Pope Leo XIV called Catholics to a courageous and visible faith Wednesday, pointing both to the resurgence of Catholic life he witnessed during his recent journey to France and to Christians who gave their lives rather than abandon communion with the Church.
During his Sept. 30 General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope reflected extensively on his Sept. 25–28 Apostolic Journey to France, describing “rebirth” as a theme that connected many of its most significant moments, according to Vatican News.
The restored Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris became a powerful symbol of that message.
Pope Leo said the cathedral and “the tragedy it has endured” could “symbolically shed light on this entire Apostolic Journey,” offering a perspective he summarized in a single word: “rebirth.”
Notre-Dame was devastated by fire in April 2019 before undergoing a massive restoration and reopening in December 2024. According to Vatican News, the Pope pointed to the cooperation involved in rebuilding the cathedral as an example of what can happen when different parts of society work together for the common good.
But Leo stressed that the renewal he witnessed in France extended far beyond buildings.
He recalled an enormous prayer vigil with approximately 80,000 young people at the Stade de France, contrasting the stadium with the ancient cathedral while emphasizing what spiritually united the two gatherings.
“The Church, which is not made up of stones or cement, but of people who love Jesus Christ because they have been loved by Him,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News.
Leo described the young Catholics gathered in the stadium as part of a “new French generation,” characterized not simply by age but by their “spirit” and “freedom of heart and faith.”
The Pope also highlighted the growing number of young people and adults receiving Baptism in France, another development he presented as a sign of spiritual renewal.
That renewal was dramatically visible during the Pope’s Mass at Place de la Concorde in Paris, where Vatican News reported that approximately 700,000 people gathered, filling the famous avenue of the Champs-Élysées toward the Arc de Triomphe and beyond.
“This is the true reconstruction, the restoration of the Church that only God can bring about, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary,” Pope Leo said after recalling the distribution of the Eucharist to the immense congregation.
His message of rebirth also carried a strong defense of human life.
Reflecting on his pilgrimage to Lourdes, Leo called the Marian shrine “a sanctuary of the civilization of love” and emphasized the dignity of people experiencing sickness, suffering and extreme vulnerability.
“Every human life, in whatever condition, even in the most extreme frailty, retains its inviolable dignity and deserves to be cared for, accompanied and relieved of suffering with human compassion and with the aid of the means offered by science,” the Pope said.
The Holy Father also connected Christian renewal with peace and reconciliation. Recalling his visit to Metz, he pointed to Europe’s rebuilding after the devastation of the Second World War and to the Christian roots that helped shape the postwar European project.
“Contemporary Europe was indeed born as a project for peace in the wake of the destruction wrought by war,” Leo said.
The Pope said Europe was rebuilt upon principles including “democracy, solidarity and fraternity amongst peoples,” which he said “owe much to its Christian roots.”
That same General Audience also gave Leo an opportunity to remember Catholics who paid the ultimate price for remaining faithful to the Church.
In his greeting to Polish pilgrims, the Pope recalled Blessed Wincenty Lewoniuk and his 12 Companions, the Martyrs of Pratulin, who were beatified by Saint John Paul II on October 6, 1996.
According to Vatican News, the martyrs were Greek Catholic laymen from the Podlasie region, many of them farmers, husbands and fathers. During the 19th century, Greek Catholics living under Russian rule faced pressure from Tsarist authorities to abandon communion with Rome and join the Orthodox Church.
On January 24, 1874, the men gathered at their church in Pratulin to defend it. Russian troops opened fire on the unarmed Catholics as they knelt in the snow, according to Vatican News.
“Thirty years ago, Saint John Paul II beatified Wincenty Lewoniuk and his 12 Companions, martyrs who defended, to the point of shedding their blood, their belonging to the Catholic Church and their unity with the Successor of Saint Peter, while remaining faithful to their own Eastern tradition,” Pope Leo told Polish pilgrims.
Their sacrifice, he suggested, remains relevant to Christians facing persecution today.
“I entrust to their intercession the cause of unity among Christ’s disciples and Catholics who are persecuted today for their faith,” Leo said.
The Pope also recalled three priests killed by Nazi troops in 1944 who were beatified in Bologna on September 27.
“The supreme sacrifice of these ministers of God shows today’s Christians the courage to stand by their brothers and sisters, especially in times of trial,” he said.
Together, the Pope’s reflections presented a picture of Catholic renewal rooted not merely in growing crowds or restored churches, but in fidelity to Christ, defense of human dignity, unity, sacrifice and the willingness to live the faith publicly.
As he concluded his reflections on France, Pope Leo expressed hope that the journey would produce “abundant and lasting fruit.”
Then he offered Catholics a direct challenge inspired by what he had witnessed.
“May the public witness of love for Jesus Christ that we have seen in France be an inspiration to the entire Church,” Pope Leo said.
“Let us not hide our faith!”
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Praying for you too France❤️🥰🇫🇷