Pope Leo XIV to visit Paris and Lourdes amid security mobilisation and victim meeting plans

Paris itinerary and public gatherings

Pope Leo XIV will begin his visit to France on 25 September 2026, featuring public appearances, official meetings, and large-scale liturgies in Paris before travelling to Lourdes. After stops at the Élysée Palace and UNESCO headquarters, the pontiff will travel through Paris in the popemobile starting around 16:00 from the church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs. The route will follow Boulevard du Montparnasse and Boulevard Saint-Michel to Place Saint-Michel, animated by musical groups every 100 metres, before an off-camera transfer to the parvis of Notre-Dame Cathedral. On Friday evening, 80,000 people will gather at the Stade de France for a prayer vigil. On Saturday, 26 September, the pope will celebrate an open-air mass on the Concorde-Champs-Élysées axis, where French authorities expect 500,000 attendees.

Security operation across the capital

French authorities will deploy 15,000 police officers, gendarmes, and military personnel from Operation Sentinelle at the peak of the visit on Friday and Saturday. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that roughly 14,000 security personnel will operate in Paris alone to manage crowds across 23 designated access points with mandatory checkpoints. A protective perimeter of officers on foot will surround the popemobile during its movement along public boulevards to monitor crowd movements directly. The Ministry of the Interior confirmed that no specific security threat has been identified ahead of the visit.

Pilgrimage to Lourdes

Following the Paris mass on 26 September, Pope Leo XIV will fly to Lourdes, marking the first papal visit to the Marian sanctuary in 18 years. An initial gathering of 50,000 registered pilgrims will welcome him on Saturday evening as he visits the Grotto of Massabielle to drink the spring water and pray. On Sunday, 27 September, the sanctuary will open its gates at 05:00 to accommodate 150,000 worshippers for an outdoor mass scheduled at 11:00 on the meadow facing the grotto. Local authorities expect 250,000 visitors across the two days in Lourdes, where the afternoon schedule also includes visits with sick and impoverished pilgrims at the Accueil Notre-Dame.

Abuse victim meetings and collective exclusion

During his Sunday afternoon in Lourdes, Pope Leo XIV will meet privately with seven victims of clerical sexual abuse. The Bishops' Conference of France stated that the restricted format reflects the pontiff's preference for direct personal exchanges rather than formal delegations. The decision excludes institutional survivor associations, including the Bétharram collective representing nearly 200 victims connected to an institution where over 250 complaints were filed for abuse spanning 1950 to the early 2000s. One individual victim from Bétharram will participate in the seven-person session after receiving a briefing in Paris. Alain Esquerre, spokesperson for the Bétharram collective, criticized the exclusion of organised groups.

We wanted a collective approach to speak on behalf of all victims and obtain two things from the pope: to bear witness to the Church's shame, and above all, to propose an action plan.

Philippe Chemineau, president of the Lasallian victims' association MVR, questioned the selection criteria for the meeting.

It is totally opaque, we do not know at all how people are selected or how it will take place.

The Bishops' Conference of France and the Conference of Religious of France have invited victims who were not selected among the 40 requests received to submit written statements, which officials will compile into a book for the pope.