Pope Leo XIV’s visit to France: What you need to know

Motto for the visit: “That the world may have life.” The motto, The Vatican News writes, is a "a call to hope and communion, encouraging people to overcome divisions in order to share peace, reconciliation, and fraternity, signs of new life in the world". Main themes: Europe, peace and unity Security: In Paris alone, some 14,000 police officers, gendarmes, and military personnel and 2,500 firefighters will be on duty while the pope moves around the city on Friday. That number will only be slightly lower during his Mass at the central Place de la Concorde on Saturday. More than 20 métro and commuter train stations have been temporarily closed for the visit, as well as many streets in the centre of the capital. The programme: Friday, September 25: Pope Leo XIV arrives in Paris at 10am CET where a welcome ceremony will be held for him before he heads to the Élysée Palace to meet President Emmanuel Macron. After his meeting with the French leader, the pope will meet representatives of civil society, authorities and the diplomatic corps. In the afternoon, he will deliver a speech at UNESCO’s headquarters. The visit is emblematic since the UN culture and education agency faced steep budg...