Pope Leo XIV will travel to France later this month for a four-day Apostolic Journey expected to address some of the most pressing questions facing the Church and European society, from peace and cultural identity to artificial intelligence and the future of the continent.
The Pope will visit France from Sept. 25–28, traveling to Paris, Lourdes and Metz during his fifth international Apostolic Journey since the beginning of his pontificate.
According to Vatican News, the visit will bring Pope Leo into contact with French civil authorities, young people, clergy and charitable initiatives, while also taking him to UNESCO headquarters in Paris and to a gathering devoted to Europe, peace and unity in Metz.
The journey will mark the ninth country visited by Pope Leo, or the tenth if his August pastoral visit to San Marino is included.
Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, outlined the themes of the upcoming trip during a Sept. 18 press conference at the Vatican.
According to Bruni, the journey will allow the Pope to encounter French society through “its people, its culture, its history,” as well as its “faith.”
The visit will also highlight the Catholic Church’s service to vulnerable people. Bruni pointed particularly to a Church that has dedicated itself to the country’s “most fragile sons and daughters, to the poorest.”
France’s changing religious landscape may provide another significant backdrop to the journey. According to Vatican News, Bruni highlighted the recent increase in baptisms in the country, noting that 13,000 adults were baptized at Easter in 2026.
At the same time, the Pope will be visiting a society confronting major questions about humanity, science, technological development and artificial intelligence. International conflicts could also enter the Pope’s addresses during the trip. Bruni said that one “can expect a reference to situations of conflict.”
One of the most significant stops will come at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
Bruni described UNESCO as a place where “humanity reflects on itself, on its history, on its future.” The visit is expected to emphasize the importance of art and education as instruments for peace, while environmental concerns may also emerge because of their relationship with culture.
The visit also comes as the Holy See and UNESCO prepare to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2027.
Pope Leo will become only the second pope to visit UNESCO. According to Vatican News, St. John Paul II addressed the United Nations agency for education, science and culture in 1980.
The final portion of Pope Leo’s journey will take him to Metz, a city near France’s borders with Germany and Luxembourg, where Europe itself will take center stage.
The Pope will participate in a meeting titled “To the roots of Europe for Peace and Unity.” According to Bruni, the themes surrounding this portion of the journey include unity, diversity, peace and openness to other cultures.
Language will also play a notable role throughout the trip. Pope Leo is scheduled to deliver his addresses, homilies and other remarks in French, with two exceptions. His UNESCO address will be delivered partly in French and partly in English, while his address at the Metz gathering will be entirely in English.
Several senior Vatican officials will accompany the Pope, including 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.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, will not participate because he will be attending the United Nations in New York, according to Vatican News.
Pope Leo’s journey also continues a long history of papal visits to France.
Pope Benedict XVI traveled there in 2008 for the 150th anniversary of the apparitions at Lourdes. St. John Paul II visited France eight times, including a 1989 journey to the overseas territory of Réunion.
Pope Francis traveled to Strasbourg in 2014, Marseille in 2023 and Corsica in 2024 for particular events, although he did not undertake an official state visit to France.
Against that history, Pope Leo’s four days in France will place him at the intersection of Catholic faith and some of the defining questions confronting modern Europe. From the sanctuary of Lourdes to UNESCO and the border city of Metz, the journey will bring together faith, culture, education, peace and the search for unity in an increasingly complex world.
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