Pope Leo XIV Leaves From Rome for France, and Rome Counts the Cost

Pope Leo XIV leaves Rome on September 25 for a four-day visit to France, the first official papal state visit there in 18 years, according to Le Monde. The paper reported that he will travel on a specially chartered plane carrying 80 journalists, under a highly codified ritual in which reporters who are practising Catholics sometimes step outside the press pool.

The Conversation, in an opinion piece, set out the agenda: an address to young people at the Stade de France, following John Paul II's 1980 appearance there, remarks on artificial intelligence, and a tribute to social Catholicism and the legacy of Robert Schuman, a founding figure of European and Christian democracy.

The Conversation also drew a distinction the Vatican itself observes: this is an apostolic journey rather than a state visit, though as head of state of Vatican City the pope will be received by President Emmanuel Macron and other French political leaders. The author noted that the timing, well before France's presidential campaign, may limit attempts to exploit the visit for the Catholic vote.

Le Monde reported that the trip is expected to draw one million visitors and lift hotel bookings from Paris to Metz, while noting that pilgrims tend to spend less than the concert audiences that followed Céline Dion's tour. That comparison matters to the French cities on the itinerary, which are pricing their expectations accordingly.

For Rome, the departure is an export of the city's central institution. The Vatican is an enclave within the capital, and papal travel is one of the few moments when the Holy See's diplomacy becomes visible as a state function rather than a religious one. The Conversation noted the pope's personal ties to France, including a paternal grandmother from Le Havre and a father who took part in the Normandy and Provence landings, and observed that he speaks French, one of the Vatican's official languages, unlike his predecessor.

The Conversation's author also framed the visit as a chance for the pope to speak on artificial intelligence, an area where the Holy See has sought a voice in international debate. Whether that produces anything beyond a moral framing is a question the coverage leaves open.

What the cited sources do not supply is detail on the Vatican's own preparations, the size of the Roman delegation, or any Italian government role in the trip. La Veduta will follow the visit as the foreign press reports it from Paris and from Rome.