Celebrating Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes on Sunday, the third day of his apostolic journey to France, Pope Leo XIV said the gathering of pilgrims from France and around the world revealed “the universal face of the Church,” and he encouraged them to bring “the consolation of Lourdes” back to their homes and communities.
Reflecting on the Sunday readings and the message entrusted by the Virgin Mary to Saint Bernadette, the Pope placed conversion at the heart of his homily.
Call to conversion
“Today, not tomorrow, that we must repent,” he said, explaining that God desires people to “open our eyes and return to him.” Conversion, he explained, means leaving behind paths on which we have lost our way and choosing “the way of life.”
Pope Leo recalled Mary’s words to Saint Bernadette: “I do not promise to make you happy in this world but in the next.” In a society focused on progress and material wellbeing, he said, Lourdes recalls the dignity of every human life and the hope of eternal life.
“In the face of current trends that seek to redefine the value of human life in illness, suffering and old age, the grotto of Massabielle stands as a place of Christian hope,” he said. At Lourdes, he added, crutches, wheelchairs and “hidden tears” are not obstacles but places where people can encounter God’s love.
“Penance! Penance! Penance!”
The Pope also recalled Mary’s repeated call at Lourdes: “Penance! Penance! Penance!”, noting that Mary asked Bernadette to undertake acts of penance not only for herself but also “for sinners.”
Linking this appeal to the conflicts and suffering present in the world today, he asked: “How can our hearts not be moved by the conflicts that are spreading and destroying so many innocent lives?”
