Four-day Apostolic Journey to Paris, Lourdes and Metz to feature meetings with young people, Church leaders and authorities, along with a visit to UNESCO
Paris, September 2026: Pope Leo XIV is set to undertake a four-day Apostolic Journey to France from September 25 to 28, with the visit expected to focus on faith, culture, education, social challenges, peace and the future of Europe.
The trip will be the Pope’s fifth international Apostolic Journey since the beginning of his pontificate and will take him to Paris, Lourdes and Metz in northeastern France. The itinerary will include meetings with French authorities and state representatives, encounters with young people and members of the clergy, visits to charitable initiatives and a visit to the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.
Details of the journey were presented during a press conference at the Holy See’s Press Office on September 18 by Matteo Bruni, Director of the Press Office.
France will be the ninth country visited by Pope Leo XIV, or the tenth if his pastoral visit to San Marino in August 2026 is included. The journey is expected to provide an opportunity for the Pope to engage with French society and address issues concerning faith, culture, history, humanity and the challenges posed by technological developments.
According to Bruni, the Pope will encounter France through its people, culture and history, while also highlighting the country’s religious life and the role of the Catholic Church in supporting vulnerable communities.
The French Church, he noted, has a long and rich history and has continued to play a role in addressing social challenges, particularly by reaching out to the poor and other vulnerable sections of society. The Church has also witnessed renewed interest in the faith, with around 13,000 adults receiving baptism during Easter celebrations in 2026.
The visit is also expected to touch upon questions facing French society, including the relationship between humanity, science and technological progress. The growing influence of artificial intelligence and its implications for society and human life are among the broader issues that could feature during the Pope’s engagements.
Bruni also indicated that the Pope could refer to international conflicts and the importance of peace, particularly in the context of France’s engagement with the wider world.
A major component of the Paris leg will be Pope Leo’s visit to UNESCO. The organisation, Bruni said, provides a setting in which humanity reflects on its history and future. The Pope’s engagement there is expected to emphasise the role of education and art in promoting peace and strengthening understanding between peoples and cultures.
Environmental concerns are also likely to form part of the discussion, particularly because of the close relationship between culture, education and the preservation of the environment. The Holy See and UNESCO are also preparing to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2027.
The final leg of the Apostolic Journey will take Pope Leo XIV to Metz, a city located close to France’s borders with Germany and Luxembourg. There, Europe and its future will be central themes.
A meeting titled “To the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity” will focus on the continent’s history and its future, with discussions expected to underline the importance of unity, diversity, peace and openness towards other cultures. Unlike most of the Pope’s addresses during the trip, which will be delivered in French, his speech at the Metz meeting will be entirely in English.
His address at UNESCO will be delivered partly in French and partly in English, while his other addresses, homilies and public pronouncements during the journey will be in French.
The papal delegation will include several senior Vatican officials, among them Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education; Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura; Cardinal George Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue; and Archbishop Filippo Iannone, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin will not be part of the delegation as he is scheduled to be in New York for engagements at the United Nations.
Pope Leo XIV’s France visit will also follow in the footsteps of several of his predecessors. Pope Francis travelled to Strasbourg in 2014, Marseille in 2023 and Corsica in 2024, although he did not undertake an official state visit to France.
Pope Benedict XVI visited France in 2008 to mark the 150th anniversary of the apparitions at Lourdes. Pope John Paul II visited the country eight times, including a 1989 visit to Réunion in the Indian Ocean.
John Paul II was also the only other Pope to have addressed UNESCO. He visited the organisation’s headquarters in 1980 and spoke at the UN agency dedicated to education, science and culture.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
