Pope Leo XIV to Visit France with a Stop at UNESCO Headquarters - French President Macron Welcomes the Announcement "We are delighted"



After Spain, Pope Leo XIV's apostolic journey will once again be to a European country: France. On May 16, the Holy See Press Office announced: "Accepting the invitation of the head of state and the country's ecclesiastical authorities, and that of the Director General of UNESCO, the Holy Father Leo XIV will make an apostolic journey to France from September 25 to 28, 2026, and will visit the headquarters of that Organization," a statement read.
This will be Pope Leo's fifth international trip, following Turkey and Lebanon (November 27 - December 2, 2025), the Principality of Monaco (March 28), Africa (April 13 - 23), and Spain (June 6 - 12).

Bishops and the President



In a statement, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille and President of the French Episcopal Conference, expressed his joy at the Pope's visit: "In the conversations I have had with the Pope since his election, I immediately understood how interested he was in this trip," he said in a video statement released after the announcement. Leo XIV, he added, "is particularly interested in what the Church is experiencing in France, in its missionary dynamism, but also in the challenges it faces. Leo XIV's coming to France: it is a great joy, but also a great responsibility!"

In a post from his X account , French President Emmanuel Macron wrote: "We are delighted that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has confirmed his trip to France. This visit next September will be an honor for our country, a joy for Catholics and a great moment of hope for all."

Vatican-France Relations
The head of the Elysée and Pope Leo XIV met last April 10 for the first time since the election of the Pontiff.
 Pope Leo and French President Emmanuel Macron met on April 10 for the first time since the pontiff's election to the See of Peter. However, it was not the president's first papal audience. Since his election in 2017, President Macron has made several visits to the Vatican, where he was received in 2018, 2021, and 2022 by Pope Francis. The two men met again during private talks in Marseille in September 2023, at the Borgo Egnazia G7 summit in June 2024, and then in December 2024 in Ajaccio.

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