Pope Leo calls for dialogue as France’s populist forces eye power

PARIS — Pope Leo XIV urged France to embrace dialogue and diversity Friday, in a veiled swipe at populists as he arrived in Paris for a four-day visit. His appeal came seven months before France’s presidential election, with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls for the National Rally and traditional parties struggling to hold voters after nearly a decade of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency. “A truly free society” prevents “authoritarian tendencies,” the pope said in a speech delivered alongside President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace. The pope named no politician or party.