Praised be Jesus Christ. A very warm welcome to you on behalf of Vatican Media, Vatican Radio, and all my colleagues here at the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication. We're coming to you from Lourdes in France, where Pope Leo is about to lead the prayer of the rosary and a torchlight procession. He's here in Lourdes, this city in the southwest of France, as the second leg of his ongoing apostolic journey to the country. And a very warm welcome to all of you who are joining us for this broadcast, whether you're joining us via our Vatican News YouTube channel, EWTN TV, Catholic Faith Network, Salt and Light TV, or Shalom Channel TV. Very warm welcome to all of you. And a reminder that this broadcast is available live right now on our Vatican Media audio app and the Vatican News website, which you can access at vatican.va, as well as on our Facebook page.
So, it's just turned 9:00. You can hear the bells there. And Pope Leo is expected to arrive to lead this evening's prayer. You can hear the silence. There was music until a few moments ago, and now the attendees, thousands of them, are being invited to wait in silence for the arrival of the pope and the start of this prayer.
Pope Leo got to Lourdes yesterday evening. This small city, which has one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world, about four million visitors every year. He got here yesterday evening. He visited the grotto, the grotto of the apparitions where Bernadette Soubirous is said to have seen the Virgin Mary, and spent a moment in prayer with some of the faithful there. This morning he met with the bishops of the French Episcopal Conference. He then celebrated mass here in the shrine in Lourdes. And then it was a busy day. In the afternoon he met with the sick community at Accueil Notre-Dame, which is a center for the sick. Of course, Lourdes is a famous pilgrimage spot for sick people. They come and bathe in the waters in the hopes that they might be cured. There have been many, many reported miracles here in Lourdes. We can see an image there of some cars arriving. I think that the Holy Father's car might be among them.
He then had a private meeting with some contemplative religious sisters, Carmelite sisters who have a monastery just across from the grotto. And then after that he met with some victims of clerical sexual abuse in France. That was a closed-door meeting at about 6:00 p.m. And so today, this prayer of the rosary wrapping up a very busy day.
Tomorrow morning, the Pope then heading to Metz in the north of France for the last stage of this apostolic journey to France. He has an interreligious meeting and then a meeting with the title 'The Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity.' That's at the Robert Schuman Conference Center, and then a holy mass at the Cathedral of St. Stephen before he then departs for Rome tomorrow evening.
So the Pope spent most of the weekend here in Lourdes. He spent about the first day and a half of his trip in Paris. He met with the president, celebrated a huge mass with something like 800,000 people, and held a lot of other meetings before then on Saturday arriving here, coming to Lourdes. He spent Saturday evening, all of Sunday, and then, as I said, leaving on Monday morning.
It was the first time a pope had been to Paris in 18 years. So, Pope Francis came to France multiple times throughout his pontificate, but he never went to Paris. And now, those of you following on television can see the incredible shots of the shrine. That's the shrine there in the middle of your screens, the church which is built next to the grotto of the apparitions. And thousands of the faithful lining the streets here as the pope's car arrived, and many more thousands gathered right in front of the basilica for the prayer of the rosary.
The Pope is arriving from the local bishop's residence. You can see him there. It's sort of dark, but that is the Pope who's just exited the car. He's arriving from the bishop's residence where, as I said, he had a meeting with survivors of clerical sexual abuse. It was a closed-door meeting. There were no cameras. There'll be no photos. But the Holy See Press Office did release a statement from that meeting that the Pope is just arriving from.
Remarkable silence, by the way, here. Normally, as the pope arrives, you'd hear all kinds of cheering, shouting, but people very quiet and even whispering. Now we get the first cheers. But there's a prayerful atmosphere here. It's dark. It's 9:00 p.m. in France, so completely dark. And most of the light is being provided by these candles being held by the faithful here.
I mentioned the statement released by the Holy See Press Office as the pope actually just takes a moment before he heads to the area where the rosary prayer will be held. He's back at the grotto of the apparitions that he visited yesterday evening and taking a moment in prayer in front of this very, very famous statue of the Virgin Mary here. This is the spot, the very spot that you can now see the pope standing at in prayer, where Bernadette Soubirous is said to have seen the Virgin Mary in the 19th century. And following those visions, this became, as I said, one of the most visited Catholic shrines anywhere in the world. This little city in the southwest of France.
The man accompanying the pope there is Archbishop Diego Delli. He's the master of pontifical ceremonies. And you'll often see him at the pope's side during liturgies or other prayers celebrated by the Pope.
And this is the creed which will now be sung in Latin.
That was the creed sung in Latin. And this evening's prayer will now be introduced in various languages.
United in one faith, let us pray for our Holy Father Pope Leo, for his intentions and the intentions of the whole Church.
Good morning. And this is the first glorious mystery, the resurrection of the Lord. The reading is taken from John's Gospel. 'Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.'
And this is the chorus of the antiphon 'Gaudete Maria.'
Each of the decades is being prayed in a different language. This first one is being prayed in French.
Second glorious mystery, the ascension of the Lord. From the Gospel according to John. 'Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before? The Spirit gives life. The flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you, they are full of the Spirit and life.'
And this now is the antiphon 'Gaudete Maria.'
Third glorious mystery, Pentecost. From the Gospel according to John. Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
The fourth glorious mystery, the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the Gospel according to St. Luke. In a loud voice she exclaimed, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her.'
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Fifth glorious mystery, the coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the Book of Revelation. A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, 'Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah.'
So, it's being announced that the prayer intentions of many of the faithful gathered here today are now being placed in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary. It was first announced in French and now in Italian, and we'll hear the same announcement in English in a moment as well. The faithful are also invited to take a moment in silent prayer.
The prayer intentions collected today are now presented to Our Lady, who intercedes on behalf of all her children. Let us pray in silence.
After this moment of silent prayer, there will be prayers for peace in the world. First in French, then Italian, then Spanish, then English.
Blessed Virgin Mary, also obtain peace for our world. Show people the path of fraternity. Queen of peace, pray for us.
And Pope Leo will now address the thousands of pilgrims present here. He'll give an address in French, which I'll translate into English, before we head to the end of tonight's prayer ceremony.
