EDITORIAL: The same country that seemed to regain its bearing as a nation proud of its Catholic heritage during Pope Leo XIV’s visit two weeks ago is now in the throes of violent civil unrest.
Was Pope Leo XIV’s visit to France a moment of grace before a time of tribulation? The question is bound to arise when one considers the dramatic shift from the “miracle” of the papal visit on Sept. 25-28 to the nightmarish scenes of clashes between police and young rioters across the country only days later.
The France that emerged during the Pope’s extraordinary stay — drawing immense crowds in an atmosphere of harmony, hope and national unity — was one that many had long believed buried. Yet this enchanted interlude did not erase the country’s deep divisions. If anything, it offered a brief respite from them, restoring courage to a population increasingly accustomed to seeing its fractures laid bare.
There has been no shortage of such reminders in recent years, from the urban riots of the summer of 2023, which produced near-insurrectional scenes across the country, to the profound societal divisions surrounding the constitutional enshrinement of abortion and, more recently, the highly publicized legalization
