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Pope Leo XIV Urges France to Heal After Abuse

By Drooid · Sep 27, 2026, 5:58 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Yohanna Joins Nuns

Yohanna, a 27-year-old sign-language interpreter, will attend Lourdes events hoping the papal visit confirms her call to contemplative life.
After the pope’s visit, Yohanna left her Paris job to join Cistercian nuns.
Caroline Trainor of Joe Walsh Tours reports a surge in group sign-ups after the pope’s itinerary was announced.
Adult baptisms in France reached a record this year, driven largely by young adults inspired by the pilgrimage.

Summary

Pope Calls Healing

Pope Leo XIV urged the French Catholic Church to acknowledge its failings and begin healing.
He privately met seven French clergy-abuse survivors at the Lourdes shrine.
About 800,000 gathered for his Paris Mass on the Champs-Élysées.
He praised French bishops despite a 2021 report documenting 330,000 child abuse cases.
He reiterated Catholic opposition to abortion, euthanasia and assisted dying, calling them “false compassion.”

Summary

Lourdes Hosts Pilgrims

Lourdes expects about 200,000 visitors over two days, with 150,000 pre-registered for the papal celebrations.
Local hotels have raised rates, some charging more than €2,000 per night during the visit.
Lourdes normally receives three million pilgrims yearly but offers only 10,000 rooms and 21,200 beds.
The surge is expected to generate significant revenue for the town’s hospitality sector despite the shortage.

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Yohanna Joins Nuns

Yohanna, a 27-year-old sign-language interpreter, will attend Lourdes events hoping the papal visit confirms her call to contemplative life.
After the pope’s visit, Yohanna left her Paris job to join Cistercian nuns.
Caroline Trainor of Joe Walsh Tours reports a surge in group sign-ups after the pope’s itinerary was announced.
Adult baptisms in France reached a record this year, driven largely by young adults inspired by the pilgrimage.

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