Pope concludes France visit in Metz after Lourdes sanctuary pilgrimage
Pope concludes France visit in Metz after Lourdes pilgrimage, completing four-day apostolic mission.
Event / Society
Pope Leo XIV France Visit
Pope's visit to France including meetings with abuse victims and statements on sexual violence in the Catholic Church
5 reported locations
Daily activity
60 articles0 articles
2026-09-21 to 2026-11-01 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 21 Sept, 11:56 UTC
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What happened
Pope Leon XIV to conclude France visit in Metz on Monday
Pope Leon XIV was scheduled to depart from Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées airport at 7:40 AM on Monday, September 28, traveling to Metz, where he would conclude his France visit.
600,000 people expected for papal mass on Place de la Concorde
Organizers expected approximately 600,000 faithful to gather on Saturday, September 26, for a solemn mass that Pope Leon XIV would preside over on Place de la Concorde and Champs-Élysées in Paris at 3:00 PM local time. The viewing perimeter was expanded to Place de l'Étoile and Avenue de la Grande Armée to accommodate the expected crowds.
Pope Leon XIV arrives in France for first papal visit since 2008
Pope Leon XIV, an American pontiff elected in May 2025, arrived in France for his first visit to the country since Pope Benedict XVI visited in 2008. The visit began on Friday, September 25, 2026, with the Pope being received at the Élysée by President Emmanuel Macron and his spouse.
Pope Leon XIV addresses 80,000 youth at Stade de France vigil
Pope Leon XIV presided over an evening vigil at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on Friday, September 25, attended by approximately 80,000 young people. The event combined spiritual elements with theatrical performances, pop-music worship, and featured the display of a religious relic believed to be the tunic of Christ, normally preserved in Argenteuil.
Lourdes sanctuary attracts three million visitors annually
The sanctuary of Lourdes in southern France receives approximately three million visitors annually, making it one of the most significant pilgrimage sites in the Catholic world.
French parliament approved assisted dying law two months prior
The French Parliament adopted a law two months before the Pope's visit (approximately July 2026) creating a legal right to assisted dying, a measure strongly opposed by the Catholic Church.
Pope Leon XIV has criticized Trump migration policies
Since his election as pope in May 2025, Robert Francis Prevost (Pope Leon XIV) has repeatedly called for defending the dignity of exiled and refugee persons and has not hesitated to criticize the migration policies of United States President Donald Trump.
Multiple metro stations closed for papal mass security
Approximately ten Paris metro stations were closed for the duration of the papal mass and related security preparations on Saturday, September 26.
Pope Leon XIV visits Notre-Dame Cathedral as first pontiff since 2024 reopening
Pope Leon XIV became the first pope to visit Notre-Dame de Paris since the cathedral's reopening at the end of 2024. He presided over evening prayers (vêpres) at the cathedral on Friday, September 25.
300,000 people gather in central Paris for papal procession
On Friday, September 25, approximately 300,000 people according to Vatican estimates gathered in central Paris to see Pope Leon XIV pass by in a papal vehicle (papamobile). The crowds assembled in the city center to witness the Pope's procession.
Pope Leon XIV travels to Lourdes sanctuary for prayer vigil
After the Paris mass on Saturday afternoon, Pope Leon XIV was scheduled to depart for the sanctuary of Lourdes in southern France. He was to arrive at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées airport at 7:05 PM and offer prayer at the Grotto of Massabielle at 7:40 PM, where 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous allegedly occurred in 1858.
French presidential candidates and political figures attend papal mass
Multiple political figures and 2027 French presidential candidates planned to attend the papal mass on Saturday, September 26, including Marine Le Pen, Gabriel Attal, and Édouard Philippe. President Emmanuel Macron did not plan to attend.
Pope Leon XIV to visit Bakhita House, migrant support organization
Pope Leon XIV was scheduled to visit Maison Bakhita early on Saturday morning, a diocesan association founded in response to Pope Francis's call to 'welcome, protect, promote and integrate' migrants. The Pope was to meet with six migrants of various nationalities and religious backgrounds including Algerian, Afghan, Belarusian, Iraqi, and Ivorian individuals.
Pope Leon XIV to meet new and future baptized at Catholic Institute of Paris
Pope Leon XIV was scheduled to meet with new and future baptized Christians at the Institut catholique de Paris on Saturday morning. The Church has noted a rise in baptisms over the past five years in France as part of its strategy to counter declining religious practice and vocations.
