Rencontre des évêques de France avec le Pape Léon XIV à Lourdes

Pope Leo XIV met with the bishops of France on Sunday, September 27, at the Sainte-Bernadette auditorium in Lourdes. During the meeting, the pope encouraged the bishops to approach the future with hope and to bring new missionary momentum to the Church.

The pope told the bishops to use courage, boldness, and missionary creativity to meet modern challenges, identifying the goal of making Jesus Christ known and loved.

Addressing the bishops at the site of the apparitions to Saint Bernadette, the pope noted that their regular meetings in Lourdes place the Church under the protection of the Virgin Mary. He referenced the historical connection between the nation and the Virgin Mary, noting that the nation was solemnly consecrated to her in 1638.