The budget for Pope Leo XIV’s visit “is estimated at 27 million euros,” the Church of France announced today, issuing a call for donations to fund the trip, which is scheduled for September 25–28.
“This amount covers all necessary expenses for organizing” the apostolic trip, the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF) explains in a statement, whether it be welcoming participants, security and logistics, or arrangements regarding all temporary infrastructure in the various regions of Paris, Lourdes, and Metz in the east.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The Bishops’ Conference emphasizes that it was necessary to “strengthen the mechanisms” for the supply chain, security, and staging in light of the “enthusiasm” generated by this visit, for which “more than 700,000 people have already registered (to participate—ed.) and approximately 2,500 journalists have been accredited.”
Faced with an expected turnout of more than 700,000 registered participants, the French Bishops’ Conference is stepping up its fundraising efforts to finance Pope Leo XIV’s trip to France in late September. The budget far exceeds that of previous papal visits to France.
… pic.twitter.com/Srp5AzNLEG
— Famille Chrétienne (@FChretienne) September 7, 2026
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunes announced last week a “very large security operation” with 15,000 law enforcement officers to be deployed—according to the plan—along the most critical stretch of this route.
Approximately 5.5 million euros raised
The fundraising campaign launched by the Church in early summer has already raised “approximately 5.5 million euros” for this journey, “which is funded to a very large extent by the generosity of the public,” according to the CEF.
Sponsorships (from major donors and companies) and the sale of products related to the Pope’s trip “will supplement the necessary resources” for funding, and “where necessary, internal funds” could also be used, which will be drawn from the budget allocated for pastoral activities, the CEF adds.
For online donations at pape-france.fr, donors can choose the amount and where their contribution will be used. During the Pope’s visit, “systems for donations via text message or QR codes will allow everyone to contribute” to the major celebrations, the CEF clarifies.
During this trip, 80,000 people are expected on Friday, September 25, at the Stade de France for a vigil, 500,000 the following day in the Concorde-Saint-Élysée area of Paris for a massive Mass, 150,000 on Sunday, September 27, at the Shrine of Lourdes, and tens of thousands around Metz Cathedral on Monday, September 28.
Source: Proto Thema
