Pope Leo XIV Leads Lourdes Torchlight Rosary, Closing France Visit

Pope Leo XIV brought his stay in Lourdes to a close on Sunday evening by taking part in one of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes' best-known rites: the Rosary and a torchlight procession.

Accompanied by thousands of the faithful, the pontiff walked behind the statue of the Virgin Mary, praying the Rosary in several languages as pilgrims carrying candles surrounded him. The evening began with his arrival at the shrine, where he was greeted by devotees and paused to pray. A cardinal handed him a torch before he led the candlelight procession.

The visit formed part of a four-day apostolic journey to France — the first official papal state visit to the country in 18 years.

Lourdes grew into a major pilgrimage destination after the Catholic Church officially recognised visions of the Virgin Mary reported there by a young girl in 1858. The site, near the Spanish border, draws millions of pilgrims each year, among them sick and disabled believers seeking a cure from the spring water of the Lourdes grotto.

Around 3 million pilgrims visit annually, including roughly 60,000 who are sick or disabled. According to the town hall, it ranks as the fourth most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, after the Vatican, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil.