Pope Leo XIV visits Metz to deliver European peace address and conclude French tour

A symbolic European finale

Pope Leo XIV will conclude his four-day apostolic journey to France on Monday, September 28, with an official visit to Metz in the Moselle department. Following weekend stops in Paris and Lourdes, the American pontiff selected the north-eastern city to emphasize European cooperation and peace. Metz, contested between France and Germany across both World Wars, is the resting place of Robert Schuman (1886–1963), the former French foreign minister and Catholic statesman who proposed the European Coal and Steel Community on May 9, 1950. Pope Francis declared Schuman venerable in 2021 as part of an ongoing beatification process.

Former Vatican correspondent Sébastien Maillard noted the historical weight behind the pontiff's destination.

It is the somewhat martyr city of Europe's wars, both the First and Second World Wars. It is this symbol of a city that was able to overcome these wounds, that bears the scars of history, but that healed them through European construction.

Schedule and diplomatic meetings

The pontiff will land at Metz-Nancy-Lorraine airport at 09:20. At 10:00, he will deliver a speech during an interreligious gathering, followed by an address on peace and Europe's Christian roots at the Robert Schuman Congress Centre. French President Emmanuel Macron will introduce the papal address before an audience that includes invited European leaders. While the Élysée extended invitations to the heads of state and government of all 26 other European Union member countries, only a few have confirmed their attendance in Metz.

The afternoon programme will include a procession in the popemobile through city streets, followed by a mass for peace at Saint-Étienne Cathedral at 16:00 and an airport farewell ceremony.

Presidential attendance and Concordat status

Macron adjusted his schedule to attend the final mass at Saint-Étienne Cathedral alongside the pontiff. The French presidency had previously stated that the head of state would not participate in liturgical events during the apostolic journey. An aide to Macron cited a positive bilateral discussion held on Friday covering European policy, peace efforts, Lebanon, and artificial intelligence, explaining that the pope expressed a desire to continue their dialogue.

The visit also draws attention to the unique legal framework in Moselle. Under the local Concordat regime preserved since the liberation of France, Moselle and Alsace remain exempt from the 1905 law on the separation of church and state, maintaining state recognition and public funding for recognized religious communities.

Broader messages of the French tour

The stop in Metz concludes a French tour where the pope addressed several contentious social and ethical matters. In Paris and Lourdes, Leo XIV issued appeals regarding migrant dignity and called for governance over artificial intelligence to prevent the emergence of an unchecked machine society.

During a two-hour private meeting with seven abuse survivors in Lourdes on Sunday, the pope acknowledged the systemic character of clerical sexual abuse. The meeting followed a French independent inquiry that estimated 330,000 minor victims within the Church since 1950. Additionally, the pontiff reaffirmed Catholic opposition to euthanasia, following France's passage of assisted dying legislation two months prior.