Pope Leo XIV has arrived in France for the first official papal state visit to the country in 18 years, beginning a four day journey through Paris, Lourdes and Metz. The pontiff landed at Paris Orly Airport on September 25, where he was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, according to Kuwait Times and The Guardian. The visit is the first official papal trip to France since Pope Benedict XVI travelled to Paris and Lourdes in 2008, although Pope Francis visited France three times during his pontificate, including trips to Marseille, Strasbourg and Corsica that were not classified as official state visits. The Vatican confirmed that Leo XIV’s journey will run from September 25 to 28.
The Pope’s four day itinerary combines religious engagements with discussions on major social, technological and geopolitical issues. In Paris, Leo XIV is scheduled to meet Macron at the Élysée Palace, address French authorities and diplomats, and visit UNESCO, where artificial intelligence and its impact on humanity are expected to feature prominently. He will also celebrate Vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral before leading a prayer vigil for young people at the Stade de France. Around 600,000 people are expected for an open air Mass at Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées on Saturday, while the wider Paris visit could draw about one million pilgrims and visitors.
The journey will also take Leo XIV to Lourdes, where he is scheduled to meet seven survivors of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, before concluding in Metz with an address focused on peace and European unity. The visit comes as the French Church continues to address the findings of a 2021 investigation that estimated about 330,000 people were sexually abused as minors by clergy or other individuals associated with the Church over seven decades. Beyond the Church’s internal challenges, the Pope is expected to address artificial intelligence, migration, peace in Europe and the future of the continent, giving the visit significance beyond its religious dimension. French authorities have placed the journey under heightened security, with substantial deployments planned across the three cities.
