James O'Reilly
French president Emmanuel Macron knows the Vatican well. He has been there to meet Pope Francis on three different occasions. But this will be his first time meeting with Pope Leo XIV.
It is a highly anticipated face-to-face meeting. Previously set for January, it was then postponed—some claim this was for two reasons: the controversy over the stained-glass windows of Notre Dame and the euthanasia law.
These rumors were denied by both sides. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly rejected them, citing scheduling conflicts. Either way, the apparent scheduling conflicts have now been resolved and the first meeting between the two world leaders will take place.
On the table will be the conflict in Iran as well as in Lebanon, which Macron has urged the United States to include in the ceasefire talks. The pope visited the country in December, and it continues to suffer ongoing attacks that have affected Christians, exacerbating their ongoing exodus from the country.
Pope Leo will be in Algeria next week and, according to local media, there is a chance President Macron will ask the pope to intervene on behalf of Christophe Gleizes, a French Catholic sports journalist who was sentenced to seven years in prison in the African country for alleged contacts with illegal groups.
Beyond foreign policy—which will be the central focus of the meeting—domestic affairs in France will likely be another focus, with discussion ranging from social and cultural questions to the apparent Catholic resurgence.
Potentially on the table could be the controversy over the stained-glass windows of Notre Dame following the 2019 fire. Macron proposed replacing the 19th-century windows with contemporary art.
Many argue that the windows that survived the fire should be preserved for historical reasons and not simply replaced. This has divided experts and institutions, and there are even legal challenges that could reach the courts.
The other major issue is the euthanasia law. Macron had already enshrined abortion in the Constitution in 2024—the first country in the world to do so. Now, without making it constitutional, he wants to establish what he calls a right to assisted dying.
Controversy around this issue stems, among other things, from the criteria being too broad—that is, it would apply not only to terminal patients but would include anyone suffering constant physical or psychological pain. The French bishops have rejected the law outright.
Yet in a country that emphasizes its secular character, something incredible is occurring: 20,000 adults and teenagers were baptized this Easter, a 20% increase from the previous year—record figures that show the French people returning to their spiritual roots in the Church.
