ZENIT News / Rome, 08.07.2026).- On Friday, August 7, the Holy See released the initial details of Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Journey to France, scheduled for September 25-28, 2026. The visit’s logo, inspired by a Cathedral stained-glass window and featuring the dove of the Holy Spirit and an olive branch, bears the motto «That the World May Have Life» (John 6:51), placing the journey under the signs of hope, communion, and peace.
Friday, September 25: Paris and Saint-Denis
Pope Leo XIV will depart from Rome for Paris at 7:50 a.m., with his arrival at Orly Airport scheduled for 10:00 a.m.
Following the welcome ceremony, he will head to the Élysée Palace to meet with the President of the Republic and, subsequently, with government officials, representatives of civil society, and the Diplomatic Corps.
At 3:00 p.m., the Holy Father will visit the UNESCO headquarters.
In the afternoon, he will celebrate Vespers with Bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, and seminarians at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Paris.
The day will conclude in Saint-Denis with a Prayer Vigil alongside young people at the Stade de France at 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 26: Paris and Lourdes
In Paris, the Pope will visit the Bakhita House, a support and social integration center, at 9:00 a.m. Afterward, he will meet with Members of the Assembly. He will preside over Mass at 3:00 p.m. in the Place de la Concorde.
The Holy Father will then travel to Lourdes, where he will continue his visit with a prayer at the Grotto of the Apparitions of Massabielle, within the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, at 7:40 p.m.
Sunday, September 27: At the Shrine of Lourdes
The day will begin with a meeting with the Bishops of the French Episcopal Conference at 9:00 a.m. in the Sainte-Bernadette Hall at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.
At 11:00 a.m., the Pope will celebrate Mass on the Shrine’s meadow, followed by the Angelus. In the afternoon, he will meet with the staff and residents of the Accueil Notre-Dame.
Subsequently, he will hold a private meeting with the contemplative nuns of the Carmelite convent in Lourdes.
At 9:00 p.m., the Pope will participate in the recitation of the Holy Rosary and the torchlight procession at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Monday, September 28: Metz, «At the Roots of Europe»
The Holy Father will depart from Lourdes at 7:40 a.m. bound for Metz, arriving at 9:20 a.m.
His schedule includes an interfaith gathering at the Robert Schuman Congress Center, followed at 11:00 a.m. by a meeting titled «At the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity.»
At 4:00 p.m., Leo XIV will celebrate Mass at Metz Cathedral.
After the farewell ceremony at Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport, he will depart France at 7:00 p.m. and arrive in Rome at 8:50 p.m. A private meeting with abuse victims.
During his upcoming Apostolic Journey to France, Pope Leo XIV will meet privately with several victims of abuse within the Church. These individuals will participate in the preparations for the meeting. The Holy See has indicated that further information will be released later.
Logo and Motto of the Holy Father’s Visit to France
Monday, September 28: Metz, «At the Roots of Europe»
The Holy Father will depart from Lourdes at 7:40 a.m. bound for Metz, arriving at 9:20 a.m.
His schedule includes an interfaith gathering at the Robert Schuman Congress Center, followed at 11:00 a.m. by a meeting titled «At the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity.»
At 4:00 p.m., Leo XIV will celebrate Mass at Metz Cathedral.
After the farewell ceremony at Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport, he will depart France at 7:00 p.m. and arrive in Rome at 8:50 p.m. A private meeting with abuse victims.
During his upcoming apostolic journey to France, Pope Leo XIV will meet privately with several victims of abuse within the Church. These individuals will participate in the preparations for the meeting. The Holy See has indicated that further information will be released later.
Logo and Motto of the Holy Father’s Visit to France
The logo for the Holy Father’s visit to France depicts a circular stained-glass window evoking the rose windows of Gothic Cathedrals, symbolizing the beauty of communion and the unity of the Church. At its center, the pointed arch and the cross express the apostolic and liturgical dimensions of the journey. The dove hovering at the heart of the composition evokes the Holy Spirit and bears an olive branch, a symbol of peace for all humanity. Shades of blue, white, and red, along with the yellow-orange of light and the green of hope, interweave the colors of France with those of the Vatican, highlighting the spiritual dimension of the visit.
The chosen motto, «So That the World May Have Life» (cf. John 6:51), is an invitation to recognize the greatest gift Christ the Savior has given us. It is also a call to hope and communion, encouraging us to overcome divisions in order to share peace, reconciliation, and fraternity — signs of new life in the world. These words of Jesus also express the attitude with which the Church in France welcomes the Holy Father’s visit: with joy, openness, and an intense desire to bear witness to the fullness of life that comes from God.
For more information: Website of the French Episcopal Conference.
Publicaciones relacionadas:
This is what Pope Leo XIV’s tour of Italy will look like: these are the seven different cities he will visit in four months
The Pope is met with an attack in Algeria; in Cameroon, he is greeted by an announcement of a ceasefire amid the civil war
Dates and Locations Announced for Mass Events with Pope Leo XIV in Spain
French bishops announce the Pope’s visit for September 2026: here’s what we know
