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.
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was reportedly attacked near...
The United Nations' top human rights official has called for independent investigations into deaths in U.S. immigration detention facilities, citing a...
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead a...
An aircraft roughly the size of a car crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper on Friday evening, triggering a major emergency response and a heavy p...
Montenegrin police, working alongside the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, have arrested an Iranian national accused of carrying out a ...
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was reportedly attacked near Oman, with two U.S. officials accusing Iran of the attack.
The United Nations' top human rights official has called for independent investigations into deaths in U.S. immigration detention facilities, citing a rise in fatalities among people held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
An aircraft roughly the size of a car crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper on Friday evening, triggering a major emergency response and a heavy police presence as authorities sealed off the area and gave no immediate explanation for the incident.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Japan's northeast coast on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued, no injuries were immediately reported and no irregularities were found at nuclear facilities, the authorities said.
As Western Europe battles a deadly heatwave that has shattered temperature records, disrupted transport and power supplies, and forced the closure of schools and cultural landmarks, attention is turning to whether El Niño is playing a role in the extreme conditions.
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as the top U.S. diplomat tours the Middle East to win over allies sceptical about a proposed deal.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress formally authorised military action.
The Kremlin has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming Moscow is pressuring Belarus to support an expanded Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
The United Nations' top human rights official has called for independent investigations into deaths in U.S. immigration detention facilities, citing a rise in fatalities among people held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
An aircraft roughly the size of a car crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper on Friday evening, triggering a major emergency response and a heavy police presence as authorities sealed off the area and gave no immediate explanation for the incident.
Montenegrin police, working alongside the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, have arrested an Iranian national accused of carrying out a series of cyberattacks that allegedly caused an estimated $3.4 billion in damage to U.S. infrastructure.
South Korea is set to dramatically expand its unmanned warfare capabilities, with plans to integrate drones across all branches of its military as tensions with North Korea continue to shape the country's defence strategy.
Fertiliser shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have begun to recover following an interim U.S.–Iran agreement aimed at stabilising the waterway after months of disruption during conflict, industry data shows.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment