A historic four-day apostolic journey begins in France
France is preparing for a major ecclesial and diplomatic event as Pope Leo XIV arrives for his first official visit since his election. The four-day apostolic journey, running from Friday, September 25, 2026, will take the pontiff to Paris, Saint-Denis, the Marian sanctuary of Lourdes and the city of Metz.
Republican welcome and a packed Paris schedule
The Pope is due to land at Paris-Orly airport at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 25. As he steps off the plane, church bells across France will ring for seven minutes to mark the historic occasion. A dense institutional and pastoral program follows:
- Diplomacy and institutions: A meeting with the President of the Republic at the Élysée Palace, followed by an address to the diplomatic corps and a highly anticipated speech at UNESCO headquarters at 3:00 p.m.
- Close to the people: A popemobile ride through the capital, from Notre-Dame des Champs church to Place Saint-Michel, ahead of vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
- Youth gathering: In the evening, the Pope will lead a large vigil with more than 75,000 young people at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, where the Holy Tunic of Argenteuil will be displayed for the occasion.
Saturday: meeting the vulnerable and a mass on the Champs-Élysées
On Saturday, September 26, the pontiff will visit vulnerable people at the Maison Bakhita in the 18th arrondissement, exchange with the Synodal Assembly at the Catholic Institute of Paris, and then celebrate a solemn open-air mass between Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées.
A memorial stop in Lourdes
On Saturday evening, the Pope will fly to Tarbes-Lourdes on a special Air France flight. Sunday, September 27, will be entirely devoted to the Marian sanctuary of Lourdes: time of prayer at the Grotto of Massabielle, Sunday mass on the Prairie before more than 150,000 faithful, meetings with the sick, and a torchlight procession.
European closing in Metz
The papal journey will end on Monday, September 28, in Lorraine. In Metz, Leo XIV will hold an ecumenical meeting focused on “the roots of Europe, peace and unity,” before presiding over a final mass at Saint-Étienne Cathedral and returning to Rome in the early evening.