Here’s what Pope Leo will do in France in September

“From the beginning of his pontificate, I invited Pope Leo XIV to visit us. He wasn't hard to convince,” says Cardinal Aveline, the archbishop of Marseille. In coordination with the apostolic nuncio (the pope’s ambassador) to France, Cardinal Aveline unveiled the schedule for the days the Pope will spend in the country this September.

The Pontiff will first travel to Paris. There, he will celebrate solemn Vespers in Notre Dame Cathedral on September 25. “Priests, deacons and their wives, consecrated persons, religious men and women, and seminarians from all over France” are invited to the event. In the evening, the Pope will participate in a large prayer vigil with French young people at a location yet to be determined.

The following day, September 26, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate a solemn outdoor Mass in Paris “in the early afternoon.” In addition to these events in the capital, he will visit the UNESCO headquarters, a stop which the Holy See had already confirmed when formalizing the trip.

Other still-unconfirmed stops may also take place. According to sources consulted by I.MEDIA, the Pontiff is likely to visit the Élysée Palace, the Catholic University of Paris, and the Jeanne Garnier palliative care home.

According to I.MEDIA's information, the Pope is expected to leave Paris on the evening of September 26 to travel to Lourdes. Cardinal Aveline notes that the 267th Successor of Peter will celebrate Mass on the early afternoon of September 27 in the Marian city, “on the meadow facing the Grotto.”

The final leg of this apostolic journey will be in eastern France, in Metz. Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to celebrate Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral on the afternoon of September 28. The bishops of COMECE (the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union) revealed on May 21 that the final day of the Pope's trip to France would be dedicated to “peace and Europe.”

Contacted by I.MEDIA, the Holy See Press Office did not comment on the announcement. However, there is a precedent for the country announcing details of a papal visit before the Vatican itself. The bishops of Spain also anticipated the official announcement for organizational reasons. The Vatican will release the complete and official schedule at a later date.