A mass at the Vélodrome stadium, temple of Marseille football. A prayer at the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde church, which dominates the Marseille city. A speech at the Palais du Pharo, a splendor built by Napoleon III for Eugénie. A popemobile ride from Prado 2, in the beautiful neighborhoods. During his two-day visit, Friday September 22 and Saturday September 23, Pope Francis — whose plane landed shortly after 4 p.m. at Marseille-Provence airport in Marignane — will tour the city’s main tourist sites .
A visit motivated by dramatic events: more than 28,000 people who attempted to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe have died or gone missing since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
In August, the Argentine Jesuit warned: “I will go to Marseille, but not to France,” he said on the plane bringing him back from Lisbon and World Youth Day. He is not coming on a state visit to France, but to Marseille, where a wide range of communities and religions coexist, to denounce the tragedy of migrant shipwrecks and plead the cause of exiles. A theme dear to Francis, who has continued to denounce speeches of rejection and policies of closure since his election in 2013.
“I will go to Marseille, but not to France”: in reality, the pope specifies that his trip does not have the value of a state visit, but is devoted to the question of migration, which he has made a major subject of his pontificate. “The problem that concerns me is the Mediterranean problem, that’s why I’m going to France. The exploitation of migrants is criminal,” the 86-year-old Pope insisted.
In Marseille, he has his eyes turned towards the Mediterranean, which has become a veritable cemetery of migrants over these two decades. “The Mediterranean is a cradle of civilizations and conflicts. The challenge is to work so that our sea becomes our mother,” summarizes one of his close friends, the Cardinal of Corsica François-Xavier Bustillo. At Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, François will pay his respects at the foot of the memorial to sailors and migrants lost at sea.
The Pope will also visit the Saint-Maura district, classified among the poorest in Europe by the OECD. There he will meet people in economically precarious situations among the sisters of Mother Teresa.
Furthermore, the sovereign pontiff, in his diplomatic strategy, favors states that struggle to exert influence on the international scene rather than countries like France. Born in Buenos Aires, he was the first non-European pope since the 8th century. Hence a less strong European tropism than its predecessors. Thus, Benedict XVI had made two official trips to France, and John Paul II had visited France eight times.
This will not prevent the Vatican head of state from meeting Emmanuel Macron. They will speak in the salon d’Honneur of the Pharo Palace, after the conference of Mediterranean bishops. This is their fourth face-to-face since 2017. Immigration and end of life should be part of the discussions. Then, in the afternoon, the President of the Republic will be present at the mass given at the Vélodrome.
