Pope Leo XIV is due to visit a migrant support centre in Paris on Saturday, September 26, as part of his four-day trip to France.
The Pope will visit Maison Bakhita, a centre run by the Paris diocese that supports migrants, refugees and other people facing social difficulties. The visit is scheduled for the second day of his September 25–28 apostolic journey.
The centre, located in Paris’s 18th district, was established following Pope Francis’s 2017 appeal for migrants and refugees to be welcomed, protected, supported and integrated.
Maison Bakhita is named after Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese woman who was enslaved before becoming a nun and later being canonised by the Catholic Church.
The centre welcomes people regardless of their immigration status and provides opportunities to learn French, meet others and receive training in areas such as carpentry, sewing and cooking.
Its corridors carry a passage from the Gospel of Matthew: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
The Pope’s visit comes as France prepares for its next presidential election, with immigration expected to remain an important issue in political debate. The election is scheduled for 2027.
Valérie Moniod, president of Maison Bakhita, said the Pope’s visit highlights the importance of recognising the dignity of migrants regardless of political differences.
The visit is expected to last about 30 minutes and will take place with the centre closed to the general public. Six people of different nationalities and faiths are expected to meet Pope Leo and share their personal experiences. Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich is also expected to attend.
Around 40 people, including representatives of charities working with vulnerable groups, are expected to be present.
Among them is Aux Captifs, la Libération, an organisation that supports homeless people and people affected by prostitution and human trafficking. The organisation also runs activities at Maison Bakhita, including sewing workshops.
For people who have received support from the centre, the Pope’s visit is seen as an important moment.
Bernisse Ngoma, a Congolese woman who received assistance after arriving in France and later became a volunteer at the centre, said she sees the Pope’s visit as a message of kindness and solidarity.
Charlotte, who comes from Côte d’Ivoire and regularly attends painting classes at Maison Bakhita, said she was moved that the Pope was coming to meet people at the centre rather than expecting them to travel to him.
Migration has been an issue Pope Leo has repeatedly addressed since becoming pope in May 2025. He has continued Pope Francis’s emphasis on protecting migrants and refugees and has called for greater assistance for people in vulnerable situations.
In July, Pope Leo visited Lampedusa, an Italian island that has become a major arrival point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. During that visit, he called on the United States and Europe to do more to protect vulnerable migrants.
A month earlier, during a visit to Spain’s Canary Islands, he also visited a migrant reception centre and stressed that human dignity should not depend on a person’s nationality or immigration status.
His visit to Maison Bakhita will therefore place migration and the treatment of vulnerable people among the key themes of his France trip. Vatican News has also described the centre as a place focused on welcoming and integrating migrants.