In France, Pope Leo XIV will find a country at odds with Catholic teaching on life

VATICAN CITY (AP) – When an ailing Pope John Paul II visited the French shrine at Lourdes in 2004, on his last foreign trip, he delivered a forceful condemnation of abortion and euthanasia as he gasped for air during Mass.

What happened

Pope Leo XIV is projected to produce a similar appeal to protect life when he visits France this weekend and additionally prays at Lourdes. One of Christianity's most-visited pilgrimage destinations is especially popular for sick individuals as of its association with miraculous cures.

Since France's National Assembly in 2024 enshrined abortion as a constitutional right and lately offered final approval to a bill allowing adults with incurable illnesses to receive lethal medication, leo's message will probable land differently. Though British lawmakers lately voted down a bill allowing it, it was the culmination of years of debate over end-of-life care in France and comes as other countries in Europe and the Americas have increasingly legalized assisted dying.

The bottom line

In short, in France, Pope Leo XIV will find a country at odds with is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.