Leo XIV sums up his trip to France with one word: "Renaissance"«

“I have been impressed by the fervor and enthusiasm with which I have been welcomed in France!” exclaimed Pope Leo XIV at the General Audience this Wednesday, the last day of September, in St. Peter’s Square. A visit that “it has been a great gift for me and for God’s people in that country, and I thank the Lord”.

“Just as Notre-Dame Cathedral was restored, the Church in France is also being renewed. This is especially noticeable in the enthusiasm of young people and in the increase in the number of baptisms,” the Holy Father summarized in his address to the English-speaking pilgrims.

“I would like to summarize my experiences in a single great symbol: Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. A temple destroyed seven years ago by fire, today is a sign of rebirth. This is an image of the Church built with living stones, that is, of people who love Jesus because they have been loved by Him and wish to proclaim that love to all, “so that the world may have life” (cf. Jn 6:51). 

This is “the reconstruction of the Church that only God can carry out,” the Pope stated at the Audience.

The key to reading: “Renaissance”

With these and similar words, the Successor of Peter summarized his visit to France in the Audience. And the key word he has used is "renaissance".

“I would like to gather the thoughts and impressions - still very much alive - of this Pastoral Visit around a single great symbol: the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris. 

There, on the first day in the afternoon, the Pope recounted, “we celebrated Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a solemn and at the same time festive liturgy, in which the music, the singing and the beauty of the temple made hearts vibrate, united in prayer.”.

“Notre-Dame, with the drama it has experienced, can symbolically illuminate this entire Apostolic Journey, offering a key to understanding it that I would summarize in one word: rebirth.”.

Joy and fervor of the crowd

Whether in the restored splendor of Notre Dame de Paris for the solemn celebration of vespers, during “the unforgettable vigil at the Stade de France with the young people” — ”the new saints of France!” —, throughout the

streets or in front of the immense crowd in Concordia And in the Elysian Fields, the joy and fervor of the people of God—with their numerous catechumens—have been abundantly manifested, Leo XVI emphasized.

“This multitude, capable of silence and contemplation —characteristic of hearts that yearn for truth and love—, represents,” in his opinion, “a great sign of rebirth and hope.”.

“Two diverse and complementary places, almost spiritually united”

The Holy Father continued, mentioning “two completely different places and yet two complementary events, almost spiritually united. What united them? The Church, which is not made of stones or cement, but of people who love Jesus Christ because they have been loved by Him.”. 

– In Notre-Dame there were priests and deacons, consecrated persons, and pastoral workers; 

– In the stadium (Saint Denis) was the new French generation: new -I would say- not only because of their age, but even more so because of their spirit, because of their freedom of heart and faith. 

“Young people who sang, shouted, but who also remained silent, listening. Attentive and moved faces, which manifested hearts longing for truth and love. To them I said with joy—he reiterated at the Audience: ”You are the saints of France!” That Vigil was a great sign of hope,” the Pope said.

Human dignity, the central theme of the meetings

Naturally, the Pope also recalled during his tour that “human dignity As a fundamental criterion for all collaboration in service of the common good, already mentioned before the French authorities and the members of UNESCO, it has also been the central focus of the meetings with the most vulnerable in Paris.

And also in “Lourdes, blessed place where the Virgin Mary offers, in the name of her Son, to all pilgrims who suffer in their body and soul, a message of hope.”.

“Respect for all human life, which deserves to be cared for, supported and comforted”

“There I firmly recalled that all human life, even in the most fragile situations, retains its inviolable dignity and deserves to be cared for, accompanied and relieved,” added Pope Leo, with words often repeated since the meeting with the authorities on the first day in Paris.

Finally, Metz, a symbolic place in the building of peace in Europe alongside the venerable Robert Schuman after the Second World War, was an opportunity to recall the Christian roots of Europe, the Pontiff also stressed, and its commitment to the principles of dialogue and peace between nations and between the various religious traditions.

Lourdes, sanctuary of the civilization of love, encounter with victims of abuse

Lourdes represents for the whole world a sanctuary of the civilization of love, the Holy Father concluded, and “in this context I met some people who were victims of abuse and I asked them to help me express to other victims my will and that of the whole Church to listen and walk with them as they seek healing, recognizing the pain caused in their lives and working for the prevention of abuse.”.

Prayer for abundant and lasting fruits

Finally, Leo XIV recalled in the Roman Audience that “the theme of my Pastoral Visit to France has been 'Pour que le monde ait la vie, That the world may have life (cf. Jn 6:51).‘.

These are the words of Jesus, which summarize his entire mission of salvation and which, “during the Journey, fully expressed the Gospel meaning of each encounter. Now, these words express our prayer, as we ask God that this event of grace may bear abundant and lasting fruit,” he concluded.