Papal visit requires extensive security measures across France
Pope Leon XIV's visit to France involved exceptional security measures including 17,000 volunteers, 15,000 police and gendarmes, 2,500 accredited journalists, multiple mandatory traffic diversions, metro closures, and a total budget of 27 million euros. These security arrangements applied across Paris, Lourdes, and other locations during the visit from September 25-28.
Pope Leon XIV to preside over Lourdes mass and religious processions
On Sunday, September 27, Pope Leon XIV was scheduled to preside over a Sunday mass on the prairie of the Lourdes sanctuary at 11:00 AM and later a rosary prayer and torchlit procession at 9:00 PM. He was also to meet with French bishops and encounter survivors of sexual violence within the Church during his Lourdes visit.
Pope Leon XIV discusses laïcité and bioethical concerns with French leadership
During his meeting with President Macron at the Élysée on Friday, Pope Leon XIV directly addressed French laïcité (secularism), stated that 'just laïcité does not consist of excluding religion from public space,' and expressed concerns about genetic manipulations, surrogacy, organ trafficking, and assisted dying. He characterized these practices as risks of turning science into commercial enterprises.
Pope Leo XIV dedicates first encyclical 'Magnificent Humanity' to artificial intelligence challenges
From the start of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV identified artificial intelligence as one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. He dedicated his first encyclical, titled 'Magnificent Humanity,' to the topic. In the encyclical, he called for robust regulation of AI and urged AI developers to work for the common good rather than profit.
President Macron welcomes Pope Leo XIV visit as capstone to his presidency
President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Pope Leo XIV's visit to France, describing it as bringing 'a source of hope' to many French people. For Macron, who is barred from seeking a third term in May 2027 elections and has seven months remaining in his term, hosting the pope represents something of a capstone to his presidency. Macron's approval ratings are near record lows, driven by anger over rising cost of living and criticism of France's growing debt, deficit, and deteriorating public services.
Pope Leo XIV reaffirms Vatican opposition to nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence doctrine
Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed the Vatican's opposition to nuclear weapons during his speech at the Élysée Palace, calling the nuclear deterrence doctrine 'mistaken' because it fuels a new arms race. He stated that peace is not built through balance of power but through dialogue and justice.
Read the coverage
2 alternative perspectives
Paris masses draw record crowds as Pope emphasizes spiritual renewal
Pope's Paris ceremonies draw unprecedented crowds amid surge in French Catholic baptisms.
Pope Leo XIV visits Lourdes sanctuary for spiritual pilgrimage and prayer
Pope Leo XIV conducts spiritual pilgrimage at Lourdes, presiding over mass and religious processions.
Pope and France clash over bioethics as nation embraces aid-in-dying
Pope Leo XIV addresses bioethical tensions with France as nation legalizes aid-in-dying, exposing Vatican-French governance conflicts.
Historic Paris crowds exceed expectations at papal masses
Pope Leo XIV's Paris masses attracted unprecedented crowds exceeding 600,000 at outdoor ceremonies.
France legalizes aid-in-dying as Pope addresses bioethics tensions
France legalizes aid-in-dying as Pope visits, highlighting bioethical tensions between Vatican teaching and French legislation.
Pope reaffirms Vatican opposition to nuclear weapons doctrine
Pope reaffirms Vatican opposition to nuclear weapons and deterrence during France visit.
Pope warns artificial intelligence threatens human dignity and warns of machine paradise
Pope Leo XIV's inaugural encyclical addresses AI risks to human dignity and warns of mechanistic futures.
Pope celebrates vespers at restored Notre-Dame, affirms press freedom
Pope celebrates first mass at restored Notre-Dame, affirms media freedom support during Paris visit.
Catholic baptisms surge across France amid papal spiritual renewal
French Catholic baptisms surge following Pope Leo XIV's spiritual renewal campaign across France.
Pope addresses migration and press freedom during France visit
Pope addresses migration and press freedom, expanding humanitarian advocacy during France visit.
Pope meets abuse survivors in Lourdes, advancing spiritual accountability
Pope Leo XIV met abuse survivors in Lourdes, advancing institutional accountability through direct engagement with vulnerable populations.