Pope Leo XIV visits France to address assisted dying and abuse scandals

Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, will land in Paris on Friday for a four‑day visit that marks the first official papal trip to France in 18 years. He is scheduled to meet President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, address French officials and civil society, and attend a series of public events that include a UNESCO speech, a Mass at Notre‑Dam, and a youth vigil at the Stade de France.

The trip comes as France grapples with two high‑profile moral debates. In August, the French parliament passed a law granting a right to assisted dying for adults with serious, incurable illnesses, a measure the Catholic Church has long opposed on the grounds that life should be protected from conception to natural death. At the same time, the French Church is still dealing with the fallout from a massive clerical sexual‑abuse scandal that has eroded its credibility and prompted calls for deeper accountability.

During his stay, Leo will deliver a message centered on human dignity, a theme emphasized by Cardinal Jean‑Marc Aveline, head of the French bishops’ conference. He will also meet seven abuse survivors in Lourdes, a reminder of the 2021 independent inquiry that estimated about 330,000 minors were abused by clergy or church‑linked individuals over seven decades. Retired Bishop Marc Stenger warned that the scandals have deeply wounded the Church, while religion researcher Martin Dumont said he would be “very surprised” if the pope took a confrontational tone on assisted dying.

Beyond the French issues, Leo plans to visit a Paris centre that supports migrants, speak on the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence, and conclude his itinerary in Metz with a meeting on Europe’s role in promoting peace and unity. The visit offers the Vatican a chance to reassert its moral voice in a secular nation where church influence has waned, and it may shape public debate on both assisted dying and the Church’s response to past abuses.