Pope Leo XIV, upon his arrival in Paris for a four-day visit on Friday, urged France to embrace dialogue and diversity. This request was particularly made in light of the fact that France is less than seven months away from the presidential elections, with Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate, leading in the polls.
Pope's Message at the Élysée Palace
In remarks made alongside Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, at the Élysée Palace, the Pope stated: "A truly free society" must prevent "authoritarian tendencies." Although the Pope did not directly refer to any politician or party, his defense of diversity and religious freedom came at a time when Le Pen's nationalist party is campaigning against immigration.
The Necessity of Dialogue in Today's France
Pope Leo XIV continued: "This dialogue is very necessary in the current situation in France, where people from different cultural and religious backgrounds must live together." He also criticized efforts to remove religion from public life, stating: "Secularism does not mean excluding religion from public spaces." These comments were made as Le Pen's nationalist party intends to ban Muslim headscarves.
Macron, during this meeting, said that the Pope has brought hope to France and praised his efforts in the field of artificial intelligence and human dignity. The Pope's visit will include a tour of UNESCO, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and a youth vigil at the Stade de Saint-Denis. He will also hold a mass on Saturday on the Champs-Élysées with the attendance of 600,000 people.
France's politics have become highly polarized in recent years, with the popularity of Le Pen's nationalist party and the unyielding leftist party of France increasing, while traditional parties are struggling to attract voters after a decade of Macron's presidency.
Antonio Spadaro, Deputy of the Vatican's Culture and Education Department, announced that the Pope will not provide voting guidelines in France and will not criticize those who vote for Le Pen. He stated that individuals drawn to nationalism are often concerned about their identity and have a "fear of losing it," but they have been given the "wrong answer." Spadaro added: "The Pope will not tell the French to be less French. Roots are a good thing; the problem arises when roots become walls."
