Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lourdes from Paris on Saturday evening, beginning a visit to the renowned French pilgrimage site for miracle cures where hundreds of thousands of faithful gathered for weekend services.
Pope Leo XIV Arrives in Lourdes for Visit
Pope Leo XIV traveled to Lourdes following a massive outdoor Mass in Paris that drew an estimated 800,000 attendees. Upon arriving on Saturday evening, the pope prayed at the Massabielle Grotto, the site where a 14-year-old peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous reported 18 visions of the Virgin Mary in 1858. On Sunday, September 27, 2026, the pope led an open-air Mass on the Prairie at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, addressing large crowds alongside bishops, the sick, and support staff.
Dr. Alessandro de Franciscis, who recently retired as president of the Lourdes Office of Medical Observation after 17 years of reviewing treatments and possible miracle cures, stated that the papal visit centers on purification and healing. According to de Franciscis, this includes addressing healing from the Church’s recent sexual abuse scandals. During his time in Lourdes, the pope scheduled a private meeting with seven victims of clergy sexual assault to offer repentance and accountability.
Recognized Miracles and Medical Observations
During the visit, Pope Leo XIV planned to meet with individuals whose physical healings were investigated and officially recognized by the Church. De Franciscis highlighted several notable cases, including Sister Bernadette Moriau, who recovered from a spinal condition that restored her ability to walk, and Antonietta Raco, who was cured of primary lateral sclerosis in 2009. The pope also arranged to meet Delizia Cirolli, who recovered from a Ewing’s Sarcoma knee cancer during her childhood in the late 1970s.
While physical recoveries receive documentation at the sanctuary, de Franciscis emphasized that spiritual transformations remain far more common among visitors. Discussing his contributions to a new book titled “The Angels Among Us,” de Franciscis noted that the hospitaliers—the caregivers known as the angels of Lourdes—frequently experience profound personal relief and life changes after serving the sick at the Grotto.