The pope visits France. Barbeque unites on South Africa’s Heritage Day

0:00This message comes from Mint Mobile. If you're tired of spending hundreds on big wireless bills, bogus fees, and free perks, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at mint mobile.com. slash switch. Taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. Today on State of the World, Paris readies for a papal visit. And barbecue unites in South Africa.

0:29You're listening to State of the World from NPR, a human perspective on global events. It's Thursday, September 24th. I'm Christine Arismath. South Africa is trying to set a world record for barbecue this year, in fact. More in a moment. First, to Paris. Pope Leo is making the first papal state visit to France in nearly 20 years. Now, France is traditionally Catholic and fervently secular. And it's awaiting the Pope's arrival with great anticipation. Here's NPR's Eleanor Beardsley. Parishioners stream out of vespers this week at the Church of Saint-Christophe-de-Javel in Paris. Everyone is excited about the Pope, says Laure Badsa.

1:16It's very important to have him in this political environment. He has a role to play in France and in the world. He's an American Pope, so we are waiting to see his geopolitical stance, she says. Maybe it's a divine signal that we have an American pope at this time. France is a pillar of Catholicism and is often referred to as the eldest daughter of the Roman Catholic Church. It's also a staunchly secular nation with strict separation of church and state since 1905. This pope appeals to both. More than half a million people are expected to turn out for his mass on Saturday at the Place de la Concorde, a symbol of the secular French Revolution.

2:06In this age, he's very much appreciated by the secular society, and also he's not only a religious personality, but also a beacon of rationality. That's Rome-based Vatican analyst Marco Politi, who's followed six popes. Pope Leo stood up to President Trump in April when Trump first threatened to annihilate Iran's civilization. Asking all people of goodwill to search always for peace and not violence, to reject war, especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war. That's when the Pope gained in international stature, says Jean-Marie Guenois, who heads Vatican coverage for French newspaper Le Figaro.

2:53He became a real international pope at this moment. It's a kind of force tranquille, we say it in French, a very quiet force. This quiet force is needed at a time of great tension between traditionalists and reformers in the church, says Politi. He says Leo was elected by cardinals from the global south to continue the reforms of Pope Francis, his predecessor. The choice was made of a cardinal who was coming from the United States, let's say from the center of the Western Empire, but in the same time, a man who had the Peruvian citizenship, who had lived in a poor diocese. After Paris, where the Pope is expected to deliver a speech on AI at UNESCO, he will visit the pilgrimage site at Lourdes.

3:49He will also meet with victims of sexual abuse. And Monday, in the eastern city of Metz, near the German border, European leaders are expected to attend the Pope's speech on European unity. While Francis said Europe had grown old and was no longer vibrant, Leo will bring a different message, says Politi. To encourage Europe to play an active role in bringing peace in Ukraine, to bringing peace in Middle East. He says Pope Leo, as an American, is democratically oriented and believes strongly in transatlantic values and the role of Europe in restoring the world order. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

4:36Next, to South Africa for its Heritage Day, a national holiday celebrating the country's diverse cultures. It's also a day with a lot of barbecue, or as they call it, the braai. In fact, South Africa is trying to set a world record this year for the biggest braai ever. But braai is about a lot more than just grilling meat in South Africa. It's a tradition that crosses racial and cultural lines. Kate Bartlett braved the heat and the smoke to find out. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Lofthes Stadium. Happy Heritage Day. Come in, make your way in, ladies and gentlemen. Let's be a part of history.

5:24The charcoal has been lit and the braimasters are at their stations. Today we break the record for the biggest braai in the world. Nobody brais like South Africans guys. It's summer in South Africa, the sun is shining and thousands of people have turned out at the big rugby stadium in the capital city Pretoria to take part in a Guinness World Record Book challenge to hold the world's biggest braai. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, let's go!

6:04Gas is a definite no-no in South Africa. It has to be over an open flame, either on charcoal or wood.

6:14So what do you guys usually put on your braai at home? What's sort of your meal? What am I going to get on my plate if I come to your house for a braai? So you'll definitely get a piece of vorsch, which is sausage, obviously. You'll get a lacquer piece of steak. Kian Boshoff, 26, is taking part in the mass braai event with friends. You'll get pork chops, lamb chops. The list, in fact, is endless. Central turt burrovos, or vos for short, is a kind of spicy sausage and is a traditional food of Afrikaners, white descendants of Dutch and European settlers. But now it's beloved by everyone. The other secret of the South African braai?

6:50don't turn up hungry. You don't know how many brandies, how many beers, how many glasses of wine is going to first happen before that bra even starts. So if they say the bra starts at 11 in the morning, you know for a fact you're going to bra 10 at night.

7:05Here at the stadium event, Nelson Mandela's famous Rainbow Nation is on full display with black, white and Indian South Africans all having a great day out together. Tlongi Kopa is manning a bra station. We love meat. I think we're a nation that really loves meat. Yes, that's something that we share across cultures. I want to know, are there any Zulu people here at Loftus? Are there any Kosa people here at Loftus?

7:39Afrikaans Mensa! Leo Molalele is clearly enjoying himself. The taste of our South African meat on fire. He says today's shows are united country.

8:13As to whether or not they broke the record, the result's still cooking. Last one, please. Sound of everything, are you here? Kate Bartlett, NPR News, Pretoria.

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