Pope Leo XIV heads to France Friday for a four-day state visit, the Vatican’s first there in 18 years. His agenda includes an expected call to regulate AI, an event with 80,000 young believers, a meeting with seven abuse victims and expected remarks on peace in Europe.
At UNESCO, Leo’s Friday address is expected to focus on regulating AI; Holy See representative Monsignor Roberto Campisi said human dignity, peace, education and responsibility around new technologies are likely to feature. Leo is also set to be the first pope to inspect Notre Dame’s renovations after the 2019 fire. About one million people are expected at Paris events during the trip’s first two days.
Seven months before elections to replace President Emmanuel Macron, with the far right eyeing power, Leo is also expected to address migration. A 2021 inquiry found that clergy or lay members of the Church had abused about 330,000 people when they were minors in France over 70 years. A survey last year found about 5% of France’s 69 million residents regularly attend Catholic church, while adult baptisms have been rising.
