Pope Leo will visit the Élysée Palace, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, UNESCO headquarters and the shrine of Lourdes as part of his upcoming voyage to France at the end of September.
Having confirmed the trip a few months ago, the Holy See Press Office today published the full itinerary of Leo XIV’s French trip, taking place from September 25 to 28. Taking four flights over the course of the journey, Leo will visit Paris, Lourdes and Metz, before returning back to Rome’s Fiumicino airport.
He will deliver nine addresses and four homilies, meeting with the range of groups and individuals customary for such a trip: political and diplomatic figures, Catholic youth, local clergy, the bishops conference, and a community caring for the sick.
But an extra item is also included in his itinerary, although not made public, namely a meeting with victims of clerical abuse. The Holy See has limited information about this to simply announcing it will happen and noting that the victims are involved in the practical arranging of the encounter, but otherwise it is anticipated to remain quite confidential.
The motto for the voyage is a passage inspired by St. John’s Gospel: “That the world may have life.” According to the Vatican, the chosen motto is “an invitation to recognise the greatest gift given to us by Christ the Savior,” while also being “a call to hope and communion, encouraging us to overcome divisions in order to share peace, reconciliation and fraternity, which are signs of new life in the world.”
It also comes against the backdrop of the current push for euthanasia in France, something which the French episcopate have firmly opposed. Leo’s visit will bolster their stance, and – as the Vatican noted – the trip’s motto highlights the Catholic Church’s “profound desire to bear witness to the gift of life that comes from God.”
The full programme is below.
Friday September 25
10am – Pope Leo lands at Paris Orly International Airport, where he is given a formal welcome.
11am – His first stop is the visit to President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, including a private chat between the pair. Leo himself welcomed Macron to the Vatican on April 10.
11:45am – Leo delivers his first address of the trip, giving a speech to representatives of civil society, local authorities and the diplomatic corps.
3pm – The Pontiff will visit the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris. He will deliver a speech here also.
5:15pm – In a highly anticipated moment, Leo will celebrate Vespers in Notre-Dame Cathedral. He will be joined by clergy and consecrated religious, and will deliver a homily during the ceremony.
9pm – Ever a well attended moment in a papal trip, Leo will join young people in a prayer vigil at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, in the northern part of the city. Here he will give his third address of the trip.
Saturday September 26
9am – Pope Leo begins his second day by visiting the Maison Bakhita Centre for social support and integration. It is a venture supported by the Diocese of Paris and born out of a 2017 call by Pope Francis to “welcome, protect, promote and integrate” any exiled person.
10:15am – Next, the Pope moves to the Institut Catholique de Paris where he will meet with members of the provincial synodal assembly, along with newly baptised Catholics and those receiving instruction. He will give his fourth address of the trip.
3pm – The Pope will celebrate an open air Mass at the Place de la Concorde on the banks of the River Seine, and deliver his second homily here.
He then flies from Paris Orly down to Lourdes airport, landing around 7pm and heading straight to the grotto at the Marian shrine.
7:40pm – The Pope will spend some time in private prayer at the apparition grotto in Lourdes.
Sunday September 27
9am – First on the agenda is a meeting between Pope Leo and the French Catholic bishops in the Saint Bernadette auditorium at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. Leo will give his fifth address of the trip during the audience.
11am – Pope Leo celebrates open air Mass in the Shrine of Lourdes and delivers his third homily.
3:30pm – After a lunch break, he then meets with the sick and their carers at the Accueil Notre Dame based at the Shrine of Lourdes, delivering his sixth speech while doing so.
4:45pm – In a completely closed event, Leo will meet with the Carmelite community of Lourdes at their monastery.
9pm – The Pope will participate in the nightly torchlit rosary procession around the Shrine grounds, and deliver his seventh speech.
Monday September 28
Pope Leo takes an early morning flight out of Lourdes up to Metz, in the north-east of France.
10am – He participates in an interreligious conference at the “Robert Schuman” Conference Centre in Metz, giving his eighth speech.
11am – Next, he stays at the same venue to give his final speech of the trip at the meeting titled “To the roots of Europe for peace and unity.”
4pm – The Pope will celebrate his final Mass on French soil at the Cathedral of Saint Stephen in Metz, delivering a homily also.
6:30pm – He will make a formal farewell to the French authorities at the Metz-Nancy-Lorraine International Airport, before flying back to Rome and landing around 9pm.
The Catholic Herald will bring readers full updates and details from the trip as it happens.
Michael Haynes is an English journalist in the Holy See Press Corps. He serves as Vatican Correspondent for the Catholic Herald, while readers can follow him at Per Mariam and on X @MLJHaynes.
