Pope Leo XIV’s France visit set for September 25 to 28

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to make his first official visit to France from September 25 to 28, with public events in Paris and Saint-Denis, meetings with French officials and stops in Lourdes and Metz. The announced programme combines religious gatherings with official engagements, while drawing attention to how public expressions of faith fit within France’s secular framework. In Paris, the pope is expected to take part in a procession whose route could draw up to 250,000 people, according to the police prefecture. That figure is an estimate, not a final attendance count. Around 80,000 people have bought tickets for a youth Mass planned at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, according to advance reporting. The itinerary includes a Friday meeting with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace. Macron is to receive Leo in his capacity as head of Vatican City, making the encounter an official meeting between heads of state. The pope is also scheduled to meet with authorities, civil society and diplomats before travelling to UNESCO. One planned address there is expected to address artificial intelligence and its implications for education, information and artistic creation.