Pope Leo XIV prays for the sick in Lourdes grotto

Pope Leo XIV prayed for the sick and suffering at the Sanctuary of Lourdes in France, marking his first visit to the grotto during his pontificate. During the visit, the pope knelt before an image of Our Lady of Lourdes and touched the rock wall of the grotto. Father Michel Daubanes, the rector of the sanctuary, offered the pope a glass of water from the site's spring.

In his prayer within the grotto, the pope addressed the Virgin Mary as the Immaculate Conception and noted her message of prayer, conversion, and hope delivered to St. Bernadette. The pope arrived at the grotto at sunset to the singing of the hymn Ave Maria and waved to pilgrims from the popemobile.

The shrine is a major pilgrimage site where the International Medical Committee of Lourdes has officially recognized 72 miracles. Since 1858, more than 7,000 cases of healing have been recorded at the site, including the 2009 healing of Italian woman Antonietta Raco from primary lateral sclerosis.