# Pope Leo XIV Arrives in France for Historic Four-Day Apostolic Journey
# Pope Leo XIV Arrives in France for Historic Four-Day Apostolic Journey **Paris, France** — Pope Leo XIV landed at Paris-Orly Airport on Friday morning, marking the first official papal state visit to France in 18 years. The four-day Apostolic Journey, running from September 25 to 28, will take the Holy Father to Paris, the pilgrimage site of Lourdes, and the eastern border city of Metz. ## A Historic Arrival The papal plane departed Rome's Fiumicino Airport at 7:58 AM and touched down at Paris-Orly shortly before 10:00 AM local time. Church bells rang across France for seven minutes to mark the occasion. President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte greeted the 71-year-old pontiff on the tarmac, where the French Republican Guard played both the Vatican anthem and La Marseillaise. The welcome ceremony included children presenting flowers to the pope. The visit is the first official papal state visit to France since Pope Benedict XVI in September 2008. Pope Francis visited Strasb...
