Pope Leo XIV begins visit to secular France
The pope will visit Paris, Lourdes and Metz from 25 to 28 September.
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Pope Leo XIV begins a four-day visit to France on Friday. The programme includes meetings with President Emmanuel Macron, young people, clergy and survivors of sexual abuse, as well as a visit to UNESCO headquarters.
The apostolic journey runs from Friday 25 to Monday 28 September. According to the Vatican, Leo XIV will visit Paris, Saint-Denis, Lourdes and Metz. He will meet French authorities, representatives of society, young people and the Catholic community.
One of the international elements is the visit to UNESCO in Paris. In Metz, a meeting is planned on the roots of Europe, peace and unity. This gives the journey not only a religious, but also a European and diplomatic dimension.
In Paris, the pope will be received by President Emmanuel Macron. According to the Vatican, Leo XIV wants to speak during his visit about faith, culture and Europe’s place in the world. According to AP, the French bishops’ conference expects more than one million people could attend parts of the programme; this is an expectation, not an established attendance figure.
The pope will also have a private meeting with seven survivors of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, AP reported earlier this week. The meeting forms part of a journey in which the French Church is emphasising support for vulnerable people and its social responsibility.
France is also an explicitly secular state. AP points out that the country has enshrined abortion in its constitution and recently expanded euthanasia legislation. The pope’s views on the protection of life will therefore be heard in an environment where religious and political views on these issues differ sharply.
The journey will thus become a test of the public role Leo XIV chooses for himself. He can focus on religious solidarity and European values, but will also face questions about institutional responsibility, abuse and the limits of religious influence in a secular democracy.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Leo XIV will visit France for four days.
- The programme contains religious, social and European elements.
- The French state is secular and has different legal frameworks on abortion and euthanasia from Catholic teaching.
Left
Arguments The pope may take part in public debate, but religious leaders must not put pressure on citizens’ autonomy or the separation of church and state. The meeting with abuse survivors must be accompanied by concrete accountability.
Values Individual freedom, equality and institutional oversight.
Consequences A visit can promote dialogue, but may also make existing power imbalances and pain within the Church visible again.
Centre
Arguments A democracy can make room for religious voices as long as they participate in open debate and respect the law. The journey can be used for discussions about European cooperation, peace and the position of vulnerable groups.
Values Pluralism, dialogue and institutional restraint.
Consequences The pope can play a unifying role, but his influence will remain dependent on the willingness of different groups to listen to one another.
Right
Arguments Religious traditions form part of Europe’s cultural and moral heritage and may be visible in public life. The pope can draw attention to family, the protection of life and social cohesion without this automatically constituting political interference.
Values Tradition, community spirit and the protection of human life.
Consequences A higher public profile for religion can mobilise communities, but may also clash with secular views of individual autonomy.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The programme is based on information from the Vatican and independent reporting by AP. Expectations about attendance figures and the political reception are clearly marked as expectations or context.
- confirmed Leo XIV will visit France from 25 to 28 September 2026. — The Vatican published these dates and the programme. source
- confirmed The journey includes Paris, Lourdes and Metz, as well as a visit to UNESCO. — This is stated in the Vatican’s official programme. source
- confirmed The pope will meet seven survivors of sexual abuse. — AP reported this based on information about the visit. source
- confirmed France has enshrined abortion in its constitution. — AP cites this constitutional change as context for the visit. source
Editor's note
The programme and dates have been confirmed by the Vatican. The expectation of more than one million people involved comes from the French bishops’ conference via AP and is not an actual attendance figure.Sources
- Pope Leo's visit to France to focus on faith, culture, Europe — Vatican News
- Pope Leo XIV in France will find a secular country at odds with Catholic teaching on life — Associated Press
- Pope Leo XIV will meet with the French abuse survivors — Associated Press
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