Pope Leo XIV Visits France to Strengthen Church Credibility

Pope Leo XIV travels from 25 to 28 September to France. He visits Lourdes, Paris and Metz to set signs for life protection, church renewal and European unity. The trip follows France's recent assisted suicide law and aims to address credibility concerns. The Pope meets President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace on the first day. He plans to discuss end-of-life questions in Lourdes with patients and elderly people, focusing on proximity rather than political debate. The visit also highlights France's growing adult baptism numbers, over 13,000 at Easter, many under 40 and often converted after illness or death.

A youth vigil at Stade de France and a meeting in Paris with catechumens and newly baptized individuals are scheduled. A vespers service will take place in the restored Notre-Dame Cathedral with clergy. The Pope must show how aging congregations can welcome people without Christian background and answer questions not covered by current catechism. Lourdes serves as the trip's core, where the Pope will stay from the evening of 25 September to early morning of 28 September. He will meet bishops, care for the sick and hold a private meeting with abuse victims. The hope from new baptisms does not erase past wounds but supports church credibility.

At UNESCO, a 75-year agreement on Holy See relations will be signed, linking life to education, art and artificial intelligence through the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. The final stop in Metz, a region with a complex Franco-German history, includes an interfaith meeting and remarks on Europe's roots, peace and unity. The Pope chooses this border region to remind Europeans of the wars that shaped their union. The Vatican released the program through the Catholic News Agency in its own translation.