Paris: Pope Leo XIV arrived in France on Friday for a four-day visit that will take him to Paris, Lourdes and Metz, with peace, artificial intelligence, young Catholics and the future of Europe among the key themes of his trip.
Church bells rang across the country as the pope’s chartered flight landed at Paris’ Orly airport shortly before 10 am local time. President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte greeted him at the airport before the pontiff began a series of engagements in the French capital.
First papal state visit to France in 18 years
The visit is the first official papal trip to France in 18 years and comes as the country remains deeply secular, even as large crowds are expected to turn out to see Leo.
Around one million people were expected to attend events in Paris during the first two days of his visit.
One of the busiest days of the trip is Friday, when Leo is scheduled to meet Macron at the Élysée Palace, address UNESCO headquarters, visit the newly reopened Notre-Dame cathedral and attend a major youth gathering in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis.
AI, climate and global affairs on agenda
At UNESCO, the pope is expected to speak about the challenges posed by artificial intelligence and the need for greater reflection on its impact on humanity.
His discussions with Macron are also expected to cover climate change, international affairs, the protection of children and end-of-life care.
The pope has increasingly highlighted the need to consider the human consequences of rapidly developing AI technologies.
Pope to emphasize peace and human dignity
Peace is another central theme of Leo’s visit, particularly amid continuing conflicts in Europe and elsewhere.
During the final leg of his trip in Metz, he is expected to deliver a speech on peace in Europe, with Russia’s war in Ukraine continuing into its fifth year.
In France, Leo is also expected to underline the importance of human dignity and the protection of human life.
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France’s secularism and contentious social issues
The pope’s visit comes as France debates issues on which Catholic teaching differs sharply from recent legislative developments.
France incorporated the right to abortion into its Constitution in 2024 and has approved legislation allowing assisted dying for certain patients.
However, Vatican officials have indicated that Leo is not expected to directly intervene in France’s political debate. Instead, he is expected to focus on broader questions about what it means to be human in an era shaped by technological change.
France’s model of secularism, known as laïcité, guarantees freedom of belief and requires the state to remain neutral towards religions. The system is rooted in the 1905 law separating church and state.
Lourdes visit to include abuse survivors
The pope will travel to Lourdes on Sunday, where he is scheduled to meet seven survivors of clerical sexual abuse.
A 2021 investigation estimated that about 330,000 people had been abused as minors by members or associates of the Catholic Church in France over several decades.
Further allegations have emerged in recent years, including cases involving Catholic institutions and the late French priest and charity figure Abbé Pierre.
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Tight security across Paris
Security has been significantly tightened for the visit.
Paris authorities have deployed around 14,000 police officers, gendarmes and military personnel, along with 2,500 firefighters on Friday.
The measures include mounted police, bomb disposal teams, anti-drone systems and counter-terrorism units, with authorities using a security plan similar to that adopted during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
First American pope with French family ties
Leo, 71, is the first American pope and has French ancestry through his paternal family.
He also holds Peruvian nationality after spending two decades as a missionary in Peru.
The visit is the first official state visit by a pope to France since Pope Benedict XVI traveled there in September 2008. Pope Francis visited France three times during his pontificate, but none of those trips was an official state visit.