Pope Leo heads to France as Church confronts shock of abuse crisis

Pope Leo heads to France on Friday for the first formal visit by a pope in nearly 20 years, which Catholic leaders hope will repair the Church's standing after a crushing 2021 report on child abuse by priests sparked nationwide shock.

Leo, who will meet abuse survivors during the four-day trip, is also expected to draw large crowds for an outdoor Mass in central Paris and will address French, UN and European leaders in separate events on his whirlwind, three-city tour.

"Pope Leo's visit to France has sparked a real tidal wave" of interest, retired French Bishop Marc Stenger told Reuters. Some 600,000 people have registered to join the outdoor Mass on Saturday, near Paris' famed Avenue des Champs-Élysées.

"French Catholics are ... saying loudly that they need the Church to find their way in these uncertain moments in world history," said Stenger, citing the registration numbers.

Leo's agenda in Paris includes speeches to President Emmanuel Macron and other French leaders at the Élysée Palace and to staff at the headquarters of the United Nations culture and education body, UNESCO, which is facing budget shortfalls after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agency in 2025.

The first US pope attracted ⁠Trump's ire earlier this year after criticizing the Iran war.

Leo, who issued a fervent manifesto in May warning about the dangers of AI and urging international regulation of the industry, is expected to address the issue at UNESCO.

The pope was likely to reiterate his call for an AI slowdown and speak "with regard to the meaning of existence, to what makes human beings human and what does not," said Matteo Bruni, the Vatican spokesperson.

Leo will also lead a prayer service in Paris at the restored Notre-Dame cathedral, in the first visit by a pope since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the Gothic masterpiece in 2019.

Beyond Paris, the pope's tour includes a stop at the famous Catholic shrine at Lourdes, in southwestern France. It will culminate in Metz, a town near the German border that was home to the late Robert Schuman, one of the founders of the European Union, for a speech on "the roots of Europe for peace and unity".

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, a Luxembourg archbishop and a former leader of the Church's commission for EU bishops, said that Leo would call on European leaders to be "tireless makers and builders of peace".

Macron has invited leaders from all 27 EU member states to attend the Metz speech, said Charles Personnaz, France's Vatican ambassador. It was unclear how many would come, he said, given that it coincides with the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy may also attend, according to media reports. Zelenskiy's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Leo would meet seven survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy on Sunday in Lourdes, several of those involved said in a press release. The Vatican, which usually only issues statements about the pope's meetings with abuse victims afterwards, has not provided further details.