{"id":64731,"date":"2026-09-24T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omnesmag.com\/?p=64731"},"modified":"2026-09-23T21:59:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T19:59:35","slug":"popes-trips-to-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omnesmag.com\/en\/actualidad\/los-viajes-de-los-papas-a-francia\/","title":{"rendered":"The Popes' trips to France"},"content":{"rendered":"
Pope Leo XIV will be the first Pope to visit France since Benedict XVI in 2008, 18 years ago, but also the first American Pope to do so, and the first after a period in which his predecessor, Pope Francis, visited French territory three times without making an official visit to Paris (Strasbourg (2014), Marseille (2023) and Ajaccio, Corsica (2024)).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The young people who met Pope Benedict XVI at Notre-Dame Cathedral in 2008 are now parents themselves, and their children are eagerly awaiting the Pope's visit: the first papal encounter of their lives and the first "in their adult lives" for their parents (Vatican News).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benedict XVI in 2008 <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Benedict XVI made his only visit to France from September 12 to 15, 2008, on an apostolic journey focused especially on the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He began his visit in Paris, where he was received by President Nicolas Sarkozy at the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace, and met with authorities, representatives of the Jewish community, and figures from the cultural world at the Coll\u00e8ge des Bernardins. He also celebrated Vespers at Notre-Dame and a large Mass at the Esplanade des Invalides. <\/p>\n\n\n\nGeneral view of Paris, with Notre Dame Cathedral (Photo by OSV News\/Christian Hartmann, Reuters).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Faith, reason, culture, and the search for truth<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
At the Coll\u00e8ge des Bernardins, the German Pope delivered one of the most intellectually outstanding speeches of the trip, on the relationships between faith, reason, culture and the search for truth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following day he traveled to Lourdes, where he visited sites associated with Saint Bernadette, toured the Grotto of the Apparitions, and participated in the torchlight procession. On September 14, he presided over the Mass commemorating the 150th anniversary of the apparitions and met with the French bishops; the next day he celebrated Mass for the sick before returning to Rome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
XII World Youth Day 1997<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Saint John Paul II visited France on eight occasions, and one of the most important was his trip to Paris from August 21 to 24, 1997, on the occasion of the XII World Youth Day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pope met with young people from all over the world in the Champ de Mars and addressed them with a message about their responsibility for the future and about the spiritual values that make a free life possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During those days he also visited the cathedral of \u00c9vry, addressed a message to the imprisoned youth, presided over the Stations of the Cross and celebrated in Notre-Dame the beatification of Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Ozanam, founder of the Conferences of Saint Vincent de Paul. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWorld Youth Day in Paris, Longchamp, August 24, 1997 (@Marc Baronnet, Wikimedia commons).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Grand baptismal vigil and Mass at the racetrack<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The culminating moment was the great baptismal vigil on August 23 and, the following day, the World Youth Day Mass at the Longchamp racecourse, before a multitude of young people, in which John Paul II commented on the Gospel passage \u201cTeacher, where do you live?\u201d (Jn 1:38), and presented the search for Christ as an answer to the fundamental question about the meaning of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A bit of history: 176 years without a papal visit<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Saint John Paul II was the first pope to visit France (in 1980) since 1804, meaning 176 years had passed since Pius VII's visit. The Polish pope's eight visits were as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1997: Paris, on the occasion of World Youth Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n
2004: Lourdes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Pius VII<\/strong> He was in France in 1804-1805, summoned by Napoleon for the imperial coronation at Notre-Dame de Paris. He arrived in Paris in November 1804 and stayed for several months; he even visited Versailles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Past papal visits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before him, historical sources record very ancient papal visits: Stephen II<\/strong> (752): He crossed the Alps to meet Pepin the Short; he was the first pope to enter the territory of the Frankish kingdom. John VIII<\/strong> (878): traveled to the kingdom of the Franks. Leo IX<\/strong> (1049): traveled through French territory. Urban II<\/strong> (1095): He passed through Valence and Le Puy on his way to the Council of Clermont, where he preached the First Crusade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
17 French Popes and 217 Italian Popes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regarding the Popes, did you know that France is the second country of origin of Popes (17), although far behind Italy (217), according to Vatican sources?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taking as a criterion the current country in which the birthplace is located, historical lists count 217 popes born in the territory of present-day Italy, compared to 17 born in the territory of present-day France. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, at a considerable distance, come Germany with 6; Syria with 5-6 depending on the historical criteria used; Greece with 4, Tunisia with 3, and so on. These figures should be taken with some caution when considering the pontiffs of the Middle Ages, as modern nation-states did not exist then, and some birthplaces belonged to other political entities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The seven Popes of Avignon, all French<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Of the 17 French Popes, seven were from the so-called Avignon Papacy: Clement V, John XXII, Benedict XII, Clement VI, Innocent VI, Urban V, and Gregory XI. All of them were French and occupied the papal seat during the period commonly known as the Avignon Papacy (1309\u20131377), although Clement V was elected Pope in 1305 and Gregory XI died in Rome in 1378, after having returned from Avignon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It seems significant that, from Gregory XI to Leo XIV, no Pope born in the territory of present-day France has been re-elected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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