President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the Pope upon his arrival at Orly Airport around 10 a.m., preceding ceremonies with French and Vatican officials before escorting him to the Élysée Palace for substantive negotiations.
The four‑day mission, scheduled from Friday to Monday, will transport the pontiff through Paris, Saint‑Denis, Lourdes, and Metz.
His program encompasses meetings with President Macron, state ministers, civil‑society representatives, and diplomats, alongside visits to UNESCO and interactions with young Catholics. Key aspects of the agenda include the future of Europe, social concerns, and technological progress, notably artificial intelligence, even though the published itinerary does not formally list AI as a distinct item.
Chimeing bells rang across the nation for seven minutes upon his arrival, echoing at landmarks such as Notre‑Dame in Paris and various parish schools. This marks **Leo XIV**’s first official state visit to France since Pope Benedict XVI traveled there in September 2008.
Later that Friday, **Leo XIV** is expected to hold a prayer vigil with young adults—aged seventeen to thirty‑five—at the Stade de France in Saint‑Denis, drawing an audience estimated at approximately eighty thousand participants. His itinerary then proceeds with a mass in Paris, followed by destinations Lourdes and Metz, where he will discuss the theme “At the roots of Europe for peace and unity.”
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