Pope Leo's visit to Paris migrant centre sends message ahead of French election

Maison Bakhita was founded by the Paris diocese following Pope Francis's 2017 call to "welcome, protect, promote and integrate" migrants.

Dedicated to welcoming refugees and other exiles – with or without official paperwork – the centre was named after Josephine Bakhita, an enslaved Sudanese woman who became a nun and was later canonised.

Located in Paris's 18th district, it provides a space for people to find company, learn French or train in carpentry, sewing or cooking. The walls of its corridors bear a verse from the Gospel of Matthew: "I was a stranger and you welcomed me." 

The centre's president, Valérie Moniod, says Pope Leo XIV's visit, at a time of economic strain and social tension in France, is significant.

With the presidential election just seven months away, several candidates have already begun making controlling immigration a central promise of their campaigns.

"The Pope is telling the French people that, whatever our political convictions, we all share a common humanity and a right to dignity," Moniod told French news agency AFP.

"When we speak of migrants, we are dealing with people first and foremost, not problems," Moniod said. Welcoming people from elsewhere is "part of the Church's social doctrine".

Live: Pope Leo XIV arrives in France for first papal state visit in 18 years A banner reading "So the World may have life" outside the Saint-Augustin church in Paris, two days ahead of Pope Leo XIV's visit, on 23 September 2026.

In the Pope's footsteps

Saturday morning's visit is expected to last around 30 minutes, with the centre closed to the public.

Six people of different faiths and nationalities – Algerian, Afghan, Belarusian, Iraqi and Ivorian – will meet the Pope personally and relate their stories.

Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich is also expected to attend.

Among the 40 or so people present will be representatives of several charities, including Aux Captifs, la Libération, a group that helps homeless people and victims of prostitution or human trafficking.

The organisation's director-general, Thierry Desjuzeur, told RFI about its approach: "Our values ​​are free access, loyalty, and unconditional support."

For the centre's guests, he said he hoped meeting the Pope would prove "a turning point and a catalyst in their life journey". The charity "Aux Captifs, la Libération" runs a sewing workshop at Maison Bakhita. Here, five young women are busy making glasses cases out of fabric.

The Pope brings a message of "love, simplicity and kindness", said Bernisse Ngoma, a Congolese woman who received help at Maison Bakhita upon her arrival in France and has volunteered there ever since.

Charlotte, originally from Côte d'Ivoire, comes to the centre every week for painting classes.

"Usually we're the ones seeking out the Pope, but now he is coming to us," she told RFI.

"I'll be watching it on television, but it means a lot to me that he'll be here nonetheless. We're going to walk in his footsteps. His blessing will rub off on us."

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Defender of migrants

The grandson of immigrants from France and Italy, Leo – the first American pope – has repeatedly championed the cause of migrants since taking office in May 2025.

Following on from his predecessor Pope Francis, who rebuked populist leaders for their anti-migrant rhetoric, Leo has criticised the crackdown on immigration under United States President Donald Trump.

On US Independence Day in July, he visited the Italian island of Lampedusa, a gateway for people attempting to cross from Africa to Europe via the Mediterranean. Pope Leo visits a memorial on the Italian island of Lampedusa, a key entry point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, on 4 July 2026.

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He urged both US and European leaders to do more to protect and assist vulnerable migrants.

A month earlier, during a trip to Spain's Canary Islands, the Pope visited a migrant reception centre with the message: "Human dignity has no passport."

While reminding host societies of their "duties" towards new arrivals, he also referred to integration as a "reciprocal journey" – urging migrants to learn the language of their host country, respect its laws, get to know its customs and take part in the community.

(with AFP)