28-09-2026
Pope Leo XIV met privately with seven adult survivors of child abuse by French Catholic clergy in Lourdes on September 27, during a four-day visit to France. The Vatican said he thanked them for their painful testimony and reaffirmed his commitment to ending abuse. Survivors described the nearly two-hour meeting as emotional and said Leo listened with compassion and showed familiarity with their individual cases. Jean-Marie Delbos, who was abused at the Notre-Dame de Betharram boarding school, recalled the pope embracing him. Jerome Guillement said Leo recognized that abuse was enabled not only by individual perpetrators but also by systemic problems within the Church. The survivors welcomed the encounter but emphasized that words must lead to concrete action and lasting change.
The meeting took place amid continuing efforts to address the scale of abuse in France. An independent inquiry published in 2021 estimated that about 330,000 children had been abused by Catholic clergy and lay leaders over seven decades. Earlier on Sunday, Leo told an estimated 150,000 people at a Mass in Lourdes that the Church must have the courage to face its past. Survivor Veronique Garnier found his remarks at the Mass troubling because he referred to abuse without directly apologizing, but said the private meeting gave her hope that survivors would be listened to more deeply and that words could be followed by action. Leo also discussed abuse scandals with French bishops.
During the visit, Leo condemned France’s legalization of medically assisted death in July, calling it “false compassion” and saying that legality does not necessarily make an action moral. He urged compassion for people in severe pain while maintaining the Catholic Church’s teaching that human life must be protected from conception until natural death.
Entities: Pope Leo XIV, Jean-Marie Delbos, Jerome Guillement, Veronique Garnier, Lourdes, France • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
28-09-2026
During his four-day visit to France, Pope Leo addressed sexual abuse within the Catholic Church while also speaking about the sanctity of life and European political culture. At a Mass in Lourdes attended by about 150,000 people, he said that the sick and frail should be welcomed and respected, and argued that causing death should not be treated as normal. His remarks appeared to criticize euthanasia and abortion, including France’s recently enacted law on euthanasia and assisted suicide. He warned against presenting death as an act of compassion.
The pope met seven adult survivors of sexual abuse, part of the Church’s ongoing response to widespread abuse and cover-ups. A 2021 report estimated that about 330,000 children were abused by Catholic priests and lay leaders in France between 1950 and 2020. Though Leo did not directly discuss the scandal during the Lourdes Mass, he called for humility and acknowledged the need to address the Church’s wounds, infidelities and painful errors. Survivor association co-leader Michele Le Reun-Gaigne said progress was slow and would not happen overnight.
Earlier, meeting French bishops, Leo praised their response to abuse and their efforts toward truth, justice, forgiveness, reparation and prevention. He urged them to remain vigilant. On the final day of the visit, in Metz, he criticized increasingly uncivilized relations between countries and leaders’ boasting about lies and deceit. He called on Europe to help break that cycle by upholding respect for others. The Metz visit also honored Robert Schuman, a French Catholic statesman regarded as a founder of European unity. The article notes that Leo’s comments contrast with views expressed by members of the Trump administration.
Entities: Pope Leo, Catholic Church, Lourdes, France, Michele Le Reun-Gaigne • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
28-09-2026
Pope Leo XIV urged European leaders to defend multilateralism and the international rules-based order during a speech in Metz, France, the birthplace of European integration figure Robert Schuman. He described multilateralism as “the best defence against the desire for dominance” and warned of a world increasingly marked by conflict, hunger, deteriorating relations, and distrust between citizens and governments, which he said was fuelled by “lies and deception.” Leo argued that Europe could help counter this climate by reaffirming the rule of law, respect for others, and dialogue. He called for patient negotiations and compromise in pursuit of peace, condemning what he described as a new “pointless massacre” on European soil without explicitly naming Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The Pope also invoked Europe’s Christian roots, describing the continent as a cultural and historical reality rather than merely a geographical one. He argued that Christianity should be part of discussions about Europe’s identity and said the continent has advanced by drawing on its past while adapting through encounters with others.
Metz’s history gave the address added symbolism. Situated in Lorraine near the German border, the city is associated with Schuman and European reconciliation, but it has also changed hands between France and Germany and was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1940. The French presidency said the programme was intended to highlight Lorraine’s cross-border European character and its history of conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron attended the address, with a Mass alongside the Pope planned for later that Tuesday. EU leaders and representatives of European institutions were invited, though only a handful attended alongside Macron, including representatives from Monaco, Andorra, and Luxembourg. Representatives of different faiths, including France’s chief rabbi and the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, also took part.
Entities: Pope Leo XIV, Multilateralism, International rules-based order, Metz, Robert Schuman • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
28-09-2026
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Europeans to resist what he called a “return of nationalisms” and to renew the courage shown by Europe’s founding fathers. He made the remarks in Metz during Pope Leo XIV’s visit to France. Macron said Europe should continue to serve as a force for peace, independence and democracy, and warned against the continent turning inward or giving in to hatred of others. He called on Europeans to defend a united and democratic Europe. The meeting focused on European integration and peace. The report presents Macron’s statements but does not provide further detail about the meeting, the Pope’s response, or specific policies proposed to address the concerns Macron raised.
