Workers set up the altar prior to Pope Francis' visit, in Ajaccio, in the southern French island of Corsica, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024.

AJACCIO, Corsica (AP) -- Pope Francis' one-day visit to the French island of Corsica on Sunday, two days before his 88th birthday, will put a dual focus on the Mediterranean, highlighting local traditions of popular piety on the one hand and migrant deaths and wars on the other.

The visit to Corsica's capital Ajaccio, birthplace of Napoleon, will be one of the briefest of his papacy beyond Italy's borders, just about nine hours on the ground, including a 40-minute visit with French President Emmanuel Macron.

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