Pope Leo XIV is due to start a four-day visit to France on Friday, his first trip there since becoming pope. In Paris, he is scheduled to meet President Emmanuel Macron, visit UNESCO and celebrate Mass at the Stade de France, where around 80,000 people are expected.
After Paris, Leo plans to travel to Lourdes and Metz, where he is due to give a speech focused on Europe. In Lourdes, he also plans to meet a small group of survivors of abuse within the Church.
The visit comes amid tensions between the Vatican and France: the Catholic Church has criticized the constitutional enshrinement of the right to abortion and a law on active euthanasia. The Church also faces criticism over its handling of abuse cases. France has strictly separated church and state for more than a century, and Macron does not plan to attend any of the pope’s Masses.
