Leo XIV arrives in France: State-funded private schools replace lessons with the promotion of Catholicism
On 25 September, numerous schools will hold compulsory lessons in which the usual curriculum will be replaced by content about the Pope. The Minister for Education has authorised the move, on condition that no spiritual practices are imposed.
Euronews · PARIS · 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 · 11:44 CET
Thousands of pupils in France attending state-funded private schools will not have maths, language or physical education lessons on Friday 25 September, but will instead study material relating to Catholicism, values and the figure of the Pope.
Using the occasion of Pope Leo XIV’s three-day visit to France (25 to 28 September), the General Secretariat for Catholic Education has called for the day the Pope arrives to be a special school day, with regular lessons replaced by activities focused on the Pope, the Catholic Church and various social issues, Euronews has reported.
The document, to which Liberation has had access, emphasises that this day must “be compulsory for pupils as well as for all teachers and staff, in the same way as any other school day”.
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The body recommends that teaching staff in primary schools organise activities such as making peace doves and explaining the role of the Pope, whilst in secondary schools they are asked to study the text of the speech that Pope Leo XIV will deliver to the OSCE in France in the coming days.
Prayers, hymns or other Catholic practices are welcome but should not be imposed on children, says the SGEC.
The Catholic schools’ body argues that it is “legitimate” to carry out these special activities “during school hours”, and proposes rescheduling the lessons lost on 25 September to another day in December.
Ministry of Education defends freedom of conscience of students and teachers
Euronews reports that it asked the French Ministry of Education – on whose funding the activities of state-subsidised private schools depend – about these initiatives.
“A state-funded private school under contract may devote school time to a particular theme, such as tackling bullying or introducing pupils to different professions,” the government replied. “In the private sector under contract, this time may also reflect the specific ethos of the school,” it added.
However, the freedom of conscience of every pupil and teacher must be respected, and therefore “no spiritual time nor any religious practice can be imposed on pupils or staff”.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Education explained that “the SGEC has no hierarchical authority over schools” and cannot impose the suspension of normal lessons. Organising a day dedicated to the Pope and Catholic values “rests with each school, within this framework”.
Prime Minister will attend mass in Paris
Despite being a country with deep-rooted secular traditions, where the separation of church and state has historically been emphasised, the open-air mass on Monday 28 September in Paris will be attended by the French Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, and the President’s wife, Brigitte Macron.
Seventeen per cent of pupils in France attend Catholic schools, totalling 2 million.
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