Pope Leo was set to outline his vision for Europe and its future integration, adding a clear political edge to a landmark visit to France that has already prompted powerful scenes of religious celebration.
The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics was due to conclude his four-day trip in Metz, a northeastern city that changed hands repeatedly between France and Germany during past conflicts.
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Metz is also closely linked to Robert Schuman, regarded as one of the founding fathers of the European Union and buried just outside the city.
The first US pontiff was expected to speak about the “roots of Europe” and make the case for unity on a continent where nationalist movements are advancing and Russia’s war against Ukraine, now in its fifth year, continues with no end in sight.
The first US pontiff was expected to speak on the ‘roots of Europe’
Pope Leo’s address was due seven months before French voters select a successor to Mr Macron, as the eurosceptic and anti-immigration far right seeks to take power.
The pope regards Europe as a counterweight to the world’s major powers. He has previously urged the EU to overcome its internal divisions and rediscover a shared sense of purpose in the pursuit of peace in Ukraine and elsewhere.
In Metz, a city of about 120,000 residents, the papal visit has generated a wave of anticipation. Hotels are fully booked, while restaurants have reported a sharp increase in reservations.
Philippe Ballot, the archbishop of Metz, said the visit carried deep symbolic weight, pointing to a city shaped by “three wars, including two world wars”.
‘Enormous preparations’
Pope Leo was scheduled to travel through Metz in his open-top popemobile before celebrating mass at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, a striking example of Gothic architecture.
“The scale of the preparations is enormous,” said Anne Padoreck, a resident of the city.
Security teams carried out an extensive sweep on the eve of the visit, with deminers abseiling down the cathedral’s facade.
The first official papal visit to France in nearly two decades has stirred excitement and renewed religious fervour among the faithful in the largely secular country, which retains deep Catholic roots.
The Vatican said more than 1.3 million people came out to see the pope between Friday and Sunday in Paris and Lourdes.
Pope Leo takes part in a torchlight procession in on the third day of his visit to France.
The defining moment of the trip came when Pope Leo travelled along the Champs-Elysees in his popemobile and celebrated mass before roughly 800,000 people. With central Paris placed under tight security, the heart of the capital was transformed into an open-air site of worship.
Throughout the journey, the pope has presented a warm and smiling figure, engaging readily with crowds while blessing children and people with disabilities.
His trip has also served to underline the central themes of his pontificate. He has called for peace and coexistence, while warning that humanity must not be lost in “a paradise of machines” as artificial intelligence advances.
Read more: Irish teenager takes cousin to Lourdes to meet Pope Leo
At the Elysee Palace, Pope Leo called on France to remain a champion of peace. During a meeting with migrants on Saturday, he said it was possible to “live together in dignity and peace.”
In Lourdes yesterday, the southwestern pilgrimage destination, the pope met victims of clerical sex abuse and urged French bishops to confront the “scourge”.
He also said assisted dying was not “normal”, after France’s parliament legalised the practice this year for certain patients.
