VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Leo XIV's journey to France aimed to show that a joyful or serene rebirth is always possible even after tremendous tragedy or terrible suffering, he said.
By visiting the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral, meeting with survivors of abuse and praying at Lourdes, and celebrating the Christian faith openly in the public square of a secular nation, the pope highlighted how the miracle of new life can happen when everyone comes together out of love for one's neighbor and the common good, he said during his weekly general audience Sept. 30.
As has been customary, Pope Leo used his first general audience after his Sept. 25-28 trip to Paris, Lourdes and Metz in France to tell people about the purpose of his visit and to thank all those who made the journey possible.
He also repeated an appeal he made in France: asking the faithful worldwide to pray the rosary throughout October, "dedicating it in a special way to ending wars and achieving peace."
The motto of the journey, "That the world may have life," the pope said in English, "characterized the Gospel-centered nature of my meetings throughout the visit. For God alone, through his grace, can restore the Church and renew humanity, and it was evident to me that this is precisely what is occurring."
The Cathedral of Notre Dame of Paris, which was restored after a fire destroyed its wooden spire and most of its roof in 2019, "can symbolically shed light on this entire apostolic journey, offering a perspective that I would summarize in one word: rebirth," he said in his main catechesis in Italian to thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square.
Rebuilt and "more splendid than ever, the cathedral's restoration "was a test of the possible collaboration between the Church, the state, public institutions and civil society," Pope Leo said.
"The synergy for the common good should be the norm for institutions, political and social forces, and all those with civil and economic responsibilities," he said.
"This is the message I wished to convey" to secular leaders and organizations, he said, "highlighting the fundamental criterion upon which such collaboration must be based: the dignity of the human person."
According to France's National Institute of Demographic Studies, the percentage of 18 to 49-year-olds who reported not belonging to any religion grew from 45% in 2009 to 53% in 2020, and 29% of the entire population reported being Catholic.
However, the pope said, there is also "a sign of renewal within the Church in France that has been evident for some years now, namely the remarkable and growing number of young people and adults seeking baptism."
A tangible and visible sign of rebirth "appeared in a surprising way" during Mass Sept. 26 in Place de la Concorde, which, he said, was a highpoint of his visit. "Priests, the choir and a remarkable crowd extended all the way along the Avenue des Champs Élysées up to the Arc de Triomphe and beyond." An estimated 800,000 people filled the streets, according to the Vatican.
Despite the vast crowds, "everyone was able to receive the Eucharist," he said, "This is the true reconstruction, the restoration of the Church that only God can bring about, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary."
Turning to his visit to Lourdes, he said the shrine dedicated to Our Lady also represents "a message of hope and rebirth," especially for those who are sick "in body and spirit."
This was another message "that I wished to openly reaffirm: every human life, in whatever condition, even in the most extreme frailty, retains its inviolable dignity and deserves to be cared for, accompanied and relieved of suffering with human compassion and with the aid of the means offered by science," he said.
Because Lourdes "represents for the entire world a sanctuary of the civilization of love," he said this was context for his meeting with a group of people who had experienced abuse by members of the church.
"I asked them to help me express to other victims too my own wish, and that of the whole Church, to listen to them and walk alongside them as they seek healing, acknowledging the pain inflicted upon their lives and working to prevent abuse," he said.
Lastly, visiting the city of Metz, he said, helped symbolize its role in the process of unifying Europe "as a project for peace in the wake of the destruction wrought by war."
After two devastating world wars, "Europe was reborn, founded on those principles of democracy, solidarity and fraternity amongst peoples, which owe much to its Christian roots," Pope Leo said.
"Dear brothers and sisters, may the public witness of love for Jesus Christ that we have seen in France be an inspiration to the whole Church. Let us not hide our faith!" he told Portuguese-speaking pilgrims.
