Pope Leo XIV meets Provincial Synodal Assembly in Paris

Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Provincial Synodal Assembly, catechumens, and newly baptized Catholics at the Institut Catholique de Paris on September 26, 2026. During the meeting, the Pope was presented with the Instrumentum Laboris for the provincial ecclesial assembly.

The gathering took place amid a surge in adult and youth conversions across France, where adult baptisms have more than tripled in the last 10 years. After hearing testimonies from a Neocatechumenal member, a new convert, and a catechumenate guide, the Pope expressed gratitude for the number of people returning to the faith in a secularized society. He advised that this growth must be supported by solid formation to avoid a post-baptismal void and ensure new believers are fully integrated into Church life.

Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris welcomed the Pope, who was also received by Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, president of the Bishops' Conference of France, and Emmanuel Petit, rector of the Institute. The meeting followed a moment of prayer with students, professors, and seminarians in the institute's church. Father Maximilien de la Martinière, secretary general of the synodal assembly, noted that the visit provides visibility to the work of the Archdiocese of Paris, which organized the assembly in response to the rise in conversions.