APTOPIX Vatican Pope
A pigeon flies past Pope Leo XIV as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026.
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Pope Leo XIV is taking his call to respect the dignity of every human life on the road with a weekend visit to France. Leo is spending four intense days in Paris, the Catholic shrine at Lourdes and the northern city of Metz. He’s hoping to draw attention to his appeals for peace at a time of war, and greater reflection as artificial intelligence threatens the very essence of what it means to be human. Church bells across France are expected to toll at 10 a.m. Friday, when Leo’s charter flight lands at Paris’ Orly airport, underscoring the surprising level of interest in Leo’s visit, the first by a pope in 18 years.
