Pope arrives in Paris for four-day visit

Pope Leo XIV met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée Palace on Friday morning, beginning his apostolic journey to France.

France's centuries of cultural and spiritual influence

The Pope praised France as a cultural, artistic, and spiritual beacon for Europe and the world, noting how French scholars united faith with sciences, arts, and philosophy.

“The sciences and the arts, literature, and philosophy can contribute to the good of humanity when they are directed toward the pursuit of beauty, goodness and truth.”

Notre-Dame rebuild shows hope through cooperation

The Pope called the reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral after the 2019 fire an impressive technical achievement that demonstrates how something irreparably destroyed can be reborn through mutual cooperation.

“Something considered irreparably destroyed can be reborn through mutual cooperation.”

Christian roots inspire liberty, equality, fraternity

The Pope connected France's national motto to Christian values, saying liberty, equality, and fraternity find their deepest source in the Gospel message and universal human rights.

“Liberty, equality, and fraternity refer to universal ethical imperatives that also find in the Gospel message an inexhaustible source of inspiration and fulfillment.”

Technology needs ethical wisdom and moral guidance

The Pope warned that artificial intelligence and technological progress must be guided by ethical discernment and respect for human dignity to avoid losing our humanity.

“If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a 'paradise of machines' invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment.”

Peace requires dialogue and justice, not weapons

The Pope called for nuclear weapons to be banned and urged France to pursue unarmed, disarming peace built through dialogue and justice rather than military balance.

“Peace is not a balance of power but is rather built each day through dialogue and justice.”

France called to champion multilateralism globally

The Pope concluded by urging France to remain a tireless champion of peace and multilateralism, working responsibly for a disarmed peace while staying faithful to its traditional values.

“May France, faithful to its traditional values, work for a peace that is unarmed and disarming, and responsibly offer its unique contribution to that goal.”