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 visits Catholic Institute of Paris to meet new and future baptized
After meeting migrants, Pope Leon XIV visited the Institut Catholique de Paris on Saturday to meet with newly baptized and future baptized Catholics. The Church is emphasizing this engagement as baptisms in France have increased over the past five years, representing a strategy to combat declining religious practice and vocations in the country.
Pope Leon XIV arrives in France for first papal visit since 2008
Pope Leon XIV, the American pontiff elected in May 2025, arrived in Paris on Friday for his first visit to France as pope. This marks the first papal visit to France since Pope Benedict XVI in 2008. The visit is scheduled to include major events in Paris, Lourdes, and Metz, concluding on Monday.
Pope Leon XIV to conclude French visit in Metz on Monday
The papal visit to France will conclude on Monday in the city of Metz, marking the final stage of what has been characterized as a multi-day tour demonstrating Pope Leon XIV's engagement with the French Catholic community and broader French society.
Pope presides over youth vigil with 80,000 attendees at Stade de France
Pope Leon XIV presided over an evening prayer vigil on Friday at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, attended by 80,000 young people in an electrified atmosphere. The event was described as a major gathering demonstrating enthusiasm among younger Catholics.
Pope Leon XIV celebrates mass at Notre-Dame de Paris after cathedral reopening
Pope Leon XIV presided over vespers at Notre-Dame de Paris on Friday, becoming the first pope to visit the cathedral since its reopening in late 2024 following the major fire in 2019. The visit marked a symbolic moment for both the Church and the restored landmark.
Pope Leon XIV criticizes French law on assisted dying
Pope Leon XIV criticized the assisted dying law adopted by the French Parliament two months prior, viewing it as contrary to Catholic teachings. He denounced what he termed an 'offer of programmed death' as part of a broader critique of modern technological and bioethical developments he characterized as dangerous deviations.
Pope Leon XIV calls for defense of dignity of exiled persons and refugees
Since his election as pope in May 2025, Pope Leon XIV has regularly called for defending the dignity of exiled persons and refugees, not hesitating to criticize the migration policies of US President Donald Trump. This commitment to migrant advocacy is evidenced by his Friday meeting with migrants at the Maison Bakhita.
Massive security deployment for papal visit includes 17,000 volunteers and 15,000 law enforcement
The papal visit to France involves an extraordinary security and logistical operation. A total of 17,000 volunteers, 15,000 police and gendarmes, 2,500 sentries of Operation Sentinelle, 2,500 firefighters, and 2,500 accredited journalists are involved. The overall budget for the visit is 27 million euros.
Pope Leon XIV travels to Lourdes sanctuary for second stage of French visit
After the mass on Place de la Concorde, Pope Leon XIV departed Saturday evening for the Lourdes sanctuary in southern France for the second stage of his visit. He is scheduled to preside over evening prayers at the grotto of Massabielle, where Catholic tradition holds that the Virgin Mary appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Lourdes attracts three million visitors annually.
French political figures attend papal mass despite presidential absence
Multiple French political figures and 2027 presidential candidates plan to attend the papal mass on Saturday at Place de la Concorde, including Marine Le Pen, Gabriel Attal, and Edouard Philippe. However, President Emmanuel Macron is not expected to attend the mass, despite having received the pope at the Elysee Palace.
PETA activists disrupt papal procession protesting bullfighting
Two PETA animal rights activists disrupted Pope Leon XIV's procession to protest bullfighting and animal cruelty. This represents a direct challenge to the papal visit from activist organizations focused on animal rights issues.
600,000 faithful expected for papal mass on Place de la Concorde and Champs-Elysees
Approximately 600,000 faithful are expected on Saturday, September 26, at Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees for a solemn mass presided by Pope Leon XIV scheduled for 15:00 Paris time. Due to the expected crowd, organizers expanded the viewing perimeter to include Place de l'Etoile and Avenue de la Grande Armée. Multiple metro stations will be closed for the celebration.
Pope Leon XIV meets with migrants at Bakhita House in Paris
Pope Leon XIV met with six migrants of different nationalities and faiths—from Algeria, Afghanistan, Belarus, Iraq, and Ivory Coast—at Maison Bakhita on Saturday morning. The diocesan association was founded following the call by former Pope Francis to welcome, protect, promote, and integrate foreigners. The meeting was characterized as a message by the association, occurring months before France's 2027 presidential election where migration is expected to be a major debate topic.
Pope addresses laicity, artificial intelligence, and end-of-life issues at Elysee Palace
During a meeting at the Elysee Palace on Friday with President Emmanuel Macron and his spouse, Pope Leon XIV directly addressed laicity in French political discourse, stating that true laicity does not consist of excluding religion from the public sphere. He also criticized dangers of artificial intelligence, including genetic manipulation, surrogacy, organ trafficking, and what he termed programmed death, viewing these as potential misuses of science and technology for profit.
300,000 faithful greet Pope Leon XIV in papal motorcade through central Paris
On Friday during his first day in Paris, approximately 300,000 people according to the Vatican greeted Pope Leon XIV as he passed through the center of the capital in a papal motorcade. The crowds demonstrated significant popular enthusiasm for the papal visit.
Pope Leo XIV visits France from September 25-28 for apostolic visit
Pope Leo XIV (Robert Francis Prevost) is conducting an official apostolic visit to France from September 25-28, 2026. The visit includes stops in Paris, Lourdes, and Metz. This marks the first papal visit to Paris in 18 years, following Pope Benedict XVI's visit in September 2008.
Papal visit to France mobilizes extensive security and resources
The four-day papal visit to France involves extraordinary security measures and organizational efforts: 17,000 volunteers, 15,000 police and gendarmes, 2,500 accredited journalists, and a budget of 27 million euros. Ten metro stations are being closed during the mass celebration.
Pope Leo XIV addresses approximately 80,000 young people at Stade de France
Pope Leo XIV conducted an evening prayer vigil at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on September 25, 2026, attended by approximately 80,000 young people aged 17-35 from across France. The event featured chants, testimonies, exchanges, and prayers in a festive atmosphere.
Pope Leo XIV to celebrate open-air mass for expected 600,000 people in Paris
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to celebrate a solemn open-air mass on September 26, 2026 at 15:00 on Place de la Concorde and along the Champs-Élysées in Paris, with approximately 600,000 people expected to attend. The event perimeter extends to Place de l'Étoile and Avenue de la Grande Armée, covering more than two kilometers.
French President Emmanuel Macron does not attend papal mass
French President Emmanuel Macron did not attend Pope Leo XIV's scheduled solemn mass on September 26, 2026 at Place de la Concorde, though numerous political figures and presidential candidates for the spring 2027 election attended, including Marine Le Pen, Gabriel Attal, and Édouard Philippe.
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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.