Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to France, from September 25 to 28, 2026, proved to be a popular triumph that surprised even the Pontiff himself. France is one of the European nations in which an aggressive secularism manifests itself most visibly. On the eve of the papal visit, a meticulous report by the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), entitled Souffrances et espérance de l’Église en France and compiled by Grégor Puppinck with Constance Avenel, documented the heavy pressures exerted by the secular state…