Pope Leo XIV in France, expected by 600,000 faithful

Pope Leo XIV has begun his four-day visit to France, where one of the largest Masses of the visit is expected to take place, with around 600,000 faithful participating in central Paris.

The Pope was received at Orly airport by President Emmanuel Macron. During the visit, the two are expected to discuss geopolitical issues and artificial intelligence, and will also deliver a joint address in Metz.

In Paris, Pope Leo XIV will travel by popemobile to Notre-Dame Cathedral, while in the evening he will meet around 80,000 young people at the Stade de France. For Saturday’s Mass, the area around the Champs-Élysées has been cordoned off by police, while an altar has been erected at Place de la Concorde.

President Macron will not attend the Pope’s Mass, in respect of the principle of separation of state and religion in France. In his place, the ceremony will be attended by his wife, Brigitte Macron, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

On Sunday, the Pope will travel to Lourdes, where around 150,000 people have registered to attend the Mass. During the visit, he will also meet migrants in Paris and people who were victims of sexual abuse by members of the Catholic clergy.

The visit comes to an increasingly secular France, where regular attendance at religious services has fallen sharply. However, recent years have seen a rise in interest in religious traditions, while the number of adults being baptized has more than doubled in five years.

The visit will conclude in Metz, where Pope Leo XIV will honor Robert Schuman, one of the founders of the European Union and a devout Catholic.