French President Emmanuel Macron to Be Received in Audience by Leo XIV

Anne Van Merris

(ZENIT News / Rome, 04.04. 2026).- On the morning of Friday, April 10, 2026, Pope Leo XIV will grant a private audience to French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, who will arrive in Rome on Thursday, April 9. The meeting will take place at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, where the Pope has been residing for the past few weeks.

This will be the first official meeting between the two Heads of State. Emmanuel Macron is familiar with the Vatican, having visited it several times to meet with Pope Francis, notably in 2018, 2021, and October 2022. However, their last meeting did not take place in Rome, but in Ajaccio in December 2024, during the Pope’s Apostolic Journey to Corsica.

Next Friday, the talks will focus primarily on bilateral issues between France and the Holy See, as well as on major current international challenges. «It will be an opportunity, in particular, to recognize the essential role of the Holy See and the Holy Father’s personal commitment to peace, dialogue, and solidarity among peoples, as well as to demonstrate France’s willingness to work together with the Holy See in this regard,» the Élysée Palace announced.

During their stay in the Italian capital, the President of the French Republic and his wife will also meet with members of Sant’Egidio, an International Catholic Community that acts as an informal diplomatic channel for the Holy See.