Pope Leo XIV Begins Four-Day Apostolic Journey to France

Pope Leo XIV begins a four-day apostolic journey to France on Friday, September 25, 2026, touching down in a strictly secular nation where recent laws enshrine abortion rights and legalize assisted dying, drawing massive crowds despite shifting religious demographics.

Arriving in Paris Amid High Security and Unprecedented Crowds

Pope Leo XIV is embarking on a packed four-day itinerary across Paris, the Marian shrine at Lourdes, and the northeastern city of Metz. Church bells across France are scheduled to toll at 10 a.m.

Organizers and security officials expect upward of one million people to turn out for the visit, the first by a pontiff in 18 years. To manage the massive turnout, Paris police are implementing a security apparatus similar to the system used during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The public response has caught even church officials by surprise. Crowds for the main Mass at the central Place de la Concorde prompted organizers to lengthen the perimeter beyond the 1.9-kilometer length of the Champs-Élysées.

Secular Law and the Sanctity of Life

Leo’s visit brings him into direct contact with a country structured around a strict model of secularism known as laïcité, which is enshrined in the French Constitution and built on a historic 1905 law separating church and state. While the French Catholic hierarchy has seen its public influence wane amid secularization and a credibility crisis over clergy sexual abuse, the pontiff arrives not to scold lawmakers, but to elevate the discourse.

The papal itinerary intersects with major legislative shifts in France. The National Assembly enshrined abortion as a constitutional right in 2024 and recently gave final approval to end-of-life legislation allowing adults with incurable illnesses to receive lethal medication. Catholic teaching insists that life must be protected from conception until natural death, yet Vatican leadership signaled a measured approach.

“The pope is not landing in the City of Light to condemn anyone, nor to barge into the French political debate, which is as polarized as that of every other European country. He comes as a shepherd to meet a people, their history, and their culture.”

With Leo’s blessing, the official motto of the trip is “That the world may have life,” framing an overarching theme centered on human dignity, artificial intelligence, and the protection of the vulnerable.

Political Capstone for President Macron and a Rebound in Adult Baptisms

President Emmanuel Macron, barred from seeking a third term in the May elections, welcomed Pope Leo XIV at the airport before holding bilateral talks at the Élysée Palace. With his approval ratings near record lows amid economic and public service pressures, hosting the American pope serves as a major capstone to Macron’s mandate.

Pope Leo XIV Begins Four-Day Apostolic Journey to France — Photo: sightmagazine.com.au

“For a president of the republic as Macron, who is at the end of his mandate, it can be important to be aside the pope and to capture a part of his popularity. It’s not new.”

Despite overall generational declines in church attendance—demonstrated by a drop in infant baptisms from 513,000 in 1980 to 186,000 in 2024—the French church is experiencing a notable surge in adult conversions with more than 13,000 adults baptized at Easter, more than tripling figures recorded in 2016. Following his engagements in Paris, UNESCO, and Notre-Dame, the pope will travel to the Grotto of Massabielle at Lourdes and conclude his journey in Metz with an interreligious gathering at the Robert Schuman convention center.