Pope Leo XIV has commenced a four-day visit to France, his first formal papal visit to the country since 2008. The visit arrives at a significant moment for French Catholicism, as the nation has experienced a notable increase in adult baptisms this year, with over 21,000 people joining the Church, particularly amongst young adults aged 18 to 25. The trip is themed "That the world may have life" and comes amidst substantial public interest, though it also follows France's recent legislation on abortion rights and end-of-life medical care, areas on which the Pope has taken strong positions.

The Pope is scheduled to deliver 15 speeches during his visit, addressing themes including artificial intelligence regulation, immigration, human dignity, and Church reform. A significant symbolic gesture involves Pope Leo meeting privately with seven victims of clergy abuse in Lourdes, an acknowledged attempt to address the Church's credibility damage following a 2021 report documenting abuse of approximately 330,000 French children over seven decades. Major scheduled events include a Mass at Paris's Place de la Concorde expected to draw up to 1 million people, a visit to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, a speech at UNESCO headquarters on AI and human meaning, and a prayer service at the newly-restored Notre-Dame Cathedral.