Live: Pope heads to France on first state visit in 18 years

Pope Leo XIV has arrived in France for a four-day visit, the Vatican's first state visit to the country in 18 years. He was greeted at Orly airport by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte. The Pope's agenda includes discussions with Macron at the Élysée Palace on geopolitical issues and artificial intelligence.

A highlight of the visit is a giant Mass on the Champs-Élysées, where an altar has been built on the Place de la Concorde. According to MyJoyOnline Ghana, around 600,000 Catholic faithful are expected to attend. Brigitte Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will attend the Mass, while President Macron will not, due to France's strict separation of state and religion.

The Pope's visit has drawn large crowds, with several high-profile attendees expected, including candidates for next year's presidential election, such as Marine Le Pen, Edouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, and Bruno Retailleau. France 24 reports that artificial intelligence and young believers are near the top of the Pope's agenda during the visit.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, MyJoyOnline Ghana — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.