DOMINANT ANGLE
London is particularly interested in the protocol game between the Elysée and the Vatican, where discussions on artificial intelligence and the staging of the welcome weigh as much as the religious dimension of the papal visit.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
More than 600,000 Catholic faithful are expected on Saturday for the giant mass at the Place de la Concorde, according to the BBC.
- 02
Emmanuel Macron will not attend any of the pope's masses due to the strict separation of Church and State in France, leaving his wife Brigitte and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to represent him (BBC).
- 03
On board his flight to France, Léon XIV told journalists they were "all welcome", in response to restrictions imposed by the Trump administration on media outlets like CNN (The Independent).
ANALYSIS
In Britain, the four-day visit of Pope Léon XIV to France is first and foremost seen as an exercise in high-level diplomatic protocol, rather than a simple pilgrimage. The BBC reports that President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the pontiff on Friday at Orly Airport, before meeting with him at the Élysée to discuss geopolitical issues and artificial intelligence. However, the British press emphasizes what French protocol does not allow: in accordance with the strict separation of Church and State, Emmanuel Macron will not attend any of the pope's masses, leaving his wife Brigitte and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to represent the executive at the Place de la Concorde.
According to the BBC, tensions allegedly arose between Macron's team and the Vatican team responsible for organizing the visit, with the president reportedly wanting a more ceremonial aspect - including a horseback escort on the Champs-Élysées. The Élysée denied any disagreement, recalling that a visiting head of state, a status recognized for the pope, traditionally benefits from high-level protocol considerations.
The scale of the welcome also strikes London newsrooms: more than 600,000 Catholic faithful are expected on Saturday along the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe for the grand mass at the Place de la Concorde, a figure that, according to the BBC, translates to a "growing spiritual thirst" among the French and Europeans. French political personalities from all sides are also expected to attend, from Marine Le Pen to Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, and Bruno Retailleau - a sign, for the British press, that the event goes beyond the sole religious framework to become a political meeting ahead of the presidential election.
A second angle covered in the United Kingdom, via The Independent, moves away from Paris: on board his flight to France on Friday, Léon XIV defended press freedom in the face of the Trump administration, which seeks to limit access to media like CNN at the White House. "I am very happy that you are all welcome here," he told the journalists accompanying him, recalling that a judge had granted a stay to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico on Thursday. For the British media, this dual approach - cautious diplomacy in Paris, defense of the press against Washington - outlines a papacy that handles institutional prudence and public positioning.
