Vatican City – The Vatican announced on Saturday that Pope Leo XIV will make an official state visit to the French Republic from September 25 to 28.
This visit is of exceptional importance as it will be the first official papal state visit to Paris in nearly 18 years, specifically since the historic visit of the late Pope Benedict XVI in September 2008.
The Holy See explained in an official statement that Pope Leo XIV, the first pope from the United States of America following his election in May 2025, will have his busy schedule in Paris include an official visit to the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Dimensions of the Papal Strategy in Europe
This highly anticipated French visit follows another official trip the Pope is scheduled to make to Spain in June.
This intensified diplomatic activity in Europe reflects the growing interest the new Pope has in engaging effectively with European countries with deep-rooted Catholic traditions. These countries, which have faced increasing secularization in recent decades, were somewhat overlooked by his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Although Pope Francis has visited French soil three times during his papacy—including trips to Strasbourg, Marseille, and Corsica—all of these were classified as pastoral or regional visits with specific objectives. They did not fall under the official “state visits” protocol of the Holy See. The Pope, who speaks fluent French, has expressed on several occasions his profound appreciation for France and its rich spiritual and cultural history.
Paris train station and the world-famous Lourdes shrine
The president of the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF), Cardinal Jean-Marc Avelin, had extended an initial formal invitation to Pope Leo to visit France. This invitation was personally reiterated and reaffirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron during their bilateral meeting at the Vatican last April.
In addition to the official and political meetings scheduled in Paris, the Pope’s visit will include a deeply spiritual tour of Lourdes, one of the most important and famous pilgrimage sites for Catholics worldwide. This prominent spiritual destination in southwestern France has historically welcomed Pope John Paul II in 1983 and 2004, as well as Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
