The four-day visit will bring major security and traffic restrictions, particularly in Paris, where authorities are expecting around one million people to attend events over Friday and Saturday.
It will be the first papal visit to Paris since 2008, and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has described the security operation as an “exceptional” one.
Around 14,000 police officers, gendarmes and soldiers, together with 2,500 firefighters, will be deployed in Paris on Friday, followed by around 12,000 security personnel on Saturday.
A further 1,000 members of the security forces will be deployed in the south western pilgrimage town of Lourdes, where the Pope will also visit.
The visit is also expected to have a significant impact on traffic and public transport.
Friday - Arrival in Paris
The Pope is due to arrive at Paris-Orly Airport at 10am on Friday, September 25th, where an official welcome ceremony will take place. Don't be alarmed, but at exactly the same time, church bells across France will ring for seven minutes to mark his arrival.
The initiative was announced by the organisers of the visit, who described it as a symbolic way for people across France to take part in the Pope's arrival, even if they are nowhere near Paris. The bells will ring again in Paris at 5pm, as the Pope passes through the capital.
Leo XIV will then meet President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace before visiting UNESCO in the afternoon. The Pope will later travel through central Paris in the popemobile, on a route between Notre-Dame-des-Champs and Place Saint-Michel, before heading to Notre-Dame de Paris (see map below).
Roads will be closed, and parking restrictions will be in place, while several Metro stations will also be closed at times. The Seine will also be closed to boats during the Pope's visit to the Notre-Dame area.
The Pope will finish his first day with a large prayer vigil with around 80,000 young people at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The area around the Stade de France will therefore be extremely busy, with possible public transport routes affected.
Saturday - Mass on the Champs-Élysées
On Saturday, the main public event will be an open-air Mass at Place de la Concorde and along the Champs-Élysées. Around 600,000 people are expected to gather in the area stretching from Concorde to the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe and Avenue de la Grande Armée.
This means extensive road closures and parking restrictions in central and western Paris. Several metro stations around the Champs-Élysées and Concorde will also close or have restricted access.
Authorities are advising people to avoid driving through central Paris on Saturday and to check public transport conditions before travelling. The Pope will leave Paris for Lourdes later on Saturday.
Saturday and Sunday - Lourdes
Leo XIV will arrive in Lourdes, southwestern France, on Saturday evening and visit the Grotto of Massabielle, the site associated with the apparitions of the Virgin Mary. On Sunday, he will celebrate Mass at the Sanctuary of Lourdes, meet French bishops and visit people who are sick and vulnerable.
Lourdes will have its own major security operation, with around 1,000 police and other security personnel deployed.
The city will introduce restrictions on traffic and parking, with residents and some workers requiring special authorisation to drive within the restricted area. Visitors are being encouraged to leave their cars outside the centre and use public transport or walk where possible.
Monday - Metz
The pope's final stop will be Metz, in northeastern France, on Monday, September 28th. There he will take part in an inter-religious meeting and an event focusing on Europe, peace and unity, before travelling through the city in the popemobile and celebrating Mass at Saint-Étienne Cathedral.
European leaders have been invited by the French government to attend the speech, meanwhile President Emmanuel Macron has said he won't attend any of the masses during the Pope's visit.
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Large crowds are expected in central Metz, with significant road closures and parking restrictions around the Pope's route.
The city is encouraging visitors to use public transport and park outside the centre. Public transport services will be adapted to cope with the crowds. Leo XIV will then leave Metz for Rome on Monday evening.
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