Leone in France, at the heart of the European project and laïcité. Macron will not attend the Pope’s Mass

Leo XIV sets off for France on his fifth apostolic journey. This apostolic visit follows hot on the heels of the one to Spain: two countries that Francis had either barely touched upon or not visited at all, and this marks a clear change of pace for the American Pope, who is due to travel to South America in November but first wished to return to Old Europe, including what was once the ‘beloved daughter of the Church’. A wide-ranging challenge at the heart of secularism – French statistics show that less than 2 per cent of the population are regular churchgoers – which is making a forceful entry into politics, just a few months before the elections. And indeed, President Emmanuel Macron, who did accept the title of honorary protodeacon of St John Lateran, has decided not to attend any Mass: at the one in Place de la Concorde, where there will be at least 600,000 people – a figure entirely unexpected – Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and his wife Brigitte will be present. The criticism he had received when he attended Pope Francis’s Mass in Marseille in 2023 had been too harsh. Furthermore – and this is a thorny issue, and it remains to be seen how Leone will tackle it – in August, France passed the law on assisted suicide, which has been heavily criticised by the Church.

Eighteen years have passed since the last papal visit to Paris and Lourdes, when Benedict XVI visited in 2008 to mark the 150th anniversary of the apparitions at the Grotto of Massabielle. John Paul II had been to France seven times (eight if you count his 1989 stopover in La Réunion, a French overseas department); Francis has been there three times – to Strasbourg, Marseille and Corsica – but never on an official visit – as he clearly reiterated on the flight – and, therefore, never to the capital. Between the Élysée Palace, UNESCO, Notre-Dame and the Stade de France in the deprived suburb of Saint-Denis, Leone will, from the very first day, encounter ‘the French nation, its people, its history and its culture, with its ancient, deeply Christian roots that have found expression in society’, said Matteo Bruni, director of the Press Office, as reported by Vatican News. But Leo’s first twenty-four hours in Paris will also be an opportunity to experience first-hand the ‘faith’ of this country ‘with its history of passion for its most vulnerable and poorest children’ and also its ‘history of ties’ with the world, particularly the Christian Middle East. In this regard, the Pope’s 15 addresses (all in French, with the exception of those at UNESCO – where he will most likely speak about artificial intelligence, a central theme of his pontificate – and in Metz, which will be in English) will certainly include ‘a reference to situations of conflict’ as well as to the ‘solidarity’ that the nation has demonstrated over the centuries. Today’s France, in the words of the Vatican spokesperson, is a land “that asks questions about itself, about society, about humanity, about life”, as well as about the need to “find answers without delegating the task to science, technology, institutions and society”. The Church itself, he adds, is ‘a Church that questions itself’ and faces the challenges of secularisation. During the visit, there will also be an opportunity to discuss the ‘role’ of the Church in the field of education, given the large number of Catholic schools. One figure has emerged: over 13,000 catechumens were baptised last Easter. This points to a Catholic community described as ‘growing’.

As for the visit to Lourdes, Bruni explained that the message of ‘healing and support’ emanating from the town at the foot of the Pyrenees is highly relevant to our times. There, the Pope will meet with the bishops and also with a group of abuse victims, a private meeting for which no details have yet been provided. On the subject of abuse, a question was raised during the briefing regarding the case of Marko Rupnik, the former Jesuit accused of sexual and psychological abuse of adult women, whose trial is currently underway in the Vatican. His mosaics adorn the façade of the sanctuary in Lourdes. However, as is well known, the works are currently being completely covered following a decision by the local bishop, Jean-Marc Micas, as a mark of respect for the victims.

Then there is the Pope’s visit to Metz, a border town and the birthplace of Robert Schuman, the father of the project for ‘a Europe where unity and diversity coexist’. ‘Europe will be at the heart of the speech here,’ Bruni notes, as will the interfaith aspect, with an event featuring representatives of various faiths who will read out a joint appeal. Several prominent figures from the European institutions will take part in the ‘At the Roots of Europe’ event at the Robert Schuman Congress Centre in Metz. The door is open to possible private bilateral meetings with international leaders, although not all of them have confirmed their attendance at this stage. In any case, Bruni clarifies, the significance of the visit to Metz “does not lie solely in the presence of heads of state or other dignitaries”, but rather in the Pope’s address, which “is addressed to everyone” and “addresses issues affecting the entire continent”. The papal delegation includes Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education; French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura; and Cardinal George Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. Filippo Iannone, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, is present; the Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, is absent as he is attending the United Nations in New York.