The Pope Leo XIV arrived in the Pyrenean town of Lourdes on September 26, 2026, marking the first official papal state visit to France in eighteen years. His itinerary, part of a four-day apostolic journey, includes an open-air Mass on the Sanctuary’s prairie, private meetings with survivors of clerical sexual abuse, and a candlelit rosary procession that will conclude the visit on September 27. By choosing Lourdes—a site synonymous with miraculous healings—the pontiff underscores the Church’s commitment to both spiritual renewal and the pastoral care of those who have suffered.
Pope Leo XIV’s four-day French apostolic journey
After touching down at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport, the Pope’s first act was a silent prayer at the Grotto of Apparitions the very spot where the Virgin Mary appeared to a young shepherd girl in 1858. The following morning he celebrated Mass on the open prairie, surrounded by a crowd that included dozens of priests, bishops, and thousands of pilgrims. In the afternoon, the Holy Father met privately with seven individuals who endured clerical abuse, a step that echoes the French Bishops’ Conference’s report estimating 330,000 children abused over seven decades. The schedule concludes with a solemn rosary procession through the sanctuary, lit by thousands of torches, symbolising both remembrance and hope.
The enduring draw of Lourdes: history, miracles and numbers
The apparition narrative began when fourteen-year-old Bernardette Soubirous reported eighteen visions of a lady in white between February and July 1858. The Lady, later identified as the Immaculate Conception instructed Bernardette to drink and bathe in a spring that emerged at the Grotto of Massabielle. The Catholic Church officially recognized these visions in 1862, and Lourdes quickly evolved into a major pilgrimage destination. Today the sanctuary comprises twenty-two sites, including three basilicas—the oldest being the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Annually, roughly three million visitors arrive, of whom about 60,000 are sick or disabled, seeking the reputed healing properties of the 12 °C spring water. Since 1858, the International Medical Committee of Lourdes has examined over 7,000 cases, formally declaring 72 healings as miraculous.
Practical and controversial aspects of the weekend
Lourdes, a town of under 15,000 residents, must accommodate a sudden influx of pilgrims and the Pope’s entourage. With nearly 10,000 hotel rooms and about 21,200 beds—the second-largest hotel capacity in France after Paris—prices soar during high-profile events; some establishments have listed rooms for more than €2,000 per night. While French faithful represent 42 % of annual visitors, pilgrims from Central and Eastern Europe, especially Poland (ranked sixth among 160 nations), are expected to swell the crowds. Adding a layer of tension, the mosaics created by Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik on the façade of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary have been concealed for the Pope’s visit, following an ongoing church trial concerning accusations of sexual abuse against the artist. The decision, announced by Bishop Jean-Marc Micas, reflects the Church’s broader effort to address past scandals while maintaining the sanctuary’s spiritual focus.
Beyond the liturgical program, the Pope also visited the Accueil Notre-Dame, a care centre for the sick, and offered the traditional “golden rose” to the shrine, a symbolic gesture of papal affection for Marian sites. His public prayer highlighted themes of conversion, family vitality, and the need for wise leadership in France, emphasizing the Vatican’s hope that the pilgrimage’s healing narrative may inspire a broader societal renewal.
