Pope Leo XIV Begins Four-Day Visit to France, Set to Meet Macron and Address Global Challenges

PARIS: Pope Leo XIV arrived in France on Friday for a four-day visit, beginning his first papal trip to the country with an agenda focused on peace, human dignity, artificial intelligence and other global challenges.

The Pope landed at Paris’ Orly Airport, where he was received by French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders are scheduled to meet again at the Élysée Palace for discussions expected to cover international and European affairs, climate change, artificial intelligence, end-of-life care and the protection of children.

During his visit, Pope Leo is scheduled to address UNESCO, celebrate vespers at the recently reopened Notre-Dame Cathedral and preside over a youth vigil in Paris. He will also travel to Lourdes, one of the Catholic Church’s most prominent pilgrimage sites, and to Metz in northeastern France.

The visit is the first by a pope to France in 18 years, with French Catholic authorities expecting large crowds during the four-day programme. Security arrangements in Paris have been placed at a level comparable to measures implemented during the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, involving thousands of police, gendarmes, military personnel and firefighters.

A central theme of the Pope’s visit is expected to be the dignity and protection of human life. His itinerary comes as France maintains its constitutional protection of abortion and has recently approved legislation concerning assisted dying, issues that have been the subject of longstanding debate between secular authorities and the Catholic Church.

Pope Leo is also scheduled to meet privately in Lourdes with seven survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy and personnel. The meeting is expected to draw attention to the Church’s response to the abuse crisis in France.

The Pope’s visit will conclude in Metz, where he is expected to address themes of peace and social cohesion before returning to the Vatican.