Pope Leo XIV France Visit Draws Hundreds of Thousands to Paris 

The Pope Leo XIV France visit in 2026 is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people as the pontiff begins a four-day trip to France on Friday. The largest gathering is planned for Saturday, when more than 600,000 Catholic faithful are expected around the Champs-Élysées for a Mass at Place de la Concorde.  

The visit will take Pope Leo XIV from Paris to Lourdes and then to Metz, with religious ceremonies, meetings with young people, and discussions on broader international issues on his schedule. 

For Pope Leo XIV’s 2026 visit to France, authorities have sealed off a large section around the Champs-Élysées and built an altar at Place de la Concorde ahead of Saturday’s Mass. The Pope is also scheduled to travel through Paris in the Popemobile and visit Notre-Dame Cathedral. 

Around 80,000 young people are expected at the Stade de France on Friday evening. In Lourdes, another 150,000 people have signed up for Sunday’s Mass at the Pyrenean sanctuary. 

French President Emmanuel Macron will welcome the Pope at Orly airport and hold talks with him at the Élysée Palace. Their discussions are expected to include geopolitical issues and artificial intelligence. 

The Paris papal visit comes as France maintains a strict separation between religion and the state. Macron will not attend the Masses, while his wife Brigitte Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu are expected at the Champs-Élysées event. 

The Pope will also meet migrants in Paris and victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in Lourdes. In Metz, he is scheduled to pay tribute to Robert Schuman, a founding figure of European integration and a Catholic who is a candidate for beatification. 

The Pope Leo XIV France visit 2026 is taking place against a changing religious landscape. Less than half of France’s population identifies as Catholic, while regular worship has declined sharply over the decades. At the same time, adult baptisms more than doubled over five years to reach 10,000 in 2025. 

Pope Leo XIV will begin the French leg of the trip in Paris before travelling to Lourdes and Metz. Preparations are already underway at the major venues, with large crowds expected throughout the itinerary. 

The Paris papal visit will also bring attention to the Pope’s meetings outside formal religious ceremonies, including his encounters with young people, migrants and abuse survivors. 

The final stop in Metz will focus on Schuman and his place in European history, bringing the four-day Pope Leo XIV France visit 2026 to a close.