Pope Francis died on Monday April 21, at the age of 88. Following this sad announcement, tributes poured in all over the world, and particularly in Paris. In addition to two masses and a vigil, the bells of Notre Dame rang 88 times, echoing the pontiff’s 88 years of life. On Monday evening, the Eiffel Tower also remained unlit, in memory of the Head of the Catholic Church. But did you know that Pope Francis had never been to Paris in his 12-year pontificate? What was the reason for this?
Why did the late Pope Francis never visit Paris? And why did he decline the invitation to attend the reopening of Notre Dame?
You may not have known it, but the last pope to visit Paris was Benedict XVI. In 2008, he visited the City of Light on the occasion of the European Heritage Days. He visited Notre Dame de Paris, well before it burns down in 2019. Before him, John Paul II had also visited Paris, notably in 1997, on the occasion of World Youth Day (JMJ). But in his twelve years as pontiff, the late Pope Francis never set foot in Paris. On December 8, 2024, he even declined an invitation from the Élysée Palace and the Diocese of Paris, who were hoping for his symbolic presence at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. The reason? According to the Pope, the event was to showcase the cathedral itself, not his own presence. In addition to showing great humility, Pope Francis also avoided large media gatherings.
The French capital and Pope Francis: the story of a falling out of love?
Marseille, Strasbourg, Ajaccio… In all, Pope Francis has made three pastoral visits to France, but none to Paris. His last visit to France was on December 15, 2024, when he visited Ajaccio, Corsica, for the first time in his pontificate. The choice between Corsica and the French capital seemed obvious to him. With its sacred songs and popular piety, the Isle of Beauty was more in line with his modest, off-center vision of the Church. A Church close to the people, far from the spotlight of the big capitals.
Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has favored peripheral destinations, those where other popes have not always gone. Countries at war, poor or marginalized regions, such as Iraq, the Central African Republic or Mongolia. For him, each trip had to carry a strong message. A message he didn’t necessarily find in the big cities. In short, while Pope Francis has never explicitly said why he never came to Paris, the arguments set out above do provide some clues.