Entities: Emmanuel Macron, Pope Leo XIV, Metz, France, Europe • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
28-09-2026
The France 24 item, published on 28 September 2026, is a 3-minute-45-second video report about Pope Leo’s speech in Metz during a four-day visit to France. Its headline frames the speech as touching on war and migration, but the supplied article text gives no specific remarks or examples about either subject. The reported focus is instead on Europe’s history and founding principles. Speaking in French in Metz—the hometown of Robert Schuman, described as a founding father of the European Union—the pope urged Europeans to remember their Christian history and the values on which the EU was founded. The article identifies the rule of law and the equality of all people as examples, specifying equality without distinctions of race, colour, class, or profession. The report thus presents the speech as an appeal to recall a shared European heritage and uphold principles of equal treatment. Beyond these points, the supplied text does not provide further detail about the pope’s argument, audience response, or his treatment of war and migration. The page also contains video-player notices, related-story links, and a page-unavailable message; these are website elements rather than additional reporting on the speech.
Entities: Pope Leo, Metz, France, Robert Schuman, European Union (EU) • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
28-09-2026
The available France 24 text reports that Pope Leo XIV concluded a visit to France with a message addressed to Europe that was more explicitly political than his other remarks during the trip. Speaking on Monday, he urged Europeans to draw on the continent’s Christian roots and traditions of dialogue as a way to counter what he called the “desire for domination” behind contemporary wars. The report links his appeal to Europe’s history of peaceful integration, recalling forces that helped bring countries together and sustain peace on the continent.
The supplied material is only a short introductory passage, not a full article transcript. It does not give further details about the pope’s speech, identify particular wars or political leaders, or explain the specific historical forces he invoked. The page also lists related stories, including coverage of his remarks on war and migration in Metz and a report describing his France visit as “hugely successful,” but these headlines are not part of the article text itself. Accordingly, the available account supports a limited conclusion: the pope used the close of his France visit to connect Europe’s religious and diplomatic traditions with a call to resist domination and pursue peace. Further context or detail about the speech cannot be established from the provided text.
Entities: Pope Leo XIV, France, Europe, Christian roots, Traditions of dialogue • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
28-09-2026
The France 24 report says Pope Leo concluded his visit to France on Monday with a speech in Metz. In remarks quoted in the article, he warned that relations between nations were becoming “increasingly uncivilised” and criticized people who boast of “lies and deceit.” He urged Europe to help “break this cycle,” framing the deterioration in international conduct as a challenge that requires a response from European countries. The report characterizes the visit as “hugely successful,” a description attributed to France 24 correspondent Angela Diffley. It does not provide further details about the pope’s itinerary, the audience for the Metz speech, or the specific measures he proposed. The page also links to a replay described as showing the pope urging peace and unity in Europe on the final day of his visit, but the supplied text contains no additional transcript from that video. Overall, the available article presents the closing speech as both the final event of the France visit and a broader appeal for improved relations among nations. Its emphasis is on the pope’s warning about dishonesty and uncivilized conduct in international relations, alongside his call for Europe to help reverse that pattern. The source excerpt is brief, so it supports only a limited account of the visit and speech.
Entities: Pope Leo, Angela Diffley, France 24, France, Metz • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
28-09-2026
France 24 presents a replay of French President Emmanuel Macron speaking about the European Union during Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Metz, France. The brief accompanying description says Macron delivered an address alongside the pope on the final day of the pontiff’s visit to the country. Macron argued that Europe must rediscover the “courage of its founders” and resist what he called a “resurgence of nationalism.” His remarks frame European unity as something that requires renewed resolve in the face of nationalist politics.
The supplied page text does not include a transcript or further details about the speech, the pope’s remarks, or the event beyond its setting and timing. It identifies the video as a replay, gives a runtime of 10 minutes and 14 seconds, and lists the issue date as September 28, 2026. Accordingly, the available material supports a summary of the stated theme and context, but not a fuller account of the leaders’ speeches or reactions. The page also contains video-player notices and links to other news stories, which are not part of the report itself.
Entities: Emmanuel Macron, Pope Leo XIV, France 24, France, Metz • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
28-09-2026
France 24’s report covers remarks by Pope Leo XIV on Monday, September 28, 2026, in Metz, northeastern France, on the fourth and final day of his visit to the country. In a speech focused on Europe, the pope urged the continent to remember its Christian history and called for peace and unity.
Leo XIV described relations between individuals and states as becoming increasingly “uncivilised.” He criticized the erosion of trust, saying that keeping one’s word was being dismissed while lies and deceit were being celebrated. He then argued that Europe could help reverse this pattern by drawing on its learned and preserved respect for others.
The report presents the address as an appeal for Europe to use its historical and cultural experience to encourage more respectful relations. Its central themes are peace, unity, trust, honesty, and mutual respect. The supplied article text is a brief written introduction to a 22-minute, 35-second video replay; it does not provide a full transcript or further details about the speech, the pope’s visit, or reactions to his remarks.
