Pope Leo XIV will make an Apostolic Journey to France on 25-28 September this year, marking the first official papal state visit to the country in 18 years.
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to make an Apostolic Journey to France from 25 to 28 September 2026, according to an announcement from the Director of the Holy See Press Office.
This visit will be the first time a Pope has traveled to France on an official papal state visit since Pope Benedict XVI in 2008, when he journeyed to Paris and Lourdes.
The journey comes as a response to the invitations made by the Head of State, the ecclesiastical authorities of the country, and the Director-General of UNESCO, the Press Office statement noted.
During the Apostolic Journey, the Pope will visit the headquarters of UNESCO.
Vatican-France connections
Pope Leo and French President Emmanuel Macron met on April 10 for the first time since the pontiff’s election to the See of Peter.
However, it was not the president’s first papal audience. Since his election in 2017, President Macron has made several visits to the Vatican, where he was received in 2018, 2021, and 2022 by Pope Francis.
The two men met again during private talks in Marseille in September 2023, at the Borgo Egnazia G7 summit in June 2024, and then in December 2024 in Ajaccio.
