France is set to host a major ecclesial and diplomatic event starting Friday, September 25, 2026, as Pope Leo XIV arrives for his first official trip to the country since his election. The four-day apostolic journey will take him to Paris, Saint-Denis, the Marian shrine of Lourdes, and the city of Metz, blending high-level institutional engagements with powerful pastoral moments.
A republican welcome and a packed Parisian schedule
The Holy Father’s official arrival is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 25, at Paris-Orly Airport. As he steps off the plane, church bells across France will ring out for seven minutes to mark the historic occasion. The pope will immediately dive into a demanding calendar of institutional and pastoral events:
- Diplomacy and institutions: A meeting with the President of the Republic at the Élysée Palace, followed by an address to the diplomatic corps and a highly anticipated speech at UNESCO headquarters at 3:00 p.m.
- Connecting with the public: A popemobile ride through the capital, from Notre-Dame des Champs church to Place Saint-Michel, before celebrating Vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
- Youth gathering: In the evening, the pope will lead a large vigil with over 75,000 young people at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, where the Holy Tunic of Argenteuil will be exceptionally displayed.
On Saturday, September 26, the pontiff will meet vulnerable people at Maison Bakhita in the 18th arrondissement, exchange with the Synodal Assembly at the Catholic Institute of Paris, and then celebrate a solemn open-air Mass between Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées.
A memorial stop in Lourdes and a European finale in Metz
On Saturday evening, the pope will fly to Tarbes-Lourdes on a special Air France flight. Sunday, September 27, will be entirely devoted to the Marian sanctuary of Lourdes: time of prayer at the Grotto of Massabielle, a Sunday Mass on the Prairie before more than 150,000 faithful, encounters with the sick, and a torchlight procession.
The papal journey will conclude on Monday, September 28, in Lorraine. In Metz, Leo XIV will hold an ecumenical meeting focused on “the roots of Europe, peace and unity,” before presiding over a final Mass at Saint-Étienne Cathedral and returning to Rome in the early evening.
