At 7:00 p.m., the plane carrying the Pope landed at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport in Lourdes. After being greeted by some local authorities, the Holy Father traveled in an open-top car to the Grotto of the Apparitions at Massabielle, passing over the Leo XIV Bridge, where he briefly greeted the mayor of Lourdes.

Upon his arrival at the Grotto of the Apparitions, the Pope was received by the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, His Excellency Monsignor Jean-Marc Micas, and by the rector of the sanctuary, Father Michel Daubanes.

After a moment of silent prayer before the statue of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Father approached the rock and touched it, drank a glass of water from the spring offered to him by the rector of the sanctuary and received a candle which he placed in the candlestick; then he recited the prayer.

At the end, Pope Leo XIV placed the Golden Rose at the feet of the statue of the Virgin, recited the Lord’s Prayer and imparted the blessing.

Before saying goodbye, the Pope greeted the chaplains of the monastery and then traveled by car to the Episcopal House for a private dinner.

Below we publish the prayer that the Holy Father Leo XIV recited before the Grotto of the Apparitions of Massabielle:

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Our Lady of Lourdes, the Immaculate Conception, in this blessed place where you spoke, with such sweetness and tenderness, to Saint Bernadette, humble daughter of the people of France, to transmit to the world a luminous message of prayer, conversion and hope, we come to you with confidence; because you are the Mother that Jesus has given us and you are attentive to all our needs.

We beseech you, our Mother, for France, of which you are Patroness and which you have surrounded with your protection for so many centuries. Obtain for her people the gift of fraternal concord. May she build a harmonious society, banishing all violence and hatred, allowing everyone to work, raise a family, and live their life to the full in peace and serenity. May the most disadvantaged and the poorest always have support. Obtain for France wise and generous leaders, willing to sacrifice, capable of facing challenges, and eager to serve the common good. May they maintain her peace within the community of nations. May they raise their voices to promote the defense of fundamental human rights and peace in the world, forever rejecting the logic of war.