French state

Pope Leo has completed a visit to France that commentators describe as unusually political for a pontiff normally seen as a measured diplomatic figure. Analysts say the trip carried clear political weight, touching on church-state relations and France's secular traditions, drawing attention to how openly the Pope engaged with contested public issues during his stay.

French diplomats, including the embassy in the United States, are working to secure energy supplies for France amid pressure on European energy markets. The effort reflects a broader push by Paris to lock in reliable sources of gas and other fuels as the country seeks to reduce dependence on Russian energy and shield households and industry from shortages and price spikes.

Pope Leo is in France, where he has argued for a role for faith in public life despite the country's strict secular tradition. The remarks, made in a state founded on laicité, touch on long-running tensions between the Catholic Church and French republicanism over religion's place in politics and society. Observers are weighing how the papal message lands in one of Europe's most secular democracies.