Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Lourdes

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in Lourdes on Sunday before pilgrims from France and around the world. During the liturgy, the Pope spoke about conversion, penance, the sacred value of human life, and the hope of eternal life. He encouraged the faithful to seek conversion immediately and emphasized the importance of the sick within the Church, telling pilgrims they would leave the sanctuary as missionaries of hope.

María José Pinedo, president of the Hospitality of Our Lady of Lourdes in Vitoria, read the second reading during the Mass. She was selected for this role by the Spanish Federation of Hospitalities of Our Lady of Lourdes. Pinedo, who recently completed her 29th pilgrimage to the sanctuary, noted the silence in the grotto during the Pope's arrival on Saturday and the atmosphere during the Sunday torchlight procession.