Pope Leo XIV’s Paris Program Unveiled
The Conference of Bishops of France announced on Tuesday, June 9, the initial details of Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to France, scheduled from September 25 to 28. Paris will be a central focus of this apostolic journey. Following a meeting with Emmanuel Macron and a visit to the UNESCO site, the Pontiff will preside over vespers at Notre-Dame de Paris on Friday, September 25, before a major vigil with the youth of France.
The following day, he will celebrate a mass in Paris, where hundreds of thousands of faithful are expected. Leo XIV will then travel to Lourdes, where he will celebrate mass in front of the grotto, concluding his stay in Metz on September 28 with a celebration at Saint-Étienne Cathedral. Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline stated, “We must prepare to welcome the grace that God wishes to bestow upon France and our Church.”
Euthanasia Bill Further Strengthened by Committee
A broadened version of the “aid in dying” bill was adopted by deputies of the Social Affairs Committee on Wednesday. Among the key changes is the re-establishment of free choice between euthanasia and assisted suicide, reversing the exceptional nature of euthanasia. Deputies also removed the offenses of incitement and obstruction to “aid in dying” and adopted an amendment by LFI deputy Hadrien Clouet, inspired by an ADMD proposal, classifying deaths resulting from euthanasia or assisted suicide as “natural deaths.”
The committee also refused to exclude individuals with intellectual disabilities and protected adults from the provisions. Amendments providing for prior control of requests or increased verification after death were also rejected. Finally, pharmacists and institutions remain deprived of a conscience clause. Stripped of the safeguards demanded by its opponents, the text will be examined in thehémicycle starting June 22.
Alexandre Jardin Launches ‘Citizen Referendum’ App for Direct Democracy
After mobilizing against Low Emission Zones (ZFE), the ‘Gueux’ movement is moving to the next stage. On Thursday, June 11, its founder, author Alexandre Jardin, launched ‘Référendum Citoyen,’ an application allowing adult French citizens to directly express their opinions on various public policy issues. The stated objective is to “give citizens back their voice” as the presidential election approaches. The initial consultations focus on ZFEs, energy saving certificates, subsidies for wind and solar power, and the organization of the healthcare system. Votes, which are anonymous, are secured by identity verification, and their results can be viewed in real-time. For Alexandre Jardin, this initiative should enable the French people to send a clear political message to public officials. Within hours of its launch, the application was already among the most downloaded.
Source: lejdd.fr
