Pope Leo, in France, calls for respect for right to life, ban on nuclear weapons

September 25, 2026

Following his arrival in Paris today—the first day of his apostolic journey to France—Pope Leo XIV traveled to Élysée Palace, where he paid a courtesy visit to President Emmanuel Macron (video).

The president and the Pontiff then delivered separate addresses to members of the diplomatic corps, joined by political, religious, and business leaders.

In his wide-ranging address, President Macron said that “it is a great honor and also a great joy for the French Republic to welcome you today on our soil.”

Referring to the “very special history that links Christianity to our country,” President Macron spoke of a “history that is two thousand years old, as evidenced by these landscapes of France, dotted with cathedrals, basilicas, churches, monuments from the depths of time, priceless gifts from those who preceded us and who had a certain idea of our country.”

In a claim that would have surprised Pope St. Pius X, President Macron asserted that “when the Republic decided, a little more than 120 years ago, on the separation between Church and State, it gave shape to a French secularism that is in no way the negation of religion.”

The president concluded:

Most Holy Father, I express the hope that these few days will enable you to meet France in all its truth, its strengths, its diversity and its debates. A France imbued with spirituality and always looking for the universal. An emancipated France, attached to its project of liberty, equality and fraternity, diverse and united. A France that is committed, sensitive to your presence and whose fervor you will feel.

Most Holy Father, it is this France that receives you today with great humility, with great honor and great joy. Welcome.

In his own wide-ranging address (video), Pope Leo discussed France’s Christian heritage, human dignity and human rights, religion in public life, peace, and diplomacy.

“My visit to France begins in Paris, the country’s capital, often known as the City of Light,” Pope Leo said. “For centuries, France has served as a cultural, artistic and spiritual beacon, not only for Europe but also for the whole world.”

“With its cathedral schools, universities and academies dedicated to the pursuit of truth, France has helped to shape the outlook of peoples far beyond its borders,” he continued. “The many brilliant French scholars who were also faithful Catholics demonstrates clearly how 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, that the world may have life.”

In discussing human rights, Pope Leo spoke of “a summons to a renewed sense of fraternity, which teaches us to welcome life unconditionally, to support frailty with loving care, to accompany every stage of life with respect and mutual trust, and to defend with courage and compassion those unable to make their voices heard and those who feel ignored or overlooked. That is why I firmly reiterate that the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right.”

“I am concerned at times by those trends in society that risk turning science and technology into profit-driven ventures promoting genetic manipulation, surrogacy, the trade in human organs or the possibility of arranging one’s own death,” the Pope added. “Let us not forget that mutual respect and the protection of every human life is a duty incumbent upon each and every one of us. It is a duty that begins with the conversion of our minds and hearts, and requires a sincere and selfless commitment to the good of our brothers and sisters.”

Turning to “authentic secularity,” Pope Leo said that “a Christian engaged in public service and is guided by the light of his or her conscience illumined by faith, cannot be considered a proselytizer or a threat to the unity of the nation. Indeed, authentic secularity does not exclude religion but is capable of valuing it as an educational resource.”

As he discussed the need for peace, the Pontiff reiterated St. John XXIII’s 1963 call for a ban on nuclear weapons:

How can we speak of this part of the world—where the Prince of Peace was born two thousand years ago—without also thinking of all those men, women and children who suffer from the effects of conflict and the scourge of war? We cannot remain indifferent in the face of their pain, which offends human dignity and cries out to God for justice ...

As my predecessor Saint John XXIII pointed out in his day, “justice, right reason and the recognition of human dignity cry out insistently for an end to the arms race. The stockpiles of armaments built up in various countries must be reduced all round and simultaneously by the parties concerned. Nuclear weapons must be banned. A general agreement must be reached on a suitable disarmament program, with an effective system of mutual control” (Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris, 112). Indeed, the mistaken belief that the possession of nuclear weapons is a guarantee of security is spreading and fueling a new arms race that is difficult to control.

“May God grant [France] peace, unity, and prosperity, that the world may have life,” the Pontiff concluded. “I entrust these hopes to the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the principal patroness of France. May God bless France and all the French people!”

The Pope then traveled to the apostolic nunciature for a private lunch.

 

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Further information:

• Apostolic Journey to France: Meeting with the Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 9/25/26)
• Courtesy Visit to the President of the Republic and Meeting with the Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps (Holy See Press Office, 9/25/26)
• Discours du Président de la République (Élysée, 9/25/26)