Pope Leo is set to visit France from 25 to 28 September, with a stop at UNESCO headquarters in Paris expected to form a significant part of the trip.
The Vatican confirmed the visit on Saturday (16 May), marking another high-profile international engagement for the pontiff during his first full year leading the Roman Catholic Church.
The visit comes at a difficult moment for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which has been dealing with financial pressure following the withdrawal of the United States from the agency last year.
According to UNESCO, the American departure removed roughly eight per cent of its overall budget.
Pope Leo’s appearance at UNESCO is likely to attract close attention, not only because of the organisation’s financial difficulties but also because of the wider political context surrounding relations between the Vatican and Washington.
The pope, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, has become increasingly outspoken on international affairs in recent months.
His recent comments on tensions involving Iran reportedly drew criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration withdrew from UNESCO after returning to the White House.
While the Vatican has not yet released a detailed schedule, the inclusion of UNESCO in the itinerary suggests the Holy See intends to underline the importance of international cultural and educational cooperation at a time when the agency faces uncertainty over funding.
During his stay in Paris, Pope Leo is also expected to celebrate Mass at Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of France’s most recognisable religious landmarks.
The cathedral reopened in 2024 after years of restoration work following the devastating fire of April 2019, which destroyed large sections of the roof and threatened the structure’s survival. The rebuilding project drew worldwide attention and became a major national effort in France.
Notre-Dame has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1991, further linking the cathedral to the pope’s planned visit to the organisation’s headquarters.
Earlier this month, French bishops indicated that Pope Leo was likely to travel to both Paris and Lourdes during the September visit.
Lourdes remains one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage destinations in the world, known for the Marian apparitions reported there in the nineteenth century.
At the time, however, church officials had not mentioned UNESCO as part of the programme.
The Vatican said a fuller schedule for the trip would be published at a later date.
Pope Leo is also expected to meet French President Emmanuel Macron during the visit. Reports in France have additionally suggested the pope could address members of the French parliament, although this has not yet been officially confirmed.
If the parliamentary appearance goes ahead, it would place Pope Leo in direct dialogue with French political leaders at a time when debates over secularism, migration and social cohesion remain prominent within the country.
The France trip will mark Pope Leo’s fourth foreign visit outside Italy this year. Earlier visits included a four-country tour of Africa and a visit to Monaco. He is also due to travel to Spain in June, where migration issues are expected to feature heavily in discussions.
Since becoming pope, Leo has steadily expanded his international profile and public engagements. He marked the first anniversary of his papacy on 8 May.
Born Cardinal Robert Prevost before his election, Pope Leo also has ancestral ties to France through members of his family who emigrated to the United States.
The upcoming journey will mark the first official papal visit to France since Pope Benedict XVI travelled there in 2008.
Pope Francis, who died in April 2025 after leading the Church for twelve years, visited French territories on several occasions but never carried out a formal state visit to France itself.
His trips included a visit to Strasbourg in 2014, where he addressed the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, a visit to Marseille in 2023 for a conference on Mediterranean issues, and a visit to Corsica in 2024.
Pope Leo’s September trip is therefore expected to carry both diplomatic and religious significance, particularly as France continues to balance its strong secular traditions with its longstanding Catholic heritage.
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