Pope Leo will visit three cities in France on his apostolic visit Sept. 25-28
PARIS — As French bishops fight against time to organize Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the country, they stress the apostolic trip will be a “very significant moment” for Catholics in France and beyond.
On Sept. 8, the president of the French bishops’ conference provided details regarding the Sept. 25-28 papal visit to France.
“His visit is being organized on an extremely tight schedule, but we were pressed for time due to the upcoming presidential elections in 2027,” Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline explained at the headquarters of the bishops’ conference in Paris.
The motto of the pope’s visit, “That the world may have life,” will be visible in papal appeals to respect the dignity of every person’s life that, organizers say, will be at the heart of Pope Leo’s message.
“His visit will be a very significant moment for Catholics in France, but not only for them,” Cardinal Aveline said. “The pope’s words will reach beyond Catholics alone, and beyond our country alone,” he stressed.
Upon his arrival on Sept. 25, the pope will go to the Élysée Palace to meet with President Emmanuel Macron. In the early afternoon, he will visit the UNESCO headquarters, near the Eiffel Tower, and speak about the protection of young people in the age of new technologies and artificial intelligence.
In the evening, the pope will travel to the iconic venue for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games — Stade de France in Saint-Denis — where he will take part in a prayer vigil bringing together more than 80,000 young people. Registration for the event filled up within minutes on Aug. 10, as soon as it opened.
On Sept. 26, the pope will celebrate an open-air Mass for nearly 500,000 people at the Place de la Concorde and the Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
The pope will then fly to the south of France and, that same evening, go to pray in Lourdes at the grotto of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary. “He will come first and foremost as a pilgrim,” Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes said. “He will go to the grotto, touch the rock, light a candle and pray in silence, just as all pilgrims do.”
On Sept. 27, the pope will celebrate Sunday morning Mass on the sanctuary’s lawn. In the evening, he will preside over the Marian torchlight procession, praying the Rosary.
Among the scheduled meetings, the pope will speak personally with seven victims of sexual abuse within the Church.
On Monday, Sept. 28, the pope will fly to the city of Metz, in northeastern France. “Metz has endured three wars and two annexations by Germany,” Archbishop Philippe Ballot of Metz said during the press conference. “But it has since also experienced the power of Franco-German reconciliation.”
In Metz, the pope will travel by popemobile to Saint-Étienne Cathedral, called the “Lantern of God” because of its 70,000 square feet of stained-glass windows, the largest in Europe. He will celebrate Mass for 12,000 people, spread out between the cathedral and its surroundings.
“All hotel rooms have been booked” the archbishop of Metz said. “Thousands of people are expected from Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.” Archbishop Ballot said that “in Metz, we feel we are at the heart of Europe,” and he expressed his happiness that’s where the trip to France will conclude.
