Pope Leo XIV began a four-day state visit to France on Friday, marking the first official papal trip to the secular nation in 18 years. Upon arriving at Paris’ Orly Airport, he was received by French President Emmanuel Macron. During the visit, which runs through Monday, the Pope has scheduled high-profile engagements including meetings at the Elysee Palace, addresses at UNESCO, and Masses at Notre Dame Cathedral and the Stade de France.
In remarks delivered at the Elysee Palace, Leo XIV reiterated the Catholic Church’s opposition to assisted dying, speaking just two months after France enacted legislation granting a legal right to die for patients with incurable illnesses. While stopping short of directly naming the new French law, the Pontiff criticized what he described as “profit-driven ventures,” specifically citing surrogacy, genetic manipulation, the trade in human organs, and assisted suicide.
“I firmly reiterate that the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right,” Leo said. He expressed concern that society risks allowing technology and science to become commercial enterprises that undermine human dignity.
The Pope also issued a stark warning regarding the rapid development of artificial intelligence. Describing the potential for a “paradise of machines” to invade and condition daily life, he called for urgent education in ethical discernment to prevent humanity from being lost. This aligns with his previous writings, including his May encyclical “Magnificent Humanity,” which addressed AI’s threats to security and international peace.
Beyond technology and bioethics, Leo XIV aims to address the Catholic Church’s damaged reputation in France following a 2021 report revealing decades of sexual abuse affecting 330,000 children. The Pope is scheduled to meet with survivors during his stay.
On Friday evening, Leo celebrated Mass for an estimated 80,000 young people at the Stade de France. On Saturday, he will lead another Mass for approximately 600,000 attendees at Place de la Concorde before traveling to the pilgrimage site of Lourdes. The visit concludes on Monday in Metz, near the German border, where he will deliver a speech titled “To the roots of Europe for peace and unity,” with Macron inviting fellow EU leaders to attend.
During the flight to France, Leo also addressed questions regarding press freedom after US President Donald Trump attempted to ban news outlets from covering him. Expressing happiness that reporters were welcome in France, the Pope apologized to his press corps for a recent incident where plane trouble forced him to return to Rome alone, leaving journalists behind.
Eighty thousand young people at the Stade de France. At least the crowds are still there.
Surprised Macron hosted this so soon after the new law passed. Political tension ahead?
Thirty-three zero thousand children… the survival meetings are the only part that truly matters here.
The AI warning is timely, but isn’t the Church a bit late to the party on tech ethics?
France seems determined to test the Pope’s patience on every front. A tough trip for sure.