Cardinal Kasper says Pope Leo XIV’s France visit strengthened his profile

Pope Leo XIV concluded a four-day visit to France running from September 25 to 28, 2026, traveling through the capital area of Paris, Lourdes, and Metz.

Pope Leo XIV Visits Paris, Lourdes, and Metz

The apostolic journey marked the first official state visit by a pontiff to France since Benedictus XVI traveled to the country in 2008. Subsequent papal trips by Pope Francis included visits to European institutions in Strasbourg in 2014, a pastoral stop in Marseille in 2023, and a journey to Corsica in 2024, but none constituted official state visits. During the late September 2026 tour, Pope Leo XIV made a notable stop at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Cardinal Kasper observed that the voyage strengthened the pope’s personal profile as the head of the universal church while allowing him to address contemporary challenges empathetically, speaking reasonably to powerful actors while standing with the vulnerable.

Surge in Baptisms and the Postmodern Search for Meaning

Addressing reports of a baptism boom among young people in France, Cardinal Kasper urged caution given the absence of definitive comprehensive studies. However, he maintained that the trend highlights a deeper reality within postmodern society. In an era shaken by crises where politics, economics, science, and mass media fail to provide convincing answers, young individuals exhibit a distinct hunger for meaning and guidance. This spiritual quest has rendered the church interesting once more, directly countering narratives of growing religious indifference. Cardinal Kasper dismissed the notion that societal absence of the divine is trivial, pointing to the rising baptism numbers as a definitive counterpoint.

Pastoral Response and the Limits of Church Strategy

Kasper warned against ecclesiastical self-sufficiency in the face of these demographic shifts. The rise in baptisms does not stem from clever church strategies or deliberate institutional actions, but rather serves as an unexpected and surprising gift requiring careful pastoral stewardship. The church must work empathetically to catch up with these developments. Secularization should not be viewed solely in negative terms; instead, the baptismal increase reflects a renewed self-awareness that transforms traditional folk churches into active confessional communities.