Just days before the arrival of Pope Leo XIV, who's in France from 25 to 28 September, the decision to hold a "compulsory" school day devoted to the pontiff in Catholic schools is raising questions and has sparked a debate over secularism.
In an internal memo dated 10 September, and revealed by the left leaning daily Libération, the General Secretariat for Catholic Education (Sgec), headed by Guillaume Prévost, asks state-funded private schools under contract to treat Friday 25 September, the day Leo XIV arrives, as a special day and to replace regular lessons with activities focused on the Pope, the Catholic Church and various social issues.
