DOMINANT ANGLE
Chad first took note of the state protocol: the reception of Emmanuel Macron at Orly, the speech by Léon XIV at the Élysée in front of the diplomatic corps, then the stop at UNESCO where the pope renewed his call to regulate artificial intelligence.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Pope Leo XIV, welcomed by Emmanuel Macron at Orly, began a four-day visit to France on Friday, the first since Benedict XVI's in September 2008.
- 02
At the Élysée, he delivered a speech around 11:45 am to the authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps, before speaking at UNESCO around 3:00 pm, where he was to renew his call to regulate artificial intelligence.
- 03
The program includes a stop in Lourdes, where the pope is to meet with people who were victims of sexual abuse within the Church, before concluding his trip in Metz on Monday.
ANALYSIS
Au Tchad, le protocole d'État domine le récit de l'arrivée du pape Léon XIV en France, première visite pontificale dans l'Hexagone depuis celle de Benoît XVI en septembre 2008, il y a près de dix-huit ans. According to Tchad Infos and Le Pays Tchad, the sovereign pontiff landed on Friday at Paris-Orly airport, where he was welcomed by President Emmanuel Macron. The bells of France's churches rang out for seven minutes to greet his arrival.
From the airport, Léon XIV went directly to the Élysée Palace for a meeting with the head of state, before delivering, at around 11:45, a speech in front of French authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps. He was offered several gifts, including a partial reproduction of one of the new stained-glass windows of Notre-Dame de Paris and a "piece of synthetic DNA" on which a unique copy of the Gospel was affixed.
In the afternoon, around 3:00 pm, the pope spoke at the UNESCO headquarters, where he was to renew his call to regulate artificial intelligence, in a context of growing concern about the possible drift of algorithms. On the plane that took him to Paris, he had hailed the "spiritual thirst" perceptible in France, where baptisms are on the rise, and stated that he was traveling "as a disciple of Jesus Christ", wishing to "proclaim peace, the peace of Christ throughout the world".
In front of the Parisian church of Saint-Eustache, Andrée Estienne, a 76-year-old retiree quoted by AFP, testified that this visit "brings calm to a troubled world" and allows the faithful to be "united around him".
The program, detailed by Le Pays Tchad, then includes vespers at Notre-Dame and a vigil with young people at the Stade de France, before a second stage in Lourdes on Sunday, where the pope will pray at the Massabielle grotto, celebrate a mass, and meet with people who have been victims of sexual abuse within the Church. The trip will end on Monday in Metz, with an interfaith meeting dedicated to peace and European unity, before a mass at the Saint-Étienne cathedral.
SOURCES (2)
- Tchad InfosMEDIUM
- Le Pays TchadMEDIUM
