Pope Leo XIV arrived in France on Friday for his fifth Apostolic Journey as pontiff. The four-day visit is the first official papal trip to the country once known as “the eldest daughter of the Church” since Pope Benedict XVI traveled there in September 2008.
French bishops have chosen “That the world may have life” as the theme of the visit. The journey comes as the officially secular nation reports a surge in adult baptisms: More than 21,000 adults have entered the Catholic Church so far this year, according to the Conference of Bishops of France, with people ages 18 to 25 driving much of the increase.
“Pope Leo’s visit to France has sparked a real tidal wave” of interest, retired French Bishop Marc Stenger told Reuters. “French Catholics are… saying loudly that they need the Church to find their way in these uncertain moments in world history.”
Pope Leo will visit Metz on Sept. 28, 2026, concluding his four-day state and pastoral trip to France, which also includes stops in Paris and Lourdes. (Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / AFP via Getty Images)
The renewed interest follows a 2021 report that found approximately 330,000 French children had been abused by Catholic clergy and lay leaders over seven decades. The report said the Church had displayed “deep, total and even cruel indifference” toward victims. Stenger, who led the Diocese of Troyes from 1999 to 2020, told Reuters that the scandals “have deeply wounded the Church and damaged its credibility.”
In an unusually personal step, the Vatican press office said Pope Leo will hold a private meeting in Lourdes with seven abuse survivors, presenting it as an act of healing and vulnerability.
SAN FRANCISCO ARCHDIOCESE AGREES TO $395M SETTLEMENT WITH 530 CLERGY ABUSE SURVIVORS
The Vatican describes the journey as “a journey that unites faith and public engagement, memory and the future, with listening and bridge-building at its heart.” After French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed him and hosted a courtesy visit at the Élysée Palace on Friday, Pope Leo is expected to deliver 15 speeches. His remarks will address spiritual and social issues, including protection for immigrants, the sick and unborn, the defense of human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence, as well as peace, culture and unity.
President of France Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron welcome Pope Leo XIV to Élysée Palace on Sept. 25, 2026, in Paris, France. (Tom Nicholson/Getty Images)
French bishops have said they were surprised by the enthusiasm surrounding the visit. The Associated Press reports that organizers preparing for Pope Leo’s Saturday Mass at Paris’ Place de la Concorde expect as many as 1 million people. Security barriers have therefore been extended beyond the 1.2-mile Champs-Élysées, where the pope is scheduled to travel in the Popemobile.
RELATED: Indicators That You Might Be Experiencing Liver Cancer – NewsFinale
One of the trip’s most significant stops comes Sunday at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, among Christianity’s most visited pilgrimage sites and a destination particularly associated with the sick. During his final foreign trip in 2004, an ailing Pope John Paul II visited Lourdes and delivered a strong denunciation of abortion and euthanasia.
Pope Leo XIV attends the Welcome Ceremony at Paris Orly International Airport on Sept. 25, 2026, in Paris, France. (Simone Risoluti – Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
The papal visit follows France’s recent national debate and passage of legislation permitting adults with incurable illnesses to obtain lethal medication. The measure came after a 2024 law made abortion a constitutional right.
On Friday, Pope Leo will address UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, at its Paris headquarters. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pontiff is likely to renew his call for a pause in the development of artificial intelligence and speak “with regard to the meaning of existence, to what makes human beings human and what does not.”
The address follows the pope’s manifesto in May, when he warned about AI’s potential dangers and called for international regulation of the industry. That stance again places him at odds with President Trump, who has promoted AI innovation so the United States can compete with and surpass China.
A crucifix stands in front of the Basilique Notre-Dame du Rosaire, its spire draped with a banner marking Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit, five days before the pontiff’s apostolic journey to the site, in Lourdes on Sept. 22, 2026.
After his UNESCO appearance, Pope Leo will lead a prayer service at the newly restored Notre-Dame Cathedral. The event will mark the first papal visit to the landmark since a 2019 fire nearly destroyed one of France’s national treasures.
The pope will end the journey Monday with a symbolic full-day visit to the border city of Metz, the birthplace of former French Prime Minister Robert Schuman, regarded as one of the European Union’s founding fathers. The Vatican says the setting will allow Pope Leo to “champion friendship among European peoples.”
French Ambassador to the Vatican Charles Personnaz told Reuters that Macron has invited leaders from all 27 EU member states to hear the speech and meet with the pope. Other media reports indicate that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may also attend.