Pope Leo of the Vatican begins his first papal visit to France

Vatican Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to begin a four-day visit to France on Friday, with his agenda starting with talks with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

This marks Leo’s first papal trip to France since his election last year to lead the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.

In the evening, Leo is expected to celebrate Mass at the Stade de France, the country’s national stadium, where approximately 80,000 attendees are expected.

The Pope will then travel to Lourdes in southwestern France and Metz, near the German border, where he plans to deliver a speech focused on Europe.