Overview
- The Vatican press office, which confirmed the trip Saturday, said Leo XIV accepted invitations from France’s government, church leaders and UNESCO.
- The schedule includes a visit to UNESCO’s Paris headquarters, making him only the second pope to go there after John Paul II in 1980.
- A stop at the Sanctuary of Lourdes is expected, according to French bishops’ president Cardinal Jean‑Marc Aveline.
- President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the plan, calling the visit an honor for France and a moment of hope.
- The journey will be the pope’s fifth abroad since his 2025 election, following trips to Turkey, Lebanon, Monaco and several African countries, with Spain set for June.