇷
‘A President who claims to be uninterested within the church and Catholics can be failing in his obligation’
Pope Leo XIV to Emmanuel Macron in Paris pic.twitter.com/Nbuy8yHqjr
— Catholic Area (@CatholicArena) September 25, 2026
So, the terrain was fertile for Leo’s most necessary assertion of the state go to, to this point:
Pope kicks off French go to with rebuke on assisted dying legal guidelines https://t.co/8fTHROkhkN
— The Instances and Sunday Instances (@thetimes) September 25, 2026
The Telegraph reported:
“Pope Leo XIV criticized assisted dying in a speech on the Elysée Palace in entrance of Emmanuel Macron, simply weeks after France handed a regulation permitting euthanasia.
[…] Mr. Macron rolled out the pink carpet on the presidential residence for the Pope, whose grandmother was French, however that didn’t stop the pontiff from criticizing the brand new regulation.
‘I’m involved at occasions by these tendencies in society that threat turning science and expertise into profit-driven ventures selling genetic manipulation, surrogacy, the commerce in human organs or the potential of arranging one’s personal loss of life’, he stated with Mr. Macron by his aspect.”
NEW: Pope Leo to UNESCO in Paris hits again in opposition to euthanasia —
“The human being is definitely one who’s born, but additionally one who dies.
Our dignity isn’t destroyed by sickness or struggling, neither is it dependent upon our skills.
Slightly, it requires loving care at each stage… pic.twitter.com/OAvVGRwmCM— Michael Haynes 🇻🇦 (@MLJHaynes) September 25, 2026
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