Di Catholic Church for France dey prepare to welcome Pope Léon XIV for di end of September. Di news come from di Conference of Bishops of France, wey announce am on Thursday.
Di Pope go visit Paris and Lourdes, according to di plan wey di Bishops don start to arrange. Di last time Pope visit Paris na for 2008, when Benedict XVI come. Since then, no Pope don do official visit to France.
Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, wey be President of di Conference of Bishops of France, say dem don invite di Pope. Di invitation get support from French President, wey meet Pope for Rome for April 10.
Pope Léon XIV don show love for France before. He talk about di country with respect. Di Cardinal say dem work on a rough program for di visit last week.
Di visit go be historic because e go break di pattern of recent Popes. Pope Francis wey precede am, never do official state visit to France. Francis only go to Strasbourg, Marseille, and Corsica for specific events, and he always say he no dey come to France as state visit. Many French Catholics feel slighted by dat.
Pope Léon XIV, wey be American born Robert Prévost, don send signals of interest to France since e become Pope. He write letter to French bishops for May 28, urging dem to revive mission work. He mention three French saints canonized in 1925.
Di Pope get Norman roots, and im grand-mother born for Le Havre. He speak French well during a recent trip to Monaco. Dis visit come early for im pontificate, wey show strong attachment to France.
Di Pope go also go to Lourdes, a major Catholic pilgrimage site. Lourdes na where Pope John Paul II make im last foreign trip for August 2004, months before e die.
Di visit go happen even though France dey for election period. Normally, Pope no dey visit countries during elections, but dis Pope break tradition. E dey continue di long line of French-loving Popes, from Pius XII to John Paul II.
Di Bishops of France don call on faithful to pray for di preparation of di event. Di official announcement still dey come from di Holy See.
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