Pope Leo XIV's Paris visit forces Macron into delicate balancing act over secular principles

Pope Leo XIV has arrived in France for a four-day visit that is placing President Emmanuel Macron in a diplomatically delicate position, as the leader of one of the world's most rigorously secular republics is required to receive the head of the Catholic Church with full state honours. A welcoming ceremony was held on the tarmac at Paris Orly Airport in Macron's presence, marking the formal start of a programme that spans Paris, Lourdes and Metz.

The papal itinerary includes meetings with Macron and UNESCO, a popemobile procession through the capital, a prayer service at Notre-Dame cathedral, a youth vigil at the Stade de France and a mass at the Place de la Concorde expected to attract enormous crowds. Crucially, there will be no private meeting between the two leaders — attributed officially to the Pope's demanding schedule — as Macron seeks to honour France's strict tradition of the separation of church and state.

The visit has already stirred considerable religious enthusiasm among younger French people. Catholic influencers drew hundreds of young worshippers to an evening of prayer at the church of Saint-Sulpice ahead of the Pope's arrival, reflecting a broader trend of rising youth baptisms and the growing use of social media as a vehicle for evangelisation in the country.