President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the Pope on his arrival at around 10am, before military honours and introductions to French and Vatican officials. The two then made their way to the Élysée Palace for talks.
The four-day visit, running from Friday to Monday, will take the Pope to Paris, Saint-Denis, Lourdes and Metz. His programme includes meetings with Macron, French officials, civil-society representatives and diplomats, as well as a visit to UNESCO and meetings with young Catholics. The agenda is expected to include the future of Europe, social issues and the role of technology, including artificial intelligence, although the published programme does not explicitly list AI as a formal agenda item.
