Pope Leo heads to France amid assisted dying, abuse debates

First papal state visit to country in 18 years comes as church confronts contentious issues.

x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Pope Leo XIV attends a weekly general audience at St Peter's Basilica in The Vatican on August 5, 2026 [File: AFP] By Al Jazeera Staff , AFP and Reuters Published On 25 Sep 2026 25 Sep 2026 Pope Leo XIV is heading to France for the first official papal visit to the country in 18 years.

The four-day visit begins in Paris on Friday, where Leo will meet President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace before addressing French officials and civil society.

The first American pope will carry a message centred on human dignity as the Catholic Church in France confronts a newly enacted assisted dying law and the lasting fallout from clerical sexual abuse.