Pope Leo XIV will embark on a state visit to France from September 25 to 28, 2026, making stops in Paris, Saint-Denis, Lourdes, and Metz. Free public registration for the papal events opened on Monday, August 10, through the official website at inscription.pape-france.fr.
The Vatican released the official schedule for Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to France, setting in motion a major national and spiritual event that organizers expect will draw hundreds of thousands of participants. The visit marks the first time the pontiff has traveled to France since his election in 2025, and the first papal visit to the country in 18 years.
The overarching theme for the voyage is that the world may have life. The French Catholic Church structured the itinerary to accommodate broad public participation. This visit is designed so that anyone who wishes can take part, said Bishop Benoît Bertrand of Pontoise, president of the organization committee for the apostolic voyage, inviting all French citizens, whether Catholic or not, to welcome and listen to the pontiff.
Paris, Saint-Denis, and the Opening Days
The journey begins on September 25 when Leo XIV departs Rome at 7:50 a.m. and lands at Paris Orly International Airport at 10:00 a.m. Following a courtesy visit with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, the pope will deliver his first address and subsequently visit the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at 3:00 p.m.
Later that evening, Leo will celebrate vespers with clergy and religious at the Notre Dame Cathedral. The service marks the first time a pope has visited the cathedral since the 2019 fire. Afterward, a prayer vigil with young people aged 17 to 35 will take place at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
On Saturday, September 26, the pope will visit the Maison Bakhita Center for Social Support and Integration and meet with provincial synod assembly members at the Institut Catholique de Paris. At 3:00 p.m., he will celebrate his first public Mass at the Place de la Concorde and along the Champs-Élysées. While access to the Concorde mass does not strictly require registration, organizers strongly advise attendees to sign up online in advance to receive specific sector assignments and entry routes based on the massive crowds anticipated.
Lourdes Pilgrimage and Abuse Accountability Meeting
Following the Paris events, Leo will travel to Lourdes, arriving on the evening of September 26 for a prayer service at the renowned grotto of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. The following day includes a meeting with French bishops, a second public Mass, and a private gathering with Carmelite nuns, concluding with a traditional rosary and candlelit procession.
Significantly, the Vatican added a private meeting with victims of clerical sexual abuse to the official itinerary. The precise modalities for this exchange are still under development because the victims themselves will be actively associated with its preparation. The outreach follows the pontiff’s recent pledge during a June visit to Spain, where he promised efforts supplémentaires
and a réponse plus efficace
against the scourge of clerical abuse.
Metz, Robert Schuman Legacy, and Registration Details
The final day of the apostolic journey on September 28 takes the pope to Metz. He will become the first pope to visit the city since St. John Paul II traveled there in 1988. In Metz, Leo will participate in an interreligious meeting at the Robert Schuman Conference Center, deliver an address on Europe, and celebrate the final Mass of his trip at the Cathedral of Saint Stephen before departing for Rome.
To manage logistics for the hundreds of thousands expected to attend across all venues, online registration opened at noon on Monday, August 10. While attendance at all celebrations is entirely free, registration requirements vary significantly by location. Access to the Paris vespers at Notre-Dame remains strictly limited to bishops, priests, deacons, religious individuals, and seminarians, while the Stade de France vigil is restricted to youth aged 17 to 35.
