Pope heads to France on first state visit in 18 years
Church bells across France will ring for seven minutes when the first US pontiff, whose paternal grandmother was born in France, arrives outside Paris for a four-day visit.
Pope Leo XIV is set to embark on France's first state visit in 18 years, arriving in Paris on Friday. The trip will focus on addressing artificial intelligence risks, migration, clerical sexual abuse, and European peace. Pope Leo, whose maternal grandmother hails from France, will travel for four days, greeted by President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte.
Seven minutes of church bells will sound as the pontiff lands at 10:00 am (0800 GMT). The first US pontiff to visit France in over a decade, Pope Leo's itinerary includes a speech at UNESCO headquarters, inspecting Notre Dame cathedral renovations, and a mass prayer with young believers. The visit concludes with a speech on European peace in Metz, near the German border, as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine in its fifth year.
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