Pope Leo XIV visits France for four-day trip across Paris, Lourdes and Metz

Pope Leo XIV visited France from 25 to 28 September 2026, his first papal trip to the country in nearly two decades. He met French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace and spoke at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. He also led prayers at Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was rebuilt after a fire destroyed much of it in 2019. A large open-air Mass at Place de la Concorde drew around one million people. The pope then travelled to Lourdes, an important Catholic pilgrimage site, before heading to Metz, near the German border, where he spoke about peace and unity in Europe. A prayer vigil for young people at Stade de France attracted 75,000 attendees. The four-day visit was his fifth international journey as pope.