Pope Leo XIV Arrives at Elysee Palace, Welcomed by Macron, at Start of Four-Day France Visit

Pope Leo XIV arrived in France and was received at the Elysee Palace by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, at the start of a four-day visit that France 24 described as eagerly awaited by the country's Catholic faithful.

The pope has said he intends to use the trip to "proclaim peace," according to France 24's reporting, though the outlet's initial coverage of the arrival did not detail the full itinerary for the remaining days of the visit.

The visit marks a notable moment for Pope Leo XIV, whose foreign travel as pontiff has been closely watched since his elevation to the papacy. Papal visits to France carry particular symbolic weight given the country's historic ties to Catholicism alongside its strong constitutional tradition of secularism, a tension that has periodically featured in public commentary around such visits.

France is home to one of Europe's larger Catholic populations, and the country's most prominent pilgrimage sites, including Lourdes, draw millions of visitors annually. Previous papal visits to France have similarly drawn significant public and media attention.

At the Elysee, Macron used the occasion to speak about the compatibility of French secularism with religious life, telling the pope that laicite is not a rejection of religion, according to France 24's separate coverage of the reception remarks.

Further details of the pope's schedule over the remaining days of the visit, including any planned public masses or meetings with French Catholic leadership, were not specified in the available reporting.