Pope Leo XIV will begin a four-day trip to France on Friday, the fifth international Apostolic Journey of his pontificate.
The journey will take him to Paris, Lourdes and Metz, where he will meet with civil authorities, young people and Church leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
France has historically been nicknamed “the eldest daughter of the Church” although the number of faithful has been in decline in the past few decades. Less than 50 per cent of its population identify as being Catholic, and weekly Mass attendance is below 10 per cent.
There are signs of hope in the country though. France has experienced a rise in baptisms in the past few years, with 13,000 adults entering into the Church in Easter 2026.
It means Pope Leo XIV will be arriving at a country grappling with its faith, as overall numbers decline but shoots of hope appear to be springing.
Pope Leo XIV will arrive in Paris on Friday morning, before making his way to the Élysée Palace to visit President Macron. He will also meet with civil authorities there, before traveling to the Headquarters of UNESCO. In the evening, he will celebrate vespers in Notre-Dame Cathedral, before traveling to the Stade de France to lead a prayer vigil with young people.
On Saturday, he will spend the morning meeting with catechumens and newly baptised people, before celebrating Mass in the afternoon at the Place de la Concorde. In the evening, he will travel to Lourdes, where he will pray at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Pope Leo XIV will then meet with French bishops on Sunday morning, before celebrating Sunday Mass at the Prairie of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. In the evening, he will lead the praying of the rosary and a torchlight procession at the Shrine.
On Monday, he will head to Metz where he will participate in an interreligious meeting, before celebrating Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Stephen. He will then be farewelled from the Metz-Nancy-Lorraine International Airport and return to Rome.
All three of his predecessors visited the country during their pontificate, with Pope Francis visiting three times during his pontificate, although never as an official state visit. Pope John Paul II visited the country eight times.
The logo for the Holy Father’s Apostolic Journey to France depicts a circular stained-glass window, reminiscent of the rose windows found in Gothic cathedrals, symbolising the beauty of the Church’s communion and unity. At the center, the pointed arch and the Cross express the apostolic and liturgical dimensions of the visit. The dove, which hovers at the center of the image, symbolises the Holy Spirit, and carries an olive branch as a sign of peace for all humanity. The colors of blue, white and red represent France; and they are intertwined with the colors of the Vatican to produce the orange of light and green of hope, which highlights the spiritual dimension of the visit.
The logo for the Holy Father’s Apostolic Journey to France depicts a circular stained-glass window, reminiscent of the rose windows found in Gothic cathedrals, symbolising the beauty of the Church’s communion and unity. At the center, the pointed arch and the Cross express the apostolic and liturgical dimensions of the visit. The dove, which hovers at the center of the image, symbolises the Holy Spirit, and carries an olive branch as a sign of peace for all humanity. The colors of blue, white and red represent France; and they are intertwined with the colors of the Vatican to produce the orange of light and green of hope, which highlights the spiritual dimension of the visit.
