Pope Leo XIV, who was elected just over a year ago, will conclude his four-day visit to France in Metz after stops in Paris and Lourdes. This will be the first papal visit to Metz since Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1988.
The Pope is scheduled to land at Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport at 9.20am before travelling with his entourage to Metz’s Amphitheatre district. His morning will include an interfaith meeting at 10am, followed by a speech on Europe at 11am at the Robert Schuman Conference Centre. The speech will be delivered in English and broadcast live on large screens across the city, including on Parvis des Droits de l’Homme (with restricted access in the morning, then open access later) and at Place de la République (open access all day).
From 2.30pm, the Pope will tour central Metz in his popemobile, starting on Avenue Foch and passing landmarks such as the Porte Serpenoise, Place de la République, and the Esplanade. Access to the areas directly surrounding the cathedral will be restricted to those who registered in advance for the special papal zones, allowing them to be as close as possible to the event.
The procession will stretch for two kilometres, providing many members of the public with the chance to see the Pope and his entourage, as highlighted by Pascal Bollot, Prefect of Moselle, and François Grosdidier, Mayor of Metz. Access along the route will be open to all.
A mass in French will be celebrated at Saint-Etienne Cathedral at 4pm. Entry will be restricted to approximately 2,000 registered attendees and invited guests, but the public will be able to follow proceedings on giant screens outside. According to the mayor, around 10,500 people are expected to gather in the three squares around the cathedral.
The Pope is expected to depart from Nancy-Metz Airport in the evening, with his flight scheduled for 7pm.
Preparations have been underway for weeks, with authorities expecting exceptionally dense crowds. Security will be unprecedented: more than 6,300 police officers, firefighters, gendarmes, and military personnel will be deployed in the city centre, where tens of thousands of visitors are expected, possibly over 50,000, and perhaps up to 100,000, according to recent estimates.
Although the aim is to "maintain normal life in the city for as long as possible", Prefect Bollot has confirmed that extensive security measures will be in place from Sunday, 27 September, including nearly 11km of barriers along the popemobile’s route. This route will be completely off-limits to pedestrians crossing. Despite the security measures, shops and businesses will remain open and schools will operate as normal, although some delays are anticipated due to the crowds.
On Monday morning, the last vehicles will be allowed to leave the cordoned-off area until 7am, after which no vehicles will be able to enter until the Pope’s departure in the evening. Parking, including underground car parks, will be strictly prohibited within the secured area that day. Mayor Grosdidier has urged visitors not try to drive into Metz that day.
Pedestrian access will remain open, although there will be multiple security checkpoints. Without a formal invitation, people will not be admitted to the reserved zones around the cathedral. Public buses will be free of charge on the day, but services will be limited as no vehicles will be permitted in the city centre, so visitors should expect to walk.
Visitors coming from outside Metz are advised to use remote car parks and take the available buses. The train service will be reinforced on Monday and is likely to be the most efficient way to reach the city. Note that the station entrance closest to the Pompidou Centre will be closed for security reasons; only the entrance on General de Gaulle Square (city side) will be open.
A security operation tested earlier in September could see the temporary closure of the A31 motorway (Nancy-Metz direction) to allow the Pope’s convoy to travel from the airport to Metz. Prefect Bollot has noted this as a possible option, though it has not been confirmed for 28 September. If implemented, police would block the motorway for at least twenty minutes to ensure safe passage for the papal delegation, with two alternative secondary routes available for part of the entourage.
A similar closure may be necessary in the opposite direction when the Pope departs Metz in the evening.
