Pope Leo XIV returns to Rome after four days in France

Pope Leo XIV returned to Rome on September 28, 2026, at the end of his fifth apostolic trip, which took him to France from September 25 to 28. The Air France flight landed at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport in Fiumicino at 8:53 p.m., after taking off from Metz-Nancy-Lorraine airport at 7:33 p.m. During the flight the pope held a press conference with the 80 journalists traveling with him.

Meeting with Macron and words of thanks

The trip ended with several events in Metz, in northeastern France, where the pope met French President Emmanuel Macron before leaving. At the airport, Leo XIV thanked Macron for the "warm welcome and generous hospitality" he received in France and promised to keep praying for the French people.

The pope also sent his good wishes to Swiss President Guy Parmelin and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

The pope said the Church in France is committed to promoting the Gospel and the culture of life, and he described the trip as a moment that reaffirmed the Catholic presence in the country.

Interreligious meeting

Leo XIV presided over an interreligious meeting at the Robert Schuman Congress Center in Metz, which brought together leaders of several faith traditions. "Invoking the name of God to legitimize violence is a profanation," he said. He placed the defense of human dignity at the center of any reflection on faith and political action.

"The greatness of a civilization is not measured by its material successes, but by how it protects and elevates the human person," he said.

Europe's roots: peace and rearmament

The second major event in Metz was titled "To the roots of Europe, for peace and unity," and gathered religious and political leaders to discuss the challenges facing the continent. Macron attended and called on Europe to recover the spirit of its founders in the face of resurgent nationalism.

In his address, the pope "warned about the illusory idea of rearmament" and called for creative efforts to build peace rather than simply containing war.

Rearmament does not provide real security but keeps the dynamic of confrontation going, he said. He called for a radical change of mentality in which political creativity replaces the accumulation of weapons as a means of defense.

Mass at the cathedral: "missionaries, not bureaucrats"

The day ended with a Mass at Saint-Étienne Cathedral in Metz, where the pope spoke about peace and justice. In his homily, Leo XIV urged the faithful to be "missionaries, not bureaucrats."

He also spoke about caring for those who have come into the faith in recent years, and said the Church in France faces the challenge of welcoming and supporting them in a heavily secularized country.

The homily presented justice not only as a political question but as a spiritual imperative that should guide the whole community of faith.

Thousands of the faithful turned out to greet Leo XIV during the visit.