Story perspectives

Pope Leo condemns assisted dying, abortion, surrogacy in France

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 10:05 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Pope Visits France

Pope Leo XIV began a four-day apostolic journey to France, the first papal visit in nearly two decades.
A mass on the Champs-Élysées/Place de la Concorde attracted an estimated 700,000–800,000 attendees.
At the Élysée Palace, Leo condemned assisted dying, abortion, surrogacy and warned against profit-driven AI.
He met privately with seven clergy-abuse victims in Lourdes.
In Metz, he urged welcoming refugees as family and called for compromise in Ukraine.

Summary

Pope Leo Honors Martyrs

Pope Leo visited the Catholic Institute of Paris and knelt at the “Staircase of the Martyrs” garden.
The former Discalced Carmelite convent, founded in 1630, became a 1792 prison where over 100 clergy were massacred.
Their remains are displayed in the institute’s garden.
The institute now enrolls more than 11,000 students, about a quarter of whom are international.
Three Synodal Assembly plenary sessions will meet there from October 2026 through May 2027.

History

Historical Context

The September Massacres of 1792, part of the French Revolution’s wave of prison killings, saw revolutionary mobs murder about 223 clergy—including bishops and priests—at the former Discalced Carmelite convent. The site later became a Catholic institute, and its history is invoked by French officials such as President Emmanuel Macron during contemporary commemorations of religious persecution.

1 of 3

Pope Visits France

Pope Leo XIV began a four-day apostolic journey to France, the first papal visit in nearly two decades.
A mass on the Champs-Élysées/Place de la Concorde attracted an estimated 700,000–800,000 attendees.
At the Élysée Palace, Leo condemned assisted dying, abortion, surrogacy and warned against profit-driven AI.
He met privately with seven clergy-abuse victims in Lourdes.
In Metz, he urged welcoming refugees as family and called for compromise in Ukraine.

1 / 3