Mother: Pope’s blessing of special needs daughter recognizes ‘segment of humanity often set aside’

Pope Leo XIV blessed Marie-Garance, a 10-year-old girl with multiple disabilities, during a procession along the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sept. 26. As the pope traveled in the popemobile before Mass at Place de la Concorde, a police officer lifted the girl into his arms so the pope could take her hand and meet her eyes.

Clotilde Noël, the girl's adoptive mother, said the blessing represented vulnerable people who are often set aside because they are different. Noël noted that Marie-Garance looked at the pope with trust and surrender. Noël's other daughter, Pépa Teresa, also received a papal blessing that day, though she was not photographed. Pépa Teresa uses a wheelchair.

Following the encounter, the Noël family experienced a moment of silence and applause from those present. Noël shared her family's story in various media interviews to highlight the significance of the blessings for people with disabilities.