Pope Leo XIV to meet Paris charities that work with vulnerable people

Pope Leo XIV will meet representatives of charitable associations that work with vulnerable people in Paris on September 26.

The pope will visit the French capital that day and will spend part of his schedule with charitable organizations that work with the most disadvantaged people in the city. Representatives of Aux captifs, la libération, Le Rocher and Lazar will attend. The three groups say they are committed to practical solidarity with people living in exclusion.

The organizations say help for vulnerable people has to be built on relationships between equals, without hierarchies that intimidate or judgments that drive people away. In Paris that takes concrete forms. Young people and homeless people share their experiences and support one another. The "café," in the French sense of a place to meet, becomes a space where women can talk freely about their lives and find the encouragement to get out of difficult situations.

The leaders of Aux captifs, la libération said their work draws directly on the message of the prophet Isaiah, which announces that Jesus came "to proclaim freedom for the prisoners." Founded in 1981 by Father Patrick Giros, the association now has 400 volunteers and more than 80 professional staff across 15 sites. Its director general, Thierry Desjuzeur, said the pope's visit to these people is a significant step in rebuilding their personal and social lives.

Le Rocher, which has been working for 25 years, focuses on building social ties through visits and time spent together. Charlotte Perez-Guzman, the association's communications director, said its activities include the "café des femmes," where women meet to share their experiences, and the "philosophical café," where current social questions are discussed. Both are meant to offer trust and support to people living in isolation.

Lazar works on a different model: homeless people and young working people living together. Timothée Barre, the association's general delegate, said the approach rests on relationships between equals in which all those taking part support one another. The project began in France and has spread to other countries. It aims to create a genuine sense of community among people from very different backgrounds.

The meeting also brought up growing concern about online prostitution, a problem made worse by widespread use of the internet and social media. Aux captifs, la libération has begun to work on the problem and has made contact with women who want to leave that situation. The associations hope that initiatives such as the papal visit will help open real paths toward liberation and social reintegration.