Pope Leo XIV to visit France

Pope Leo XIV began an apostolic journey to France and UNESCO on Friday, September 25, 2026. The trip follows the motto "That the world may have life," which focuses on the value of human life, spiritual life, and human creativity.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, said in an interview with Vatican News that the visit aims to encourage a long-term process of thought and action involving both believers and non-believers. He noted that the trip provides an opportunity to rediscover life as a gift, particularly as Europe faces declining birth rates. Parolin also stated that the visit highlights a thirst for spiritual life, noting that France currently has a large number of young adult catechumens.

Regarding the trip's broader goals, Parolin expressed hope that the visit would promote the protection of life and the relaunch of multilateralism in Europe. He suggested that the journey to Paris could draw attention to human creative vitality within an increasingly technological and artificial world. He also emphasized the need for a diplomacy of encounter to move Europe away from the logic of force.