Leo XIV puts European unity on the agenda for final day in France
The pope arrived in Metz for a programme centred on peace and European unity, with French President Emmanuel Macron expected at the afternoon Mass.
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Metz on Monday for the final day of his four-day visit to France. His programme put peace and European unity at the centre of the visit’s concluding events.
At 11 am, he was scheduled to deliver an address titled “At the roots of Europe for peace and unity” at the Robert Schuman Convention Centre, following an interfaith meeting there.
A procession to Saint-Étienne Cathedral and an afternoon Mass were also scheduled. The French presidency said President Emmanuel Macron would attend the Mass and the ceremony marking the pope’s departure from France.
The itinerary listed a 7 pm departure from Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport for Rome. France 24 reported the schedule; its live report did not confirm that the address, Mass or departure had taken place.
Historian Miles Pattenden of the University of Oxford described the visit as a renewed focus on Europe’s historic Catholic heartlands. That was his interpretation of the visit, rather than a stated papal policy.
