The Vatican announced that Pope Leon XIV, elected in May 2025, will travel to Paris to visit UNESCO headquarters, followed by a pilgrimage to Lourdes. This marks the first papal state visit to France since Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

The visit follows his June trip to Spain, reflecting his focus on reconnecting with Europe’s Catholic heritage. Unlike Pope Francis’s visits to Strasbourg, Marseille, and Corsica, which were pastoral, Leon’s trip is an official state visit.

French Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline and President Emmanuel Macron extended invitations earlier this year. Aveline noted the Pope’s appreciation for France’s spiritual history, emphasizing his fluency in French.

Lourdes, a major Catholic pilgrimage site, previously welcomed Popes John Paul II (1983, 2004) and Benedict XVI (2008), drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. Organizers expect similar crowds during Leon’s visit.

The Vatican framed the trip as both spiritual and diplomatic, aiming to reaffirm the Church’s presence in Europe and promote peace, echoing Leon’s frequent calls for ending wars worldwide.