Pope Leo arrives in Lourdes for Second Leg of France visit after historic Paris crowds

Pope Leo XIV touched down in Lourdes on Saturday evening, touching down at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées International Airport to commence the second phase of his four-day France pilgrimage. This came just hours after he led a mass outdoor gathering at Place de la Concorde in Paris, where an estimated 800,000 people attended, surpassing initial expectations.

The Pope kicked off his Lourdes visit by offering a prayer at the Grotto of the Apparitions, a revered site where Catholics believe the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. On Sunday, he will meet with French bishops, celebrate an outdoor mass in the Sanctuary's Prairie, and engage in an Angelus prayer. Later, he will meet with staff and patients at the Accueil Notre-Dame and hold a private session with seven abuse survivors, a move that has drawn scrutiny from critics who argue the Vatican hasn't done enough to combat the issue.

Leo's Lourdes visit will culminate with a Rosary recitation and a torchlight procession on Sunday evening. Meanwhile, Paris saw a whirlwind of activities in his previous 32 hours, including a parade through central Paris, meetings at UNESCO's headquarters, and an outdoor mass that drew more than anticipated. Around 600,000 people had registered for the Saturday mass at Place de la Concorde, but the Vatican predicted a turnout of roughly 800,000, nearly doubling the initial estimate.

French President Emmanuel Macron did not attend Saturday's mass and is not expected to attend any of the Pope's masses during his visit. However, his wife, Brigitte Macron, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu were present. The Pope's visit aims to inspire French Catholics to maintain their faith amidst declining attendance. He began his journey in Paris with a visit to the recently restored Notre-Dame Cathedral, the first papal visit since the 2019 fire.

The Pope noted the growing number of adult conversions to Catholicism in France, describing it as a resilient flame worth protecting. As of 2024, about 13,000 adults were baptized in France, a significant increase from 1980 when 513,000 baptisms were recorded.