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Gone quiet · last update Sep 30, 2026 / France

Pope Leo XIV's September 2026 trip to France

Overview · reviewed October 21, 2026

Pope Leo XIV, the first pope from the United States, made a four-day state visit to France from September 25 to 28, 2026, the first official papal visit to the country in 18 years.[1][2][3] An estimated 800,000 people attended his open-air Mass in Paris, about 200,000 more than had registered.[4] He met privately with seven survivors of clergy sexual abuse, condemned France's legalization of assisted dying, and closed in Metz by urging Europe to resist the "desire for domination" driving today's wars.[5][6][7]

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An estimated 800,000 people attended his open-air Mass in Paris, about 200,000 more than had registered.[4] He met privately with seven survivors of clergy sexual abuse, condemned France's legalization of assisted dying, and closed in Metz by urging Europe to resist the "desire for domination" driving today's wars.[5][6][7]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-09-14 (UTC): under 1%, 1 of 480 tracked outlets (0 left, 0 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 9%, 41 of 479 tracked outlets (12 left, 19 center, 10 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 5%, 22 of 476 tracked outlets (3 left, 15 center, 4 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 5 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (3 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Sep 28, 2026315422 of 4765%
Sep 21, 202612191041 of 4799%
Sep 14, 20260011 of 480under 1%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Sep 30, 2026 · first reported · Headline from America Magazine

    In France, Pope Leo emerged as the global voice for ‘right to life’ of the disabled and vulnerable

Background

The visit, his fifth trip abroad since he became pope in 2025, took him to Paris, the shrine at Lourdes and the border city of Metz.[1][2] It was a delicate one. France had enshrined abortion in its constitution in 2024 and given final approval to a law creating a right to assisted dying.[2][8] Its strict secularism, known as laïcité, made the visit a balancing act for the government.[9]

Read the full background (3 more paragraphs)

He opened the trip on September 25 by warning that a "paradise of machines" could undermine humanity, as he raised questions about artificial intelligence.[10] In Paris, he urged French Catholics to persevere "even amid the thorns" of a secular world.[11] Vatican estimates put the crowd that filled central Paris for his Mass at the Place de la Concorde at about 800,000.[4] He also urged the church to welcome a growing number of adult converts.[12]

At Lourdes, the shrine associated with miraculous cures, he turned to assisted dying and abuse. He called the legalization of medically assisted death "false compassion."[6] He met privately with victims of sexual abuse in the church,[3] a meeting closely watched by critics who say the church has not done enough to confront abuse.[5]

He ended the visit in Metz on September 28 with a call for peace. He urged religious leaders to preach it,[13] and urged Europe to draw on its tradition of dialogue to counter the "desire for domination" behind today's wars.[7]

Supporting stories (13)
  1. Pope to speak on EU integration from French border town of Metz
  2. Pope Leo XIV in France to find a secular country at odds with Catholic teaching on life
  3. Pope Leo in Lourdes: What to know about one of Catholicism’s most famous pilgrimage sites
  4. Pope Leo draws 800,000 people to central Paris for open-air Mass on iconic square
  5. Pope Leo XIV will meet with the French abuse survivors as critics demand action
  6. Pope blasts assisted dying as ‘false compassion’ at French shrine known for miraculous cures
  7. Pope Leo wraps up France trip by urging Europe to blunt 'desire for domination' driving today's wars
  8. Pope Leo XIV in France will find a secular country at odds with Catholic teaching on life
  9. How France is balancing its strict secularism with excitement for Pope Leo XIV's visit
  10. Pope warns a ‘paradise of machines’ could undermine humanity as he opens France trip
  11. Pope encourages Catholics in deeply secular France to persevere as Paris shuts down for huge Mass
  12. Pope Leo welcomes French converts and wades into liturgy debate
  13. Pope urges religious leaders in France to preach peace as he recalls foundations of European unity

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 20 recorded updates

September 2026

  1. In France, Pope Leo emerged as the global voice for ‘right to life’ of the disabled and vulnerableHeadline from America Magazine · 3 outlets
  2. Leo’s visit across France offers a more personal glimpse of the popeHeadline from KESQ Palm Springs · 8 outlets
  3. Pope Leo wraps up France trip by urging Europe to blunt 'desire for domination' driving today's warsHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 9 outlets
  4. Pope urges religious leaders in France to preach peace as he recalls foundations of European unityHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 3 outlets
  5. Hundreds of thousands cheer pope in ParisHeadline from Bismarck Tribune · 1 outlet
  6. Hundreds of thousands in Paris cheer Pope Leo in largest event of French tourHeadline from Billings Gazette · 1 outlet
  7. Pope Leo welcomes French converts and wades into liturgy debateHeadline from Religion News · 2 outlets
  8. Huge crowds cheer Pope Leo along Champs-Elysees ahead of Paris massHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 2 outlets
  9. Pope Leo XIV's outdoor Mass in Paris: the eye-popping numbersHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 1 outlet
  10. Pope encourages Catholics in deeply secular France to persevere as Paris shuts down for huge MassHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 5 outlets
  11. Pope blasts assisted dying as ‘false compassion’ at French shrine known for miraculous curesHeadline from Triblive · 20 outlets
  12. Pope warns a ‘paradise of machines’ could undermine humanity as he opens France tripHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 17 outlets
  13. Pope heads to secular France with an appeal to respect the dignity of every human lifeHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 4 outlets
  14. Pope Leo draws 800,000 people to central Paris for open-air Mass on iconic squareHeadline from KOB 4 · 26 outlets
  15. Pope Leo in Lourdes: What to know about one of Catholicism’s most famous pilgrimage sitesHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 4 outlets
  16. How France is balancing its strict secularism with excitement for Pope Leo XIV's visitHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 2 outlets
  17. Pope Leo XIV will meet with the French abuse survivors as critics demand actionHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 6 outlets
  18. Pope Leo XIV in France will find a secular country at odds with Catholic teaching on lifeHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 2 outlets
  19. Pope to speak on EU integration from French border town of MetzHeadline from France 24 · 18 outlets
  20. Pope Leo XIV in France to find a secular country at odds with Catholic teaching on lifeHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 6 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →