Pope Leo XIV's upcoming trip to France, which marks the first official papal state visit to the country in 18 years, is expected to attract more than 1 million people. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.

The four-day visit, starting Sept. 25, will include popemobile rides, an open-air Mass in central Paris, and a stop in Lourdes, one of Catholicism's most important pilgrimage sites.

Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, president of the bishops' conference, said the trip is "important for the country hosting him, but more broadly ... the pope will also have very important things to say to the entire world."

The visit will begin in Paris, where Leo will meet with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, before delivering a speech at UNESCO's headquarters.

Leo will then travel by popemobile along a 2.5-kilometer (1.6-mile) route through central Paris. Organizers say as many as 150,000 people could gather to welcome him.

He will later celebrate vespers at Notre Dame Cathedral and end the day with a prayer vigil with young people at France's national stadium.

The following day, an open-air Mass will be held at Place de la Concorde. At least 500,000 people are expected along the Champs-Élysées and near the Arc de Triomphe, an area Leo will cross in the popemobile. The Mass will be shown on 42 giant screens along the avenue.

That same day, Leo is to meet with migrants at the Maison Bakhita, a social support and integration center, before meeting with recently baptized Catholics.

The pope will travel to Lourdes, where he will meet seven survivors of sexual abuse. Pierre-Antoine Bozo, spokesperson for the bishops' conference, said: "I think the Church, like society as a whole, has become aware of the terrible reality of sexual abuse. It now recognizes that reality and is trying to provide as much support as possible to survivors of abuse, to help them, if possible, move beyond the trauma they have experienced."

Leo will conclude his time in Lourdes by taking part in the rosary and torchlight procession.

He will then move on to Metz, near France's borders with Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany, for a visit intended to give the trip a European and international dimension. Leo is expected to deliver a speech on Europe's roots, peace and unity at a conference center named for Robert Schuman, a French statesman regarded as one of the Founding Fathers of European integration.

There will be a popemobile ride through the streets of Metz to the city's Gothic cathedral — known as "the Good Lord's Lantern" — which has one of the largest expanses of stained glass in Europe.

Sylvain Guillebaud, deputy secretary-general of the CEF, said the pope's visit is expected to cost the Catholic Church 27 million euros ($31 million). A major fundraising campaign was launched at the beginning of the summer, and 5.5 million euros ($6.4 million) has been raised so far.

In addition, the French state will provide support by deploying security forces and other public services.

The trip will be Leo's fourth foreign visit of the year. He made a day trip to Monaco in March, visited four African nations in April, and traveled to Spain.