Pope Leo XIV Begins Four-Day France Visit Focused on Human Dignity

Pope Leo XIV arrived in France on Friday for a four-day visit that will take him to Paris, the Marian shrine at Lourdes, and the northeastern city of Metz. It is the first papal visit to the country in 18 years, and church bells across France were expected to toll at 10 a.m. as his charter flight landed at Orly airport. Upward of a million people are anticipated to see him over the weekend.

The trip is framed around Leo's appeals for peace at a time of war and for deeper reflection as artificial intelligence raises questions about what it means to be human. He is also expected to emphasize Europe's Christian roots and the Catholic Church's teaching on the value and dignity of human life.

France maintains a strict form of secularism known as laïcité, enshrined in its Constitution, which guarantees freedom of belief and religious practice while requiring the state to remain neutral toward all religions. The Catholic hierarchy in France has lost influence on ethical matters in recent years, amid broader secularizing trends in Western Europe and a credibility crisis stemming from the church's reckoning with clergy sexual abuse.

In 2024, France enshrined the right to abortion in its Constitution, and lawmakers recently gave final approval to a bill allowing adults with incurable illnesses to receive lethal medication. The French Catholic hierarchy strongly opposed both measures. Vatican editorial director Andrea Tornielli wrote that Leo is not coming to condemn anyone or to intrude into France's polarized political debate, but rather to meet a people, their history, and their culture as a shepherd.

On his busiest day, Leo was scheduled to meet President Emmanuel Macron at the airport and again at the Élysée Palace, deliver a speech at UNESCO headquarters, celebrate vespers at the newly reopened Notre-Dame cathedral, and preside over a large youth vigil at the Paris stadium. Macron, who is barred from seeking a third term in May elections and whose approval ratings are near record lows, is hosting the pope in what analysts describe as a capstone to his presidency. The two leaders are expected to discuss global challenges including climate change, artificial intelligence, European and international affairs, end-of-life care, and the protection of children.

Security for the visit is on an Olympic scale. Paris police prefecture spokesperson Hélène Denéchère said the system resembles the protective perimeters used during the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, with mounted police, bomb disposal experts, anti-drone measures, and counter-terrorism units. In Paris alone, 14,000 police officers, gendarmes, and military personnel, along with 2,500 firefighters, were planned for Friday. Slightly lower numbers are expected on Saturday, when Leo celebrates Mass at the central Place de la Concorde.