Pope Leo XIV to visit France
Pope Leo XIV will make an apostolic journey to France from September 25 to 28. The itinerary includes a visit to UNESCO headquarters, meetings with government officials and religious communities, and religious services in Paris, Lourdes and Metz, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to the visit’s program, the pontiff will arrive in Paris on September 25, where he will meet with the French president, representatives of the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps at the Élysée Palace. A visit to UNESCO headquarters is scheduled for the afternoon.
In the evening, the pope will celebrate Vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral before leading a prayer vigil with young people at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
On September 26, the pontiff will visit the Maison Bakhita center for social support and integration. At the Institute Catholique de Paris, he will meet with members of the provincial synodal assembly, catechumens and the newly baptized. Following Mass at the Place de la Concorde, Leo XIV will travel to Lourdes.
The Lourdes itinerary includes prayer at the Grotto of Massabielle, a meeting with French bishops and Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. The pontiff will also meet with patients and staff at Accueil Notre-Dame, visit the Carmelite Monastery and take part in a torchlight procession.
On the final day of the trip, September 28, the pope will arrive in Metz. The Robert Schuman Conference Centre will host an interreligious meeting and an event entitled “To the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity.”
Following Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Stephen and a farewell ceremony, the pontiff will return to Rome.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Pope Leo XIV had expressed his readiness to support peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula.