Pope's Paris visit: hundreds of thousands expected to gather
RH
Pope Leo XIV, head of the Catholic Church, has traveled to France as part of a four-day official program. It is considered one of the largest religious and diplomatic events held in the country in recent years. More than half a million Catholic faithful are expected to gather in Paris during the visit for open-air ceremonies, to be held in particular around the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the Pope with official protocol at Orly airport and received him at the Élysée Palace. During talks, the two sides discussed global geopolitical crises, restoring peace in war zones, as well as ethical frameworks for artificial intelligence technologies.
"Postxronika.az" reports, citing the BBC, that the Catholic Church links this great interest to a growing need for spiritual values in European society. In line with the principle of secularism in France's state structure, the French president will not personally take part in the religious services to be held. The head of state will instead be represented at the mass religious ceremonies by First Lady Brigitte Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Several influential politicians who will compete in next year's presidential election are also reported to be attending the event. Security measures in Paris have been raised to the highest level, with mass gathering sites placed under full police control.
The Pope's packed program in Paris includes broad-format meetings and special conversations with thousands of young people. The pontiff will also meet with representatives of migrant communities and people who were sexually abused by clergy. In the following days of the visit, the Pope is scheduled to visit the shrine of Lourdes and the historic city of Metz. In Metz, tribute will be paid to Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the European Union and a devout Catholic. This historic visit has drawn great resonance both in Europe's political circles and among the religious public.
Rəşad Hüseynov