Justin McLellan

In the city of Lourdes, the pope met individually seven victims of sexual abuse — four men and three women selected by the Bishops' Conference of France — before addressing them as a group.

Preaching to the infirmed, disabled and those who care for them at one of Catholicism's most iconic shrines, Pope Leo XIV said that "no human law should ever make you lose the certainty of your dignity."

The pope closed the Paris leg of his trip with enthusiasm, praying that faith and charity "blossom throughout France."

For many young Catholics, the pope's visit was a validation of the current cultural shift around Catholicism in France. Leo told 80,000 young people at a vigil, "You are the saints of France!"

The pope echoed his predecessor's vision, saying that the reconstructed cathedral offered an encounter "that has expanded horizons of welcome and participation beyond the boundaries of ecclesial affiliation."

Speaking at UNESCO, the pope brought his AI agenda to France at a time when the global conversation over AI regulation is exploding, with several tech industry executives leading the charge.

With more than a million expected to see him in France, Pope Leo XIV is set to make quite the splash during his four-day trip to the country, long thought to be hostile to the realm of religion.

Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, said the Catholic Church offers the labor movement both significant convening power and "validation that humanity has to be at the center" of the AI revolution.

Applying the principles of synodality can repair political discourse in the United States which has become "debilitated" in recent years, said Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas.

Pope Leo XIV's alma mater has named the former head of the Vatican's social justice office, Cardinal Michael Czerny, as the inaugural recipient of a sustainability award honoring Leo's advocacy on caring for creation.

The two cases highlight the contrast in how local churches are dealing with the artist's legacy following revelations of his abuse, particularly after Pope Leo's own position on the case has begun to emerge.

In a sprawling document published Sept. 2, the Vatican's International Theological Commission makes the case for developing an "ecological spirituality" in light of the Christian understanding of the Triune God.

Celebrating a new form of the Catholic Mass "for the care of creation," Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to contemplate nature as well as the ways they have shirked their responsibility to care for it.

Three months after the release of Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on artificial intelligence, Magnifica Humanitas continues to gain traction among tech leaders and policymakers alike.

"The participation of the faithful cannot be passive," the pontiff said. "From this conviction arose the need to make the richness of the biblical texts and prayers more accessible to all the faithful."

Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly will join the Vatican office responsible for engaging with the Catholic laity and families, another high-profile Vatican appointment from the Catholic Church in the U.S.

The pontiff's comments to people preparing for baptism will suggest where he wants to lead the next generation of Catholics and shape their spirituality.

Two recent decisions by French Bishop Jean-Marc Micas have positioned the Marian shrine at Lourdes as a microcosm for church issues ahead of the pope's visit there at the end of September.

Following Pope Leo XIV's meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the Vatican said Aoun's subsequent meetings with Vatican diplomats focused on the recent agreement signed by the U.S., Israel and Lebanon.

The first U.S.-born pope on Tuesday tapped three experts from U.S. institutions to advise the Catholic Church's central office dedicated to promoting social justice. All three are affiliated with the University of Notre Dame.