Leo XIV, the challenge to the heart of Christianity

The big news this week was the Vatican’s confirmation – long expected – of Pope Leo XIV’s November journey to Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru, but before he undertakes his three-nation tour of South America, the pope will travel to France.

The visit to la fille aînée de l’Église is scheduled for Spetember 25-28, and it will be charged with significance.

It is a journey to the heart of secularized Europe, where, among other things, the law on the end of life was passed just months before the Pope’s arrival. It is, however, a journey to a country of ancient Christianity, where the Catholic faith is experiencing a remarkable revival and no one really understands why.

It is a journey that will reveal much about how Leo XIV intends to address what is shaping up to be a veritable attack on the heart of Christianity.

France, in fact, is also one of the places in Europe where Christianophobic attacks have become so widespread that there is even an observatory dedicated to recording them one by one. France represents the new existential periphery of Europe, a country that considers itself the “eldest daughter” of the Church yet has experienced an unprecedented wave of secularization over the centuries, naturally fostered by the cultural climate created by the French Revolution.

France is also likely the place from which to begin the reconstruction of a Christian culture – something for which Leo XIV has been preparing the faithful since the beginning of his pontificate.

His first trip was to Monaco, one of the world’s smallest countries, to pay homage to a nation with an ancient Christian tradition, but above all to emphasize that every nation counts in the multilateral world. Leo XIV was telling the world that the point was not to listen to powerful nations, but rather to benefit from the contributions of smaller nations as well.

Then, there was the trip to Spain, where 1.2 million people came to see – and hear – the pope in Madrid, while in secularized and anticlerical Barcelona, an incredible crowd held their breath in front of the extraordinary and heartfelt blessing of the Tower of Jesus at the Sagrada Família.

Now, France, where the pope will not touch the European institutions, as was thought – that will happen, it’s only a matter of time – he will nevertheless dedicate an entire day to Europe, going to Metz, the city of the venerable Robert Schuman, the one of the great architects of a united Europe after World War II.

A great deal has been made of European secularization, the twilight of the faith, even the eclipse of the divine, but Leo XIV seems to be saying it is precisely from the countries of ancient faith and recent secularization that we must begin again to build a Christian culture capable of influencing public opinion.

While preparations were underway for the pope’s trip to France, French President Emmanuel Macron successfully passed a law decriminalizing euthanasia. The government’s decision, in two parliamentary steps that seemed forced and ideological, had the effect of uniting the Catholic world.

For years, the French bishops have been united in the fight against the liberalization of end-of-life care, having published fiery statements on the issue and demonstrating incredible unity of purpose, but in this last, losing round, there was wide support from the (still culturally) Catholic rank-and-file.

There is great anticipation for the Pope’s words in France, especially in Lourdes, where he will address the sick who might face pressure to end their own lives, but also in Metz, where he will call for a reconstitution of European culture based on the dignity of the person.

But if there’s weeping in France, there’s no laughter in other parts of Europe.

There’s a tiny European country, Andorra, governed by two co-princes: one is the President of the French Republic, the other is the Bishop of Urgell. Now, Andorra is obviously Catholic, and abortion is prohibited under all circumstances. But there’s currently a fierce liberal majority in the country’s parliament trying to open the way for the legalization of euthanasia there, as well.

So much so that on July 29, Xavier Espot, the head of the Andorra government, met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, at the Secretariat of State. Accompanied by Ladislau Birò, Minister of Institutional Relations, they attempted to find a “solution compatible with the Andorran constitutional framework”—as Prime Minister Espot’s statement put it—to finally introduce abortion in the country.

The debate has been ongoing for two years, and it’s striking how strongly such an issue is felt in a small place like Andorra. The truth is that Andorra is a symbol: if even the last bastion of Christianity in Europe falls, how will the others resist?

Monaco rejected an abortion law because of the definitive veto of Prince Albert of Monaco. But how will a new prince, one day, faced with a similar situation, be able to oppose it once Andorra has also legalized abortion?

Therefore, Andorra is also, somehow, a workshop.

Andorra would be the last Catholic country, besides Monaco, where abortion is a crime. Malta opened the door to abortion on the eve of Benedict XVI’s visit in 2010, as did Portugal in 2007, a country with ancient Christianity that, however, must contend with liberal majorities that, in effect, advance an agenda based on individual freedoms, but never the common good.

Will the Old Continent be able to resist?

It’s hard to say, given new governments that seem to be instilling an individualistic shift even in European countries, while the United States’ State Department is launching a call for proposals to promote conservative values in Europe.

In short, the issue has become the subject of ideological conflict. There is no real interest in international politics in listening to the words of the Pope or the Church. Rather, there is an exploitation of Christian values for political gain, which is one of the great risks the pope is taking.

Thus, in France, Leo XIV is called to repel the attack launched at the heart of Christianity. In fact, the great theme remains the absence of God. Cardinal Robert Sarah, in an interview with Il Foglio on August 1, noted how people now live as if God did not exist.

It is fair to expect that to be the great theme of Leo XIV’s journey to the heart of Europe.

It is a crucial and delicate issue, difficult to manage. Yet, it is the only theme the pope can develop if he would overcome the cultural crisis of Christianity today. France is a starting point; Andorra can be a case study of how small nations can be at the mercy of large transnational political movements. Monaco, we know, was the place from which the pope affirmed that everyone, even the smallest, can and must have a voice.

Perhaps the underlying theme is that the Catholic world hasn’t truly created a culture and a cultural movement in recent years, let alone a purposeful activism.

Now is the time to rebuild everything.

The pope’s travels can be encouraging in this regard.