Pope Leo XIV will make his first official visit to France from 25 to 28 September, generating considerable excitement in the capital. The police anticipate that up to 250,000 people will line the streets for the papal procession through Paris. Additionally, around 80,000 tickets have been sold for a youth mass at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just north of the city.
This visit marks the first time a pope has been to Paris since Benedict XVI in 2008. Charles Mercier, a director at the École pratique des hautes études in Paris, noted the significance of this visit, saying, “Pope Francis visited Strasbourg, Marseille, and Corsica, but coming to the capital is a big event because it hasn’t happened in a long time. It fuels people’s enthusiasm, which I think contributes to the success of this visit.”
Since his election in May 2025, Leo XIV has cultivated a reputation as an approachable pope, resonating with both French Catholics and the wider public.
During his two-day stay in Paris and the Île-de-France region, Leo XIV is scheduled to meet with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace on Friday, as well as engage with authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps, before heading to UNESCO.
On Sunday, he will visit Lourdes to meet with seven survivors of sexual abuse within the Church, including a former pupil from Notre Dame de Bétharram. In 2024, over 230 victims reported cases of corporal punishment and sexual abuse at this Catholic institution in southwestern France.
