France welcomes Leo XIV at Orly, bells ring across the country | Africanews

Latest update:

25/09 - 12:39

President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Pope Leo XIV on his arrival around 10 a.m., before the military honors and the presentation of the French and Vatican delegations. The two men then headed to the Élysée Palace for talks. This four-day visit, from Friday to Monday, will take the pontiff to Paris, Saint-Denis, Lourdes and Metz. The program includes meetings with Emmanuel Macron, French officials, representatives of civil society and the diplomatic corps, as well as a visit to UNESCO headquarters and exchanges with young Catholics. The talks are expected to focus in particular on the future of Europe, social issues and new technologies, including artificial intelligence, even though this is not explicitly listed as a formal point on the program. To mark his arrival, church bells rang for seven minutes throughout France, notably at Notre-Dame in Paris as well as in Lourdes, Marseille, Lyon and Orléans. Leo XIV's trip is the first official visit by a pope to France in 18 years, after Benedict XVI's in September 2008. On Friday evening, Leo XIV is due to take part in a prayer vigil at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, with young people aged 17 to 35. Around 80,000 participants are expected. The pope is then due to celebrate a mass in Paris before continuing his trip to Lourdes and then Metz, where he is due to speak on the theme “At the roots of Europe for peace and unity”.

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