Lourdes awaits 150,000 visitors to welcome Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV begins his first official papal visit to France since 2008. Lourdes prepares to welcome nearly 250,000 people during the historic weekend.
TL;DR
- Pope Leo XIV's visit is expected to bring nearly 250,000 people to Lourdes over the weekend.
- The influx of visitors significantly increases the town's usual population of 10,000, impacting local businesses and hotels.
- The Pope will participate in various ceremonies, including Mass, prayer at the grotto, and meetings with sick pilgrims and sexual abuse survivors.
- The visit is seen as a spiritual event to strengthen faith and address societal issues.
- Organized pilgrimages have seen an increase in sign-ups, with more individual visitors and young people attending.
- Lourdes, historically a site of apparitions and miraculous cures since 1858, is experiencing renewed attention and economic activity.