Emmanuel Macron will ultimately attend the mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV this Monday in Metz, the final stop of the pontiff's apostolic visit to France. According to the Elysée Palace, the French president will also take part in the official farewell ceremony.
Macron was initially only scheduled to attend the Pope's morning address on Europe and peace in Metz, in northeastern France. The Elysée Palace said late on Sunday that he had "rearranged his schedule" to also attend the mass at Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Metz.
The French president did not attend Friday's mass at Notre-Dame de Paris or Saturday's massive open-air service along the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde. Instead, First Lady Brigitte Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu represented the French state.
The French daily paper Le Parisien reported behind the scenes tensions with the Vatican declining several of Macron's proposals, including a meeting with the artisans that rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral after it was heavily damaged by a fire in 2019.
Separately, Macron's 2023 attendance at a mass led by Pope Francis in Marseille drew heavy criticism from political opponents, who argued it violated laïcité—France's strict principle of separation between church and state.
Nonetheless, Emmanuel Macron and Leo XIV met several times on Friday. The French president greeted the pope on his arrival at Orly airport before holding private talks with him at the Elysée. The two men then delivered speeches in front of French officials and the diplomatic corps.
Macron's last-minute change of heart also stems from his wish to continue his productive dialogue with the Pope, according to sources at the Elysée Palace.
A much-anticipated speech on Europe
Ahead of the mass scheduled for 4 pm at Saint-Étienne Cathedral in Metz, the head of the Catholic Church will take part in an “interfaith meeting” at the Robert Schuman Conference Centre from 10 am.
Another event, entitled “At the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity”, will take place there at 11.00 am. Following an introduction by Emmanuel Macron, Pope Leo XIV will deliver an address to representatives of the European Union member states.
The programme was organised at the Vatican’s request “to highlight a European and cross-border dimension in this region of Lorraine, at the crossroads of Europe and several countries that have shared the painful experience of war”, according to Emmanuel Macron’s entourage.
“It will be an opportunity to pay tribute to Robert Schuman, whose house – now a museum dedicated to European integration – is in Scy-Chazelles, near Metz,” the same source added.
Invitations were extended to the heads of state and government of the 26 other EU member states, as well as to representatives of the European institutions.
Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden was one of the few leaders to have officially confirmed his attendance in Metz. As a neighbour, he emphasised in a statement that “this event in Lorraine will serve as a reminder of the need for the European project, which emerged in the aftermath of the Second World War from the determination of six founding countries – including Luxembourg – to build lasting peace through cooperation”.
According to the Élysée Palace, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg and the former President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, will also be present.
Germany will be represented by Anke Rehlinger, the Minister-President of Saarland, the federal state bordering France.
The farewell ceremony, or “congedo” in Vatican terminology, will take place at 6.30 pm at the Metz-Nancy-Lorraine airport. Macron will be there to bid the Pope a final farewell before the pontiff takes off for Rome's Fiumicino airport.
