In what has become one of the most viral and tender moments of Pope Leo XIV’s trip to France, the world is now learning about the little girl who was blessed by the Holy Father on his way to celebrate Mass at Place de la Concorde in Paris.
Marie-Garance Noël wears Marian blue in the photo with Pope Leo, who is looking down on her with loving eyes. The young girl was adopted by a French Catholic family, known for their loving care and witness to children with disabilities.
The brief moments of encounter such as this are a beautiful reminder of the Pope’s constant call for the Church and society to recognize the dignity and irreplaceable value of every person — especially those who are most vulnerable or are often discarded.
A Family’s ‘Yes’ to Life
Adopted in 2016, Marie-Garance is one of nine children in the Noël family. According to a 2023 interview published by Aleteia, Clotilde and Nicolas Noël are parents to six biological children and have also adopted three children with disabilities: Marie, who has Down syndrome; Marie-Garance, who has multiple disabilities; and Frédéric-Moïse, who has a cerebellar disorder.
Marie-Garance’s mother, Clotilde, has
