Daniel del Castillo González
Less than a month ago, Paris welcomed Pope Leo XIV amid applause, crowds, and a festive atmosphere. Images like the one you see here, the pope filling the Champs-Élysées with more than a million people, and no public disorder.
Three weeks later, the country presents a different picture: looted stores, public buildings set on fire, and clashes with the police.
This contrast has also caught the attention of the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, who laments seeing such a radical change happen all of a sudden.
GFX — MSGR. LAURENT ULRICH
Archbishop of Paris
We find it hard to believe that the same city that welcomed Pope Leo XIV with joy and harmony could, less than a month later, become the scene of the violence we witnessed. Riots broke out on Saturday, October 17, following several weeks of student demonstrations.
The initial protests highlighted the deterioration of schools and poor conditions for studying.
They were later joined by workers and other groups dissatisfied with the cost of living, the loss of purchasing power, and the deterioration of public services.
The Ministry of the Interior estimated that there were about 550,000 protesters nationwide. In Limoges, city hall was devastated by a fire.
The French Church has also suffered the consequences. In Marseille, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, the city’s archbishop and president of the French Bishops’ Conference, reported that some churches were broken into during the riots.
GFX — CARD. JEAN-MARC AVELINE
President of the French Bishops' Conference
We call on everyone not to get caught up in the cycle of this deadly violence: our country deserves better than that. Together with all people of faith, we pray that these disturbances will end, that just demands will be heard and addressed, and that, through dialogue and respect for justice, peace may return.
Violence has also disrupted a specific initiative by the Church. In Lyon, a peace march involving all religions had been organized but had to be postponed.
GFX — MSGR. OLIVIER DE GERMAY
Archbishop of Lyon
This violence is a sign of a society in crisis. [...] It is a dead end and can only lead to more injustice and division. It is not by pitting ourselves against one another, but by working together, that we will be able to meet the challenges facing our society.
The protests are resonating in other European countries. In Belgium, Portugal, and Italy, the protests in France are having a ripple effect.
The Church in France remains steadfast, calling for the protection of victims, an end to the attacks, and the restoration of spaces where young people can express their concerns.
Less than a month ago, Paris welcomed the Pope with a message of unity. Now, its bishops are trying to restore that vision in the face of a situation that seems beyond the reach of political solutions.
