This level of public interest lends another dimension to the debate over religion’s place in French public life. The pope’s visit is officially described as an “apostolic journey”, not a state visit. It was organized following invitations from the French bishops, the president of the Republic and the director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
An Apostolic Journey, Not a State Visit
It is precisely this distinction that has been at the heart of discussions between Paris and Rome.
According to information revealed by La Croix and since reported by several media outlets, the Élysée had considered giving the trip a more ceremonial character. Emmanuel Macron wanted to personally accompany the pope to Notre-Dame to show him the restoration work on the cathedral, which was reconstructed after the 2019 fire and reopened to the public in December 2024.
In the end, the proposal was not adopted. Pope Leo XIV will visit Notre-Dame, but to celebrate Vespers there with the bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons and seminarians of France. He will therefore appear there first and foremost as the head of the Catholic Church and the successor of Peter, rather than as the guest of a presidential event dedicated to the cathedral's restoration.
Two other presidential proposals were reportedly also rejected: an official lunch or dinner at the Élysée Palace and the presentation to the pope of the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest distinction.
The pope will, however, be warmly received by Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace upon his arrival in France. He will also meet with French officials, representatives of civil society and the diplomatic corps. This is therefore not a refusal of institutional dialogue, but rather an effort to limit the ceremonial aspect of the visit.
The reasoning put forward by the pope’s entourage and by French Catholic leaders is clear: Pope Leo XIV is undertaking an apostolic journey. His primary objective is to meet the Church in France, celebrate Mass with the faithful and address French society, rather than to participate in a state visit centered on political authorities.
The distinction is particularly significant in France, where secularism remains a sensitive issue. The pope’s visit has also sparked criticism over the role accorded to a religious authority in the public sphere, while other concerns have centered on public funding for security and infrastructure necessary for the event. Paris City Hall has, however, clarified that the provision of public spaces is governed by ordinary law and that the organizers would be responsible for planning, setup, takedown, cleanup and restoration.
The security operation, however, will necessarily require considerable public resources. Some 14,000 police officers, gendarmes and military personnel from the Sentinelle unit are expected on 25 September, and 12,000 the following day. Protecting the pope and the hundreds of thousands of people expected to attend is therefore a matter of state responsibility, distinct from the funding of the religious events themselves.
The Legion of Honor: Humility or a Political Message?
The refusal of the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor is probably the most symbolic of these gestures. Two explanations coexist.
The first is personal modesty. Leo XIV may simply have wished to avoid accepting a French honorary distinction during a trip whose pastoral character he intends to preserve. This interpretation aligns most directly with the apostolic nature of the trip highlighted by the Vatican.
A second, more political interpretation has also emerged. The refusal could be a discreet way of signaling the pope’s disapproval of President Macron’s support for euthanasia, a topic on which Leo XIV has spoken out on multiple occasions. The Times, citing La Croix and Le Canard enchaîné, reports this interpretation of the refusal as potentially linked to the pope’s disagreement with French legislation on assisted dying.
Bondy: An Embarrassing Symbol of Drug Trafficking
Another controversy arose with revelations from La Croix regarding the itinerary initially planned in Seine-Saint-Denis.
The idea was for the pope to venture beyond the standard Paris itinerary and meet more vulnerable communities. Bondy had been considered for this purpose. According to La Croix, two drug-dealing spots were located precisely where the pope was scheduled to go, and “the authorities put the brakes on”. The stop was ultimately dropped from the itinerary.
This revelation immediately prompted a reaction from Bondy Mayor Stephen Hervé. He said the city had not been informed that the proposed stop was dropped because of the presence of drug-dealing spots. According to his staff, about 15 itineraries were considered, and the Bondy option was ultimately abandoned for logistical reasons. The impression this creates is nonetheless disastrous.
Pope Leo XIV’s visit has not even begun, yet it is already serving as a barometer of tensions in France. Macron may have hoped to use the occasion to bolster his public standing, but so far the effort appears to have been a failure.
