The two have met now twice since Leo's election, but in the interim, France has approved a euthanasia and assisted suicide measure.
Having only just set foot on French soil for the first time during his pontificate, on 25 September 2026, Leo XIV travelled to the Élysée Palace to meet the country’s political representatives. The visit began with a closed-door meeting with the president, which lasted around 50 minutes. The topics discussed during this second meeting – following the one held last April at the Vatican – have not yet been officially reported.
After landing at Paris-Orly at around 10.00 am, the Pope travelled in a motorcade to the Élysée Palace, where he was greeted on his arrival in the capital by dozens of people gathered on the pavements to welcome him. The main avenues had been closed to traffic as he was passing through, as part of the security arrangements.
In the courtyard of the 18th-century palace, which he entered at 11:19 am, Pope Leo XIV was met on the red carpet by President Emmanuel Macron, who had also welcomed him at the airport. The two men, who had spoken briefly in a lounge at Orly, spoke again in private, this time at length, for around 50 minutes.
During this visit, the Pope presented the President with an original etching created in 1765 by the Italian engraver Giuseppe Vasi, depicting 18th-century papal Rome. It depicts the Leonine City, with the dome of St Peter’s Basilica, the bridge and Castel Sant’Angelo, as the area appeared before the urban redevelopment of the 20th century.
A first private meeting between Leo XIV and Macron took place at the Vatican on April 10, eleven months after the election of the pope. According to a statement from the Holy See, the French president’s visit to Rome had provided an opportunity to discuss “conflict situations around the world” and to share a common commitment to encouraging dialogue and negotiation.
In between their two meetings, France has approved an assisted suicide legislation, which happened in July this year.
The Holy Father's first address in France was to lawmakers and the diplomatic corps. See report here.
