Pope Leo Calls for European Unity on Final Day of France Visit
Pope Leo XIV is concluding his four-day France visit with a major address in Metz on Europe's future, near the Schengen tri-border point. French President Emmanuel Macron, who last-minute reshuffled his schedule, is expected to attend.
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Metz on Monday, 28 September, for the final events of his four-day visit to France. The city was chosen for its Robert Schuman Centre, honoring the former French foreign minister regarded as one of the founding figures of what became the European Union. Schuman's 1950 declaration launched the European Coal and Steel Community, and Pope Francis advanced his beatification process in 2021.
Before his main speech on Europe's role in the world, Leo took part in an interfaith gathering. He is expected to address European history, the need for peace in Ukraine, and warn against rising nationalism. French President Emmanuel Macron had invited representatives from all EU member states, though it remained unclear how many would actually attend. Expected guests include former European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden.
Macron, who skipped Saturday's Paris mass citing France's principle of state secularism, is now planning to attend Monday's final mass in Metz and the official farewell ceremony at the airport. French media report the change stems from his wish to continue a conversation begun with the pope on Friday, covering artificial intelligence, Europe, peace and Lebanon.
Earlier in the trip, hundreds of thousands of people turned out to see the pope across France. An estimated 700,000 attended Saturday's open-air mass in Paris, while on Sunday in Lourdes the pope privately met seven survivors of child sexual abuse by French clergy, calling on the Catholic Church to heal its 'deep wounds'.
