“Five stages in four days. » From September 25 to 28, Pope Leo XIV will visit France, the first of his pontificate. During these four days, he will visit UNESCO, Paris, Lourdes and Metz under the chosen motto: “So that the world has life. » Of life, the Holy Father will see some in view of the crowds who will come to see him and the very busy program which was unveiled this Tuesday. 20 Minutes sums it all up for you.
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Pope Leo XIV will not be idle during his 4 days in France. After an arrival scheduled for 10 a.m. at Paris-Orly airport on Friday September 25, he will meet Emmanuel Macron. After a visit to UNESCO headquarters (7th arrondissement of Paris), the Pope will head to Notre-Dame de Paris to celebrate vespers with religious representatives from all over France. It is on the way, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., that he will “wander” in his popemobile in the heart of Paris on a 2.5 kilometer route, from Boulevard Montparnasse to Place Saint-Michel. After that, he will end his day at the Stade de France for a prayer vigil with 80,000 young people.
On Saturday September 26, after visits to the Maison Bakhita and the Catholic Institute of Paris, he will go to Place de la Concorde at 3 p.m. to celebrate the high mass open to the public gathered on the square and the Champs-Elysées. He will then go directly to Paris-Orly to fly towards Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées airport, with the aim of praying at the Grotto of the Apparitions of Massabielle at the Notre-Dame de Lourdes sanctuary at 7:40 p.m.
Leo The same evening, at 9 p.m., he will participate in the prayer of the Rosary and the torchlight procession on the same meadow. These events are open to the general public.
On Monday morning, head to Metz for the Holy Father, for meetings at the Robert Schumann Center in the morning, before a stroll through the streets of Metz to Saint-Étienne Cathedral at 2:30 p.m., followed by a mass, the last stop before his return to Rome and the Vatican.
A “stolen” trip to Peru
It is at the invitation of the President of the Republic, the ecclesiastical authorities of France and the Director General of UNESCO that Pope Leo XIV is coming to spend these few days. A coming that could never have happened, according to a confidence from Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille and president of the Conference of Bishops of France.
While the latter insisted on the organization of a trip to France in 2026 (2027 was too complicated due to the presidential election), no available slot emerged except “possibly” at the end of September, when the pope was to go to Peru. A trip that he was perhaps considering canceling. It was no less necessary for the cardinal to force things to ensure this cancellation, and the arrival of the sovereign pontiff in France.
The million! The million! The million!
It is difficult to know how many people the Pope will move during these four days. In addition to the 80,000 young people who will be present at the Stade de France, 50,000 people are expected on Saturday afternoon in Lourdes, 25,000 for the procession and nearly 150,000 on Sunday morning for the open-air mass. In Metz, 100,000 people are expected.
During the various strolls, the sovereign pontiff is expected to attract nearly 200,000 people to Paris. The highlight of these few days will be the mass from the Place de la Concorde, according to General Hervé Wattecamps, appointed to organize the logistics of the Holy Father's visit to Paris. Between 500,000 and 600,000 people have already registered to attend the ceremony from the Champs-Elysées. “We receive 8,000 registrations per day for mass at Place de la Concorde,” the general said on Tuesday. Will we exceed a million? The general is already preparing to develop the Avenue de la Grande Armée (an extension of the Champs-Elysées) to welcome the latest arrivals.
“Popezones” planned?
With such crowds everywhere the Pope will travel, not everyone will be able to be in the front row, even if the organizers' objective is that “everyone can see the Pope “in real”” whether in Paris, Lourdes or Metz. The organizers are therefore considering “popezones”, based on the model of fanzones during sporting events, so that the faithful can follow the celebrations on giant screens. We will find them in Paris but also in Lourdes and in front of Metz Cathedral, whose famous stained glass windows will not allow those outside to see the Pope, even from afar.
A journey aimed at novices and the most vulnerable
In France, Pope Leo XIV will meet certain audiences in particular. At the Stade de France for example, the emphasis was placed on young people, neophytes (beginners in religion) and catechumens (adults wishing to be baptized).
The sovereign pontiff will also meet, in more intimate settings, “vulnerable” people. At Maison Bakhita, he will meet the public hosted by the association which helps people in exile. In Lourdes, at his request, he will have a moment with seven people selected by the conference of bishops of France. All of them have in common that they have been victims of sexual violence linked to the Church.
A colossal budget
Such an organization necessarily entails staggering costs. Initially, a budget of 10 million euros was mentioned. An estimate quickly rose to 12, then 15 then 20, finally stopping at 27 million euros, according to the organizers, including 20 million just for a day and a half in Paris. According to the organizers, 5.5 million euros have already been collected from individuals.
The City of Paris and the State should also participate “in kind” through their logistical means (via the movement of street furniture for example).
