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Pope's Visit to Paris: Why Traffic is Already a Total Mess?

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The Editor

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On September 26th, Léon XIV will be present in the streets of the capital to give an open-air mass. And more than three weeks before the arrival of the sovereign pontiff, preparations are already well underway, not without consequences for Parisian motorists. 

It’s a remarkably rare event taking shape in the streets of Paris. In just under a month, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate a mass on Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées. A gathering that’s sure to draw quite the crowd, and one that requires careful preparation to ensure the welcome and safety of everyone who wants to attend this one-of-a-kind moment. And the first disruptions should start arriving as early as this week.


Progressive restrictions

For starters, the median strip will close this Wednesday, September 2nd starting at 10 p.m., to begin installing the first equipment, according to information from the Police Prefecture on X (formerly Twitter). In detail, this means that crossing the square from south to north will be impossible by car, and you’ll need to take

trim the Tuileries Quay to get to safe harbor. And while the north and west crossings are currently maintained, via the western lateral route, the relief should be short-lived. Indeed, restrictions are expected to tighten over the coming days in order to best prepare for the arrival of the Holy Father. Enough to add a new flavor to this already rather gloomy back-to-routine season.


A Unique Visit

As a reminder, Leon XIV will be present for two days in the French capital. On September 25, after celebrating vespers at Notre-Dame, and meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, he will lead a vigil at the Stade de France, which is expected to draw no fewer than 80,000 young people between 18 and 35 years old for an evening of prayer. The next day, he will then head to Place de la Concorde for the aforementioned mass. An extraordinary event, for which over 400,000 people have already registered. While access is free, registration is nonetheless highly recommended by authorities and organizers. He will then continue his French tour to Lourdes and Metz.

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