Pope Leo to visit France in September

 Pope Leo XIV is adding another trip to his already busy 2026 travel schedule, making a four-day visit to France at the end of September that also includes a visit to the UN culture agency.

The Vatican confirmed Saturday the September 25-28 trip, which will be Leo’s fourth foreign voyage of the year: Leo made a day trip to Monaco in March, visited four African nations in April and is due to visit Spain and the Canary Islands in June.

The late Pope Francis famously stayed away from the big European centres of Christianity during his 12-year pontificate, preferring instead to visit small Catholic communities far from Rome.

With the trip to France confirmed, Leo now appears to be paying more attention to the experience of European faithful, amid anecdotal reports of renewed interest in the faith among young adults.

The visit to the UNESCO headquarters will also give Leo the chance to speak to a global audience in a year in which he decided against travelling to his native United States.