Pope Leo XIV travels to France

Pope Leo XIV will travel to France from September 25 to 28 for his fifth international apostolic trip. Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, announced the schedule, which includes a vigil with young people at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on September 25.

During the four-day visit, the Pope will meet with people in Paris to discuss topics such as art, education, the environment, and artificial intelligence at UNESCO. Bruni noted that the trip comes as France experiences a growing Catholic community, citing the 13,000 catechumens who received baptism during the last Easter.

The visit will address the challenges of secularization and the role of the Church in education, given the high number of Catholic schools in the country. The Pope is also expected to deliver a message for the European continent from Paris.