Pope Leo XIV will make his first official visit to France from 25 to 28 September, with major public gatherings planned in Paris and the Île-de-France region. Authorities expect up to 250,000 people along the route of his procession, while about 80,000 have bought tickets for a youth Mass at the Stade de France.
The visit will be the first official papal trip to Paris since Benedict XVI visited the French capital in 2008. It is also expected to combine public events, meetings with France’s political leadership and a significant focus on safeguarding within the Catholic Church.
Large crowds expected for Pope Leo XIV’s Paris visit
Interest has grown ahead of the pontiff’s arrival, particularly because Paris has not hosted a pope for almost two decades. France’s police prefecture estimates that as many as 250,000 people could gather along the procession route.
A further 80,000 ticket holders are expected at the youth Mass in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris. The scale of the events will require extensive crowd-management and security arrangements, although the supplied information does not provide further details about those measures.
The visit is being viewed as an important moment for French Catholicism and for the wider public. Pope Francis previously travelled to Strasbourg, Marseille and Corsica, but did not visit Paris during his pontificate.
Why the capital visit matters
Charles Mercier, director of studies in the history and sociology of Catholicism at the École pratique des hautes études in Paris, said the return of a pope to the capital had generated particular enthusiasm because of the long gap since the previous visit.
The interest also reflects Leo XIV’s broad public profile. Elected in May 2025, he has sought to present himself as a pope attentive to people beyond the Catholic community.
Meetings with French officials and civil society
During his time in Paris and the surrounding Île-de-France region, Pope Leo XIV is due to meet French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace on Friday.
The programme also includes a meeting with French authorities, civil society representatives and members of the diplomatic corps. The pope is then expected to travel to UNESCO, underlining the visit’s wider cultural and international dimension.
These engagements will place the trip beyond the boundaries of a religious ceremony. They will bring the Vatican into contact with France’s political institutions, diplomatic community and civil society organisations.
Lourdes meeting will address abuse within the Church
On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV is expected to travel to Lourdes, one of France’s best-known Catholic pilgrimage sites. There, he is due to meet seven survivors of sexual abuse within the Church.
One of those expected to attend is a former pupil at Notre Dame de Bétharram, a nearby Catholic school. In 2024, more than 230 people filed complaints alleging corporal punishment and sexual abuse at the institution in southwestern France.
The planned meeting will therefore add a safeguarding dimension to the papal visit. It is expected to draw attention to the experiences of survivors and to the continuing importance of accountability and institutional response within the Church.
What happens during the four-day visit?
The confirmed outline of the trip includes:
- A public procession in Paris, with up to 250,000 people expected along the route.
- A youth Mass at the Stade de France attended by approximately 80,000 ticket holders.
- A meeting between Pope Leo XIV and President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.
- Discussions with French authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps.
- A visit to UNESCO.
- A meeting in Lourdes with seven survivors of Church abuse.
The visit runs from 25 to 28 September, although the supplied details do not set out a complete hour-by-hour itinerary.
Why the visit matters beyond France
The trip is a major European religious and diplomatic event because it brings the head of the Catholic Church to one of the continent’s most important political and cultural capitals. It also comes at a time when public attention remains focused on the Church’s handling of abuse allegations and the voices of survivors.
For France, the visit is likely to combine national ceremony, religious observance and international engagement. For Catholics and other observers across Europe, the Paris and Lourdes events will provide an early indication of how Pope Leo XIV uses public travel to connect pastoral priorities with meetings involving political and civic institutions.
The expected crowds also mean that the visit will have practical consequences for people travelling through Paris and Saint-Denis. Those attending events, commuting in the region or visiting major sites should follow official transport and security advice as it becomes available.
Conclusion
Pope Leo XIV’s first official visit to France will bring large public gatherings to Paris, formal meetings with President Emmanuel Macron and a significant encounter with survivors of Church abuse in Lourdes. The combination of public enthusiasm, diplomatic engagement and safeguarding concerns makes the four-day trip an important moment for France and the wider European religious landscape.
