Pope arrives in France with appeal to respect dignity of every human life

Pope Leo XIV is visiting France (Gregorio Borgia, Pool)

Pope Leo XIV has begun a four-day visit to France, hoping to draw attention to his appeals for peace at a time of war, and for greater reflection as artificial intelligence questions the very essence of what it means to be human.

Leo will appear in Paris, the Catholic shrine at Lourdes and the north-eastern city of Metz.

Church bells across France tolled when Leo’s charter flight landed at Paris’ Orly airport, and upward of a million people are expected to turn out to see him during his visit.

The welcome has underlined the surprising level of interest in Leo’s visit, the first to France by a pope in 18 years.

Leo was greeted by French president Emmanuel Macron at the airport and will meet again at the Élysée Palace.

During his busiest day of the trip, Leo was to then deliver a speech at Unesco headquarters, celebrate vespers at the newly reopened Notre-Dame cathedral, and then preside over a massive youth vigil at the Paris stadium on Friday night.

Earlier on board the papal plane, Leo told reporters they were welcome to cover him, as he responded to the Trump administration’s attempt to bar US media from the White House. The Pope also affirmed the importance of journalists covering public figures.

Asked by a CNN reporter about the Trump administration’s attempt to bar CNN and other reporters, Leo said the media was welcome on his plane.

“I am very happy that here, you are all welcome,” he said.