Pope Francis will visit the French Mediterranean island of Corsica in December, days after skipping the reopening of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral which was ravaged by a fire in 2019, the Vatican said Saturday.

Pope Francis is set to visit the French island of Corsica next month to participate in a congress on religiosity in the Mediterranean region and celebrate Mass, the Vatican announced on Saturday. The island has never received a visit from a pope.

Pope Francis will visit Corsica on December 15, sidestepping a state visit to Paris. The trip, focusing on popular piety, underscores Francis' emphasis on peripheral Catholic communities over grand gestures.

Pope Francis will visit Corsica on Dec. 15, the Vatican said on Saturday, the first recorded trip of a pope to the French Mediterranean island. The short visit to the island's capital Ajaccio, where Francis is expected to speak at a conference on popular religiosity across the Mediterranean region,

Pope Francis will visit Corsica for the first time on December 15. The visit, the first by a pope to the island, will include a speech in Ajaccio. Despite prior visits to France, this short trip marks a significant milestone in his travels across the Mediterranean.

Pope Francis will visit the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on December 15, just days after skipping the reopening of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral which was ravaged by a fire in 2019, the Vatican said Saturday.

ROME, NOV 23 - Pope Francis will visit Corsica on Sunday, December 15, the Holy See Press Office said on Saturday. The Argentine pontiff will close an international conference on popular religious traditions organized by the Diocese of Ajaccio,