Pope Leo XIV concludes France visit in Metz, honoring EU founding father Schuman
Pope Leo XIV wrapped up his trip to France with a stop in Metz, paying tribute to European integration pioneer Robert Schuman and meeting several European leaders. His visit drew hundreds of thousands of worshippers across the country.
Pope Leo XIV brought his visit to France to a close in Metz, a city long marked by shifting borders and conflict in Europe's history. He deliberately chose the location to honor Robert Schuman, the French Catholic statesman who became one of the architects of European integration in the aftermath of the Second World War.
At an event titled "At the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity," the pontiff met with several senior European figures. Confirmed attendees included Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, and former European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who had initially planned to attend only the pope's morning address, rearranged his schedule to also join the Mass at Saint-Étienne Cathedral and the official farewell ceremony at the airport. Crowds gathered outside the cathedral hours before the service began, with banners and rosaries visible among the faithful, while families welcomed the pope in an atmosphere combining festivity with devotion.
Large crowds throughout the trip
The Metz stop capped a journey that had already drawn substantial crowds elsewhere in France. According to the Vatican, roughly 800,000 people attended the pope's outdoor Mass in Paris, while tens of thousands took part in Lourdes' well-known candlelit procession.
Pope Leo XIV's departure from France followed a farewell ceremony with Macron at Metz-Nancy-Lorraine airport.