Entities: Pope Leo XIV, France 24, Metz, France, Europe • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
28-09-2026
French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe was built on a “Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian foundation” during a speech with Pope Leo in Metz on Monday. The remarks were notable because France is constitutionally secular and has a long-running public debate over national identity, religion and the role of faith in public life. Macron described Europe not merely as a political arrangement but as a civilisation shaped by its cities, villages, educational institutions and public spaces. He said that heritage had helped establish the “primacy of the person” and the idea of the “free and rational individual.”
Macron also warned that European peace, truth and democracy faced threats from both armed conflict and forces that divide societies. He cited Russia’s war in Ukraine as a source of renewed concern about the continent’s security, while arguing that social fragmentation and online manipulation were also dangers. He praised the European Union as a distinctive political project founded on peace and equality among its member states, and urged Europeans to resist divisive nationalism and disinformation.
Calling for action against what he described as an epidemic of disinformation, Macron said algorithms can amplify negative emotions and deepen division. He cautioned that democracy can be weakened not only by military attacks, but also when loneliness spreads and citizens stop listening to one another. Pope Leo’s four-day apostolic journey to France had received an enthusiastic public reception. Macron attended the Pope’s final Mass in Metz, although he had skipped other religious services during the visit.
Entities: Emmanuel Macron, Pope Leo, France, Metz, Robert Schuman convention centre • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
28-09-2026
Pope Leo XIV urged European leaders to make compromises in pursuit of peace in Ukraine, saying they should be willing to give up some positions for the greater good. Speaking in French at the end of a four-day tour of France, he described the impact of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion as devastating and marked by “senseless slaughter.” He stressed that peace efforts should involve patient dialogue and courageous negotiation, while cautioning that peace-seeking should not be confused with naive pacifism.
The Pope also questioned whether Europe was making creative efforts to advance peace or merely preparing for future wars. His remarks came as European governments, including France, have supported Ukraine financially and expressed concern about further Russian attacks. French President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the final Mass in Metz, had recently approved a €6.5 billion increase in defence spending over two years. Talks between Russia and Ukraine remained stalled, with neither side apparently willing to concede territory; a recent meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump had not changed that impasse.
Migration was another focus of Leo’s speech. As Europe tightens rules for migrants and asylum seekers, he called for people arriving from elsewhere to be welcomed and integrated “as if they were part of one’s own family.” He described migration as an unprecedented encounter between peoples and cultures that should prompt Europeans to reconsider their roots while listening to others.
Leo further argued that Europe should champion multilateralism and respect in international relations, warning that relations between individuals and states were becoming less civilised and that lies and deceit were being celebrated. His visit offered a rare moment of national unity in politically divided France, according to Macron. The speech took place in Metz, a city associated with Franco-German reconciliation, before a limited group of European leaders and dignitaries.
Entities: Pope Leo XIV, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump, Russia–Ukraine war • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
28-09-2026
The available excerpt describes Pope Leo XIV’s closing day in Metz, France, at the end of a four-day trip to the country. The article presents the visit as part of the pope’s growing engagement with public affairs: he is portrayed not only as the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics, but also as an increasingly influential statesman urging peace amid renewed war. In Metz, described as the intellectual birthplace of the European Union, Leo praised the European project for “tearing down walls that were dividing it.” His remarks thus linked European integration and the overcoming of divisions with the broader question of peace. The headline emphasizes the pope’s statesmanlike role and his call for peace in a period of renewed conflict, while the excerpt foregrounds his praise for the EU’s achievement and the symbolic setting of his remarks. The supplied text ends after this opening paragraph, so it does not provide further details about the conflicts referenced, the pope’s specific proposals, reactions to his remarks, or other events during the trip. This summary is therefore limited to the article’s headline and excerpt rather than the full article.
Entities: Pope Leo XIV, Anthony Faiola, Metz, France, European Union • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
28-09-2026
Pope Leo took part in a candlelit Rosary procession at the sanctuary in Lourdes, France, joining the crowds as a “pilgrim among pilgrims.” Carrying a candle and rosary, he walked behind a statue of the Virgin Mary. The procession began at the Grotto of Massabielle, associated with Bernadette Soubirous’s reported visions of the Virgin Mary in 1858.
The article explains that the Rosary is a sequence of Catholic prayers traditionally arranged in five decades, during which worshippers reflect on events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. At Lourdes, prayers were spoken in several languages, including French, English, Italian and Spanish, and accompanied by the “Ave Maria” of Lourdes. More than 150,000 candles illuminated the sanctuary, forming the setting for one of the site’s best-known evening ceremonies.
The procession followed a day of other events. Leo had celebrated an outdoor Mass attended by about 150,000 people, met with French bishops, and visited sick and disabled pilgrims. He also held private meetings with survivors of clergy sexual abuse. The visit was described as the first official papal state visit to France in 18 years.
Overall, the report focuses on both the public religious observances and the Pope’s other engagements during his visit. It provides context about the Rosary and Lourdes’s religious significance, while noting the large attendance and the private meetings with abuse survivors. The article presents these events in a factual, descriptive manner without offering explicit commentary on their significance or outcomes.
Entities: Pope Leo, Bernadette Soubirous, Virgin Mary, Lourdes, Grotto of Massabielle • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
