Pope Leo XIV Embarks on Diplomatic and Spiritual Journey to France

• Motto for the visit: “That the world may have life.” According to Vatican News, this motto serves as a call to hope and communion, encouraging people to overcome divisions to share peace, reconciliation, and fraternity—signs of new life in the world.
• Main themes: Europe, peace, and unity
• Security: In Paris alone, approximately 14,000 police officers, gendarmes, military personnel, and 2,500 firefighters will be deployed to ensure safety as the pope navigates the city on Friday. Security numbers will only slightly decrease during his Mass at the central Place de la Concorde on Saturday. Additionally, more than 20 métro and commuter train stations have been temporarily closed, along with numerous streets in the capital’s center.

The programme:

Friday, September 25:

Pope Leo XIV will arrive in Paris at 10:00 CET for a welcome ceremony before traveling to the Élysée Palace to meet with President Emmanuel Macron. Following this meeting, he will engage with representatives of civil society, government authorities, and the diplomatic corps.

In the afternoon, the pontiff will deliver an address at UNESCO headquarters. The visit carries significant weight, as the UN agency recently faced severe budget shortfalls after the United States withdrew in 2025.

Later in the evening, he will attend Vespers, the traditional evening prayer service, at Notre-Dame Cathedral, where he will deliver a homily.

Concluding the day, he will hold a prayer vigil with young people at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, located just north of Paris.

Saturday, September 26:

On the second day of his visit, the pope will visit the Maison Bakhita Centre in Paris. This center, established in 2021, provides social support to people living in exile. It was created in response to Pope Francis’s February 2017 call to “welcome, protect, promote, and integrate” every migrant, which he described as a “duty of justice, civilization, and solidarity.”

Subsequently, he will hold an audience at the Institut Catholique de Paris.

Before flying to Lourdes, the pontiff will celebrate Mass at the central Place de la Concorde. Over half a million people have registered to attend, with massive crowds expected along the famed Avenue des Champs-Élysées.

Upon arriving in Lourdes, the pope is scheduled to pray at the Grotto of the Apparitions at Massabielle within the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Sunday, September 27:

On the morning of his first full day in Lourdes, Pope Leo will meet with bishops from the French Episcopal Conference at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, followed by Mass at the Prairie meadow of the Shrine.

He will then spend time greeting staff and patients at Acceuil Notre Dame, a specialized residential healthcare facility where pilgrims from around the world stay during their pilgrimage.

Following this, the pontiff will hold a private meeting with the contemplative religious sisters at the Carmelite Monastery of Lourdes. The day will conclude with the traditional torchlight Rosary procession at the Shrine.

During his Sunday visit in Lourdes, the pontiff is scheduled to meet with seven victims of sexual abuse by the French clergy.

This meeting comes after a 2021 inquiry revealed that clergy or lay members of the Catholic Church had abused approximately 330,000 people as minors in France over a span of 70 years. The Church’s reputation has since suffered further due to scandals, including accusations against charity icon Abbé Pierre and widespread physical and sexual abuse at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram boarding school in southwestern France.

Monday, September 28:

On his final day in France, the pope will travel to Metz to attend a meeting titled “To the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity” at the Robert Schuman Conference Centre.

He will conclude his visit with a Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Stephen.

The pontiff will depart France on Monday night at 7:00 pm.

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