Pope Leo XIV to visit France in September

May 16 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV will travel to France in September, the Vatican announced Saturday.

The apostolic journey is scheduled for Sept. 25-28.

This will mark the first time a Pope has traveled to France on an official papal state visit since Pope Benedict XVI in 2008, when he went to Paris and Lourdes, the Vatican said.

On his visit, he plans to visit the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris. Other than UNESCO, no other itinerary was released.

French President Emmanuel Macron met on April 10, and Macron has made several visits to the Vatican during his tenure as president, meeting with Pope Francis.

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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 11:26 AM.