Pope Francis visits Corsica, a first for a pontiff

Pope Francis was warmly welcomed by the Corsican people during the first recorded visit by a pontiff to the French Mediterranean island.

During a brief ride in an open-air popemobile from the airport, the pope waved at crowds on the streets of Ajaccio, the capital of the island, appearing in good form despite the small bruise on his chin, the result of what the Vatican described as a minor fall in his bedroom last week.

Corsica, famed for its steep, mountainous terrain and as the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean. It is one of France's poorest regions, where about 20% of the population live below the poverty line, according to government figures.

The Vatican estimates that about 81% of Corsica's population of 356,000 is Catholic. There are 83 priests on the island and some 30 Catholic nuns, it says.

Pope Francis celebrated mass before a congregation of thousands in Corsica, a stronghold of the Catholic faith, the first-ever trip by a pontiff to the French Mediterranean island.

The ceremony, attended by around 9,000 in person and watched by as many again on giant screens, according to local authorities, was the high point of a one-day trip that saw Francis intervene on issues from France's state secularism to calling for peace in the Middle East.

Also Pope Francis held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron before wrapping up a visit in Ajaccio, Corsica's capital.

They discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Middle East and security issues in Africa's Sahel and Great Lakes regions, Haiti and Sudan, Macron's office said in a statement. Macron welcomed the pope's “calls for peace, non-violence and respect for human rights,” the statement said.

The Vatican estimates that about 81% of Corsica's population of 356,000 is Catholic. There are 83 priests on the island and some 30 Catholic nuns, it says.