Pope Leo XIV, through his Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, encouraged the work of the bishops of France gathered in plenary assembly from March 24 to 27, 2026. He particularly, encouraged the bishops to welcome faithful who are bound to the "Vetus Ordo" or traditional Latin rite.FULL TEXT - Dear brothers, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has asked me to convey his best wishes for the successful and fruitful proceedings of your Plenary Assembly . He assures you of his fraternal prayers. He hopes that this moment will be a renewed opportunity to strengthen the bonds of fraternal charity among you, in the common pursuit of God's Will for the Church in France.
The Holy Father has taken note of the topics you intend to address, and several have piqued his interest. In particular, in response to the Apostolic Letter "Drawing New Maps of Hope ," you will be addressing the theme of education, a topic that particularly resonated with Pope Francis because of its crucial importance both for the future of the world and for the proclamation of the Gospel. Your work is taking place against the backdrop of growing hostility toward Catholic institutions and challenges to their distinctive character. Respecting everyone's convictions and always striving for inclusivity, the Pope encourages you to resolutely defend the Christian dimension of Catholic education, which, without references to Jesus Christ, would lose its very purpose.
One point of your reflection will concern the continuation of the fight against child abuse and the process of reparations, which you have undertaken with determination. It is indeed necessary to persevere in the long term with the prevention efforts already underway and to continue demonstrating the Church's concern for the victims and God's mercy toward all. It is good that priests guilty of abuse are not excluded from this mercy and are the subject of your pastoral reflections. Furthermore, after several years of painful crises, the time has come to look resolutely to the future and to offer a message of encouragement and confidence to the priests of France, who have suffered greatly.
Finally, dear brothers, you intend to address the delicate subject of the Liturgy , to which the Holy Father is particularly attentive, in the context of the growth of communities bound to the Vetus Ordo (Traditional Mass). It is troubling that a painful wound concerning the celebration of Mass , the very sacrament of unity, continues to open in the Church. To heal it, a new perspective on one another, with a greater understanding of each other's sensitivities, is certainly necessary; a perspective that can allow brothers, enriched by their diversity, to welcome one another in charity and the unity of faith. May the Holy Spirit suggest to you concrete solutions that will allow for the generous inclusion of those sincerely attached to the Vetus Ordo, in accordance with the guidelines established by the Second Vatican Council regarding the Liturgy .
Dear brothers, the Sovereign Pontiff assures you of his attachment and concern for the Eldest Daughter of the Church. He prays for all the Catholics of France, for its clergy , that they may persevere in the faith and the courageous proclamation of the Gospel, in these certainly difficult times, but ones in which signs of hope and God's presence in hearts are not lacking. Renewing his encouragement and entrusting you to the intercession of Our Lady of the Assumption and all the Saints of France, the Holy Father gladly imparts to you the Apostolic Blessing.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
His Holiness 's Secretary of State
From the Vatican, March 18, 2026
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