Pope Leo XIV's France visit puts laicite under fresh spotlight

Pope Leo XIV's France visit features major public events, including an open-air Mass in Paris. The trip has revived scrutiny of how laicite shapes state protocol, security and public space.Image used for representational purposes onlyPope Leo XIV's four-day visit to France from Friday, marked by large public gatherings, popemobile parades and an open-air Mass in Paris, is again drawing attention to the country's strict model of secularism, or laicite. Under this system, the state must stay neutral towards all religions while protecting the freedom to believe, not believe and practise a faith as long as public order is not disturbed.The visit also highlights how France applies those principles in public life. Leo will be received by President Emmanuel Macron as head of Vatican City, while major religious events during the trip will be held in prominent public spaces under state-funded security arrangements, in keeping with rules that govern public order.France's Constitution states: "France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic." The country's secular framework is rooted in a landmark 1905 law, which was mainly meant to reduce the influence of the then-powerful Catholic Church on the state. The law guarantees freedom of conscience and the free exercise of religion, while requiring the state to remain neutral.Under that law, churches built before 1905 are owned by municipalities or the state, which are responsible for maintaining them, while religious communities use them for worship. Most places of worship built after 1905, including most mosques, are financed and maintained by religious organisations. A national survey conducted in 2019 and 2020 found that Catholicism was the largest religious affiliation in France at 29 per cent, followed by Islam at 10 per cent, while about half of respondents said they had no religious affiliation. During his visit, Leo will travel to Paris, Saint-Denis, Lourdes and Metz. His meeting with Macron at the Elysee Palace on Friday will take place between two heads of state. Laicite does not prevent the French government from maintaining contact with religious institutions. Macron met Leo at the Vatican in April to discuss relations with the Holy See, international affairs, peace and interfaith dialogue, according to his office.The issue has come up before. During Pope Francis' visit to Marseille in 2023, Macron attended the Mass but did not take part in worship. Answering criticism that his presence went against France's secular principles, Macron said he was attending as president out of "respect and courtesy", not as a "practising worshipper". France's 1905 law specifically says that religious ceremonies, processions and other outdoor events are subject to the usual rules on public order. Security for such events is provided and paid for by the state. Other religions also regularly get permission to use public spaces. Even so, some observers say Saturday's Mass at Place de la Concorde and along the Champs-Elysees, close to the National Assembly and the presidential palace, may be seen as reflecting Catholicism's continued cultural prominence.The same area is usually associated with the Bastille Day military parade, state visits by foreign leaders and football celebrations. Turning it into a venue for a religious gathering expected to draw hundreds of thousands of worshippers gives the Catholic Church rare visibility. In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass before about 2,60,000 people at Les Invalides in central Paris.Questions around laicite are also at the centre of debates in schools and sport. A 2004 law bans conspicuous religious symbols in French public schools, including Muslim headscarves, Jewish kippahs, oversized Christian crosses and other clothing that clearly signals religious affiliation. Discreet symbols such as small crosses, Stars of David or Hand of Fatima necklaces are allowed. The law does not apply to private schools or university students.French officials and many teachers say secularism in public schools and other institutions protects less observant and non-religious people from pressure, while leaving everyone free to worship in private. Critics, however, argue that the policy mainly affects Muslim girls who wear headscarves. In sport, the rules are more complex and differ depending on the athlete's representative role and the governing body. French authorities bar national-team athletes from displaying religious symbols while competing in an official capacity, including at the Paris Olympics in 2024. In 2023, France's highest administrative court said the country's football federation could ban headscarves in competitions even though such a measure could limit freedom of expression. International federations may also allow clothing that French federations ban in domestic events.As Pope Leo XIV's visit unfolds, France's secular model is once again in focus, from state protocol and security arrangements to the use of public space, schools and sport, under a system that seeks to separate religion from the state while allowing the practice of faith.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 23, 2026 12:38 IST