During his intensive visit to France, Pope Leo XIV stopped in Lourdes, alternating moments of deep reflection with crucial meetings. The Pope held a private meeting with seven victims of abuse by priests, reminding French bishops that the scourge of abuse must be dealt with utmost vigilance, justice, and preventative measures. He subsequently presided over a solemn Mass in the Prairie in front of 150,000 faithful, during which he encouraged the pilgrims to become "missionaries of hope", capable of looking forward with confidence despite the challenges of the world. During his midday audience with the sick at the Accueil Notre-Dame, the Pope addressed the issues of end-of-life care and abortion. "No human law should cause you to lose the assurance of your dignity", he cautioned, resolutely rejecting the allure of fake compassion. Leo XIV emphasized that medicine cannot be the instrument of programmed death or determine the fates of individuals based on rigid laboratory algorithms, recalling that “what is legal is not necessarily moral”.