Pope Leo XIV Heads To France As Catholic Teachings Clash With Secular Laws

Pope Leo XIV will visit France from September 25 to 28, confronting a deeply secular country where abortion rights and assisted dying have increasingly diverged from Catholic teaching on the protection of life. The four-day trip will take him to Paris, Saint-Denis, Lourdes and Metz, marking the first official papal state visit to Paris since 2008.

The French bishops have chosen “That the world may have life” as the official motto, signalling that human dignity and the protection of life will be central to Leo’s message. France amended its Constitution in 2024 to protect abortion access, while lawmakers in July gave final approval to legislation establishing a legal right to assisted dying for adults with incurable illnesses. French bishops have opposed the end-of-life law.

Catholic teaching holds that life should be protected from conception until natural death. Leo is expected to address those principles during his visit to Lourdes, one of Christianity’s most important pilgrimage sites and a destination strongly associated with healing.

Yet the visit comes amid signs of renewed public interest in Catholicism. More than 13,000 adults were baptised in France at Easter this year, with adult baptisms having more than tripled since 2016. At the same time, overall religious participation has declined sharply, with baptisms falling from about 513,000 in 1980 to 186,000 in 2024.

The scale of the papal visit has also surprised organisers. Around 600,000 people are expected for the September 26 Mass at Place de la Concorde, while an estimated 80,000 young people are expected at a prayer vigil at Stade de France. About 12,000 volunteers and 14,000 police and security personnel are involved in preparations.

Leo will also visit UNESCO in Paris to discuss artificial intelligence, education and culture. His latest remarks on AI have stressed systems that promote human dignity, peace and social cohesion.

In Metz, Leo will address European peace and meet other faith leaders against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and wider conflicts.

The pope is also scheduled to meet seven survivors of clergy sexual abuse. France’s Church has faced a major reckoning over historic abuse, while the Vatican continues to deal with allegations against priest and artist Marko Rupnik.

Leo’s meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron will add another layer to the visit. Macron has supported assisted-dying legislation, while the Vatican has sought to keep the papal trip focused on its pastoral and spiritual character.