During his four-day visit to France, Pope Leo displayed calmness and relaxation, delivering most of his speeches and reflections in French. This pope, who was born in Chicago, sought to address several important topics during the trip.
Pope Leo's main focus was on attempts to revive faith in the traditional Catholic heartland of Europe, as well as addressing the issue of sexual abuse within the clergy and discussing major political issues such as artificial intelligence. He also shared some personal, unplanned remarks, which helped form a clearer picture of him.
Pope Leo visited both France and Spain within eighteen months of his election, unlike his predecessor, who never made official visits to major Catholic European countries. France is often called the 'elder daughter of the Church' due to its deep Catholic roots, yet the country faces a long-term trend of declining church attendance, with an estimated only 5–8% of the population attending services weekly.
Nevertheless, bishops in France recently reported positive changes: in 2026, approximately 8,200 teenagers and 13,200 adults were baptized, representing a 20% increase compared to the previous year. The Church also noted that 42% of adults seeking baptism are between the ages of 18–25, reflecting Generation Z's openness to religious faith.
Pope Leo likely noticed this during an event at the Stade de France, where 80,000 young people gathered for a joyful prayer vigil. This reminded him of his visit to Spain in June. Father Benoît Poutine, a priest from southwestern France involved in youth work, told CNN: 'There is a search for meaning. People need and seek meaning and answers to the big existential question.'
Because there is a strict separation of church and state in France, every papal visit requires meticulous planning. However, an unexpected turn was that the Pope's Mass in Paris was held in the Place de la Concorde, a site closely associated with the secular Republic, as it was there that the last King of France, Louis XVI, and Marie Antoinette were executed. The separation of church began with the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution.
In another unusual part of the trip, President Emmanuel Macron also attended the Pope's Mass in Metz, a city in the northeast, despite criticism in 2023 regarding similar behavior during Pope Francis's visit.
Many attendees also noted Pope Leo's role as another major US leader on the world stage. It is difficult not to view him as a counterpoint to President Donald Trump. Unlike the Trump administration, the Pope called for establishing stricter frameworks for the development of artificial intelligence, warning of a 'machine utopia' during his stay in Paris.
Pope Leo takes seriously warnings about the threat of Artificial Intelligence to humanity and considers it irresponsible to ignore AI risks. Trump dismissed AI warnings as 'quackery,' which he stated during a surprise phone call with Jensen Huang, CEO of chip manufacturer Nvidia, at the Los Angeles summit.
Pope Leo XIV stated aboard the papal plane from Metz to Rome: 'I don't think these are fake news—as some said—to try and halt things.' Leo, who has shown great interest in artificial intelligence since the beginning of his papacy, noted that he found 'interesting' what Huang presented regarding a new tool to prevent AI agents from operating outside human control. However, the Pope said, 'it is the same person who says there should be no restrictions and no government regulation.'
Earlier this year, the Pope dedicated his first major theological document to AI, warning about the use of AI in military purposes and calling for a stronger ethical foundation for the development of this technology. He explained that the Vatican has created its own AI commission to study ways of using it, as well as related risks and benefits, and that 'we need to continue inviting political leaders, AI leaders' so they can 'see what is happening now and what might happen in the future.'
He emphasized: 'We are trying to continue promoting dialogue, study, investigation, to find ways to ensure that AI does not reach a point where it can destroy humanity.' The Pope added: 'If I were asked if I am in a feverish state? No, I am not in that condition, I sleep peacefully,' but noted: 'I believe that the concerns expressed by many experts and AI specialists should be taken seriously.'
Leo stated: 'Simply saying, oh, this won't happen, and turning a blind eye to it, I think is probably not the most responsible approach.'
The Pope, who has opposed the US war in Iran, also advocates for a more unified Europe, a stronger European Union, and closer international cooperation. In Metz on Monday, he stated: 'Today the relationship between individuals and states is becoming increasingly uncivilized.' He continued: 'The value of keeping promises is ignored; instead, people boast with lies and deception.'
In his speech, the Pope also highly praised one of the founders of the European Union, Robert Schuman, who is undergoing a process of formal canonization. Pope Leo XIV warned against the use of Christianity by far-right political groups, urging the Church to actively work to prevent extremism. Speaking aboard the papal plane, he stated that 'the combination of these far-right views with a certain type of religion' cannot be considered a 'genuine expression of Christianity.'
These comments came in response to a question about the rise of extremist parties in Germany while he was flying back after speaking on European unity on the border between France and Germany. He said: 'We are returning to the values of the Gospel [Christian teaching], which are not related to hatred and division, but to understanding and compassion.'
The American pope also reacted to the ban on media coverage of the Trump White House, which includes CNN and other publications. In response to a question from CNN, he stated that 'I am very glad that everything is welcomed here, and I think good coverage is very important, and that we have it everywhere, for everyone.'
Pope Leo's unplanned conversations with journalists in flight were rare moments, and his answers often revealed more about his personality. On the flight from Rome to Paris, he was asked if he had any connection to the recent miraculous victory of the Chicago White Sox baseball team, his favorite team. He replied: 'No comment,' and then added with a smile: 'Great things happen in Chicago.'
He also recalled childhood memories of watching Fulton Sheen, an American archbishop and broadcaster who was recently declared 'blessed,' being one step ahead of sainthood, and mentioned that he practiced French but no longer uses the Duolingo app. Regarding recent reports, he said: 'That's fake news!' Previously, Leo was seen using Duolingo to learn German.
Leo is not just voicing opinions on the problems of his homeland. He also expressed concern about euthanasia after France recently approved legislation granting the right to terminally ill patients, which decisively opposes the Catholic Church. Leo repeatedly raised this topic during his visit, most clearly in the city of Lourdes, the 'sanctuary of miracles,' known for attracting many sick and dying pilgrims to its sanctuary.
However, the Pope still needs to fight the sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church. The 2021 report shocked France, estimating that around 330,000 children were sexually abused over 70 years by priests or other church officials. He addressed the crowd, stating that the Church must acknowledge its mistakes and heal the 'deep wounds' before holding a two-hour meeting with seven surviving victims of violence.
The Vatican reported that Leo thanked them 'for their painful testimony' while 'affirming his commitment to ensuring that the harm done to them is not repeated for others.'
But the scandal persists. Banners were placed on the facade of the Basilica in Lourdes over controversial mosaics before Leo's visit. These mosaics, which will now be covered indefinitely, were created by Slovenian priest and artist, Reverend Marko Rupnik, accused of sexual and psychological abuse of adult women. The local bishop stated that the Pope supported how the apostolic nunciature was handling the artist's works. Bishop Jean-Marc Micas also reported that Leo ordered the Vatican's internal media resources to cease using Rupnik's works. Rupnik, who insists on his innocence, is undergoing a canonical trial in the Vatican, which, according to plaintiffs, is dragging on and lacks transparency.
The Pope was elected 16 months ago and is still shaping the narrative of his papacy. Some in the Vatican find him enigmatic, and the Pope is known for keeping his cards close to his chest. But he is open when traveling abroad, to France, and in November, to Latin America, where Pope Leo's papacy is beginning to take shape.
