Pope Leo XIV Tells Paris Crowds: 'Our Fight Is Not Against Others'

Pope Leo XIV began a four-day visit to France with a packed first day in Paris, meeting President Emmanuel Macron, addressing UNESCO and closing the evening with a prayer vigil at the Stade de France, according to Le Monde.

The pope's itinerary took him first to the Elysee Palace for a meeting with Macron, followed by an appearance at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The visit, which will also take him to Lourdes and Metz over the following days, marks a high-profile trip within France's traditionally secular political culture.

Speaking during the day's events, the pope said, "Our fight is not a fight against others," a message Le Monde's coverage frames as a call for unity rather than confrontation, without elaborating further on the specific context of the remark in the excerpt reviewed.

The day concluded with a prayer vigil at the Stade de France, France's national stadium in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, where the pope addressed a large gathering as part of the visit's public program.

Le Monde's live coverage of the visit continues as the pope proceeds to the pilgrimage site of Lourdes and the city of Metz over the remaining days of the trip.