Fact check
“Pope Leo XIV is the third pope to visit Lourdes”
Reasoning
The evidence from France 24 directly supports the claim, confirming Pope Leo XIV's rank as the third papal visitor to Lourdes after Benedict XVI and John Paul II.
On confidence: The provided source explicitly states that Pope Leo XIV is the third pope to visit Lourdes, naming the two predecessors.
Important context
The statement is based on a news article reporting Pope Leo XIV's pilgrimage, which includes the specific ordering of papal visits to Lourdes.
Evidence
Supporting (1)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourcePope Leo visits Lourdes pilgrimage site - France 24
of the Catholic Church’s major pilgrimage sites. He is the third pope to visit Lourdes, following Benedict XVI and John Paul II. On Sunday, the pontiff is due to celebrate another open-air mass before meeting privately with seven survivors…
Limitations
The assessment relies on a single source; additional independent confirmation would strengthen verification, but the source is a reputable news outlet.
- Last verified:
- Sep 27, 2026, 7:52 AM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 2.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
Pope Leo visits Lourdes pilgrimage siteFrance 24 · FRANCE24