Pope Leo XIV’s four-day visit to France, beginning September 25, is more than a ceremonial papal journey. It brings the head of the Catholic Church into direct conversation with a country where questions of religion, secularism, technology, migration and individual rights are being debated intensely. His meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace therefore carries significance beyond protocol.
One of the most interesting aspects of the visit is the breadth of issues on the Pope’s agenda. At UNESCO in Paris, Leo is expected to address artificial intelligence and new technologies, while his itinerary also includes engagement on migration and Europe’s future. France’s recently enacted assisted-dying law creates another sensitive point of discussion, given the Catholic Church’s longstanding position on the protection of human life.
Yet perhaps the most consequential part of the journey will take place away from the grand diplomatic settings. Pope Leo is scheduled to meet survivors of clerical sexual abuse in Lourdes. A 2021 independent investigation estimated that around 330,000 minors were abused by clergy or others associated with the French Catholic Church between 1950 and 2020. The meeting offers an opportunity to listen, but survivor groups have also stressed the importance of accountability and deeper institutional reform.
The public dimension of the visit is equally striking. Nearly 600,000 people have registered for Saturday’s open-air Mass in Paris, demonstrating the scale of interest surrounding the Pope’s arrival.
papal diplomacy works differently from conventional state diplomacy. It relies on access, symbolism, moral authority and conversations that governments cannot always initiate alone. The real significance of Leo XIV’s France visit may therefore lie not simply in the ceremonies, but in whether these encounters create space for dialogue on difficult questions facing France, the Church and Europe.