Why will bells across France ring for seven minutes this Friday, September 25 at 10 a.m.?

Friday September 25 2026 in the morning, it’s hard not to listen up. At 10:00 a.m. sharp, bells from across France should ring simultaneously for seven minutes. The reason? The arrival of Pope Léon XIV in France, expected exactly at this hour at the Orly airport, where the official welcome ceremony will be held.

This exceptional chime was announced on the official site dedicated to the Holy Father's travels. The aim is to symbolically mark the start of his apostolic journey and to allow the faithful, wherever they are in France, to join in his arrival. The seven-minute duration was set by the organizers, with no particular significance attached to the number 7 in the official announcement.

And in Paris, the bells will ring out again a few hours later. At 5 p.m., those from the churches of the capital will toll as the Pope Leo XIV makes his way through the streets of Paris. The pope will undertake a papamobile journey in the afternoon, scheduled from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. between Notre-Dame-des-Champs Church and Place Saint-Michel, before heading to Notre-Dame de Paris for vespers at 5:15 p.m.

• To be read
• Papal visit: The churches where you can watch the Mass at Place de la Concorde live in Paris and Île-de-France
• Visite du Pape Léon XIV à Paris : route, zones et accès pour voir la papamobile Pope Leo XIV's Visit to Paris: Route, Zones, and Access to See the Papamobile
• Pope's giant open-air Mass this Saturday: what to expect on the Champs-Élysées

This first day will continue into the evening in Saint-Denis, with a large prayer vigil held at the Stade de France, followed by the grand Mass scheduled for the next day on the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées.

Papal visit: The churches where you can watch the Mass at Place de la Concorde live in Paris and Île-de-France
The pope Leo XIV is expected in Paris on September 25 and 26, 2026 for two major public events: a youth vigil at the Stade de France, followed by an open-air Mass on Place de la Concorde. For those unable to attend in person, several churches in Paris and Île-de-France will offer live coverage of these moments. [Read more]