Pope Leo XIV concluded the celebration of Vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on September 25, 2026, delivering a message of spiritual renewal to the bishops, priests, seminarians, and consecrated men and women of France. Speaking inside the restored landmark, the Pontiff encouraged those present not to neglect personal prayer, calling an intimate friendship with the Lord the essential foundation of every religious vocation and mission. He urged church leaders to nurture their interior life, reminding them that their pastoral work flows directly from this spiritual relationship.
Calling the congregation to be “living stones of a Church that hopes for and does not fear the future,” Pope Leo XIV framed the cathedral’s rebirth following the 2019 fire as an invitation for the faithful to be reborn with a renewed commitment to holiness. Directing attention to the untouched 14th-century statue of the Virgin and Child, the Pope asked Mary to guide the mission of the Church in France. The Vespers service formed part of an intense first day of his four-day apostolic journey (September 25–28), which includes stops in Paris, Lourdes, and Metz, marked by meetings with government officials and an evening vigil with 80,000 young people.