The Pope Leo XIV is slated to visit France from 25 to 28 September 2026 for an apostolic journey that will include stops in Paris, Lourdes and Metz. In the capital, the pontiff is due to visit the headquarters of the UNESCO, in the 7th arrondissement, but will also take part in several major religious moments open to the faithful.
The Paris stay will unfold over two days, on Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26, 2026. On Friday, Pope Leo XIV is due to meet the public in the late afternoon, before celebrating solemn Vespers at Notre-Dame de Paris with priests, deacons and their wives, consecrated people, and seminarians from all across France. According to Libération, a drive-by in a papamobile through the streets of Paris is also being considered to allow as many people as possible to see him.
The Friday evening will then be devoted to a large prayer vigil with the youth of France. The venue is still to be confirmed, but this gathering must take place in a space capable of hosting 60,000 to 80,000 people, according to Mgr Laurent Ulrich, the Archbishop of Paris. The following day, Saturday, September 26, a giant outdoor solemn Mass is planned to take place in Paris in mid-afternoon. According to Ulrich, as many as 400,000 people could be expected. The venue is not finalized: the Invalides, the Champ-de-Mars, or the Cours de Vincennes are among the options being considered.
This visit by Léon XIV to France is all the more notable as it comes after the papacy of Francis, who had never carried out a state visit to Paris. His predecessor went to Marseille in 2023, then to Corsica in 2024, but he did not take part in the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris. For Léon XIV, this visit could therefore mark a new chapter in the relations between the Vatican, France and the capital.
Following Paris, Pope Leo XIV's trip is set to continue to Lourdes, then to Metz, the final stops of his visit to France.
The exact schedule, precise venues, access arrangements for the celebrations, potential broadcast options and any traffic restrictions will be announced gradually. The Diocese of Paris is already calling on residents of Paris and the Île-de-France region to prepare for these major events, which are expected to draw a large crowd for the first official visit of Pope Leo XIV to France.
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Dates and Opening Time
From September 25, 2026 to September 26, 2026
