Pope Leo XIV begins four-day visit to France

Pope Leo XIV began a four-day visit to France on Friday, with an agenda focused on institutional, political and social issues, according to the daily Clarín. The pontiff's stay on French soil includes stops in Paris, Metz and Lourdes, a few months before the upcoming presidential elections scheduled in the European country.

The apostolic visit comes amid an international context marked by geopolitical tensions in Europe and debates over the role of multilateralism. Key items on the agenda include planned speeches at UNESCO on artificial intelligence and climate change, as well as his address on Europe's role in Metz.

The issue of sexual abuse committed within the Church occupies a central place in the trip. The pope will hold a closed-door meeting in Lourdes with seven victims of the Church, among them a former student of an educational institution implicated in allegations of violence.

The visit also coincides with recent legislative debates in the French Parliament, such as the approval in July of a law creating the right to assisted dying. The agenda also includes a visit to a migrant reception center at a time of intense electoral debate over immigration in France.