How France handles its strict secularism as it prepares for a papal visit

The text of the French Constitution is on display at the Elysee Palace in Paris [AP Photo]

A four-day visit by Pope Leo XIV beginning Friday that will feature large public gatherings, popemobile parades and an open-air Mass in Paris presents France with a balancing act under its strict approach to secularism, known as laïcité.

“France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic,” the country’s Constitution states.

Secularism guarantees the freedom to believe or not to believe, as well as the freedom to practice a religion as long as it does not disturb public order. It also requires the state to remain neutral toward all religions.

Here is a look at France’s distinctive model of secularism, known as laïcité (pronounced lah-ee-see-TAY).

Separation of church and state

Key rules have been defined by a historic 1905 law, primarily intended to distance the state from the then-powerful influence of the Catholic Church.

The law guarantees freedom of conscience and the free exercise of religion while requiring the state to remain neutral.

Churches built before 1905 are the property of municipalities or the state, which maintain the buildings while religious communities to use them for worship.

Most places of worship built after 1905, including most mosques, are financed and maintained by religious organizations.

A national survey carried out in 2019 and 2020 found that Catholicism was France’s largest religious affiliation, representing 29% of the population, followed by Islam at 10%. About half of respondents said they had no religious affiliation.

Pope to meet with Macron

During his time in France, Leo will visit Paris, Saint-Denis, Lourdes and Metz. He will be received by the French president in the pope’s capacity as head of Vatican City, making Friday’s meeting at the Élysée Palace an encounter between two heads of state.

Laïcité does not require the government to reject contact with religious institutions.

Macron met Leo at the Vatican in April to discuss relations with the Holy See, international affairs, peace, and interreligious dialogue, according to his office.

During Pope Francis’ visit to Marseille in 2023, Macron attended the Mass but did not participate in worship. Responding to criticism that his attendance breached France’s secular principles, Macron said he would be present as president out of respect and courtesy, not as a practicing worshipper.

Open-air Mass and public events

The 1905 law explicitly mentions religious ceremonies, processions and other outdoor manifestations as subject to the ordinary rules governing public order. Security for such events, however, is provided and financed by the state.

Other religions also regularly receive permission to use public spaces. Still, some observers argue that holding Saturday’s Mass at Place de la Concorde and along the Champs-Élysées, near the National Assembly and the presidential palace, could be seen as a continuation of Catholicism’s privileged cultural position.

The area is usually used for the Bastille Day parade, state visits by foreign leaders and football fans’ celebrations.

Transforming it into a venue for a religious event expected to attract hundreds of thousands of worshippers gives the Catholic Church exceptional visibility.

In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass before about 260,000 people at Les Invalides in central Paris.

Rules are questioned in schools

A 2004 law bars conspicuous religious symbols in French public schools. The ban covers Muslim headscarves, Jewish kippahs, oversized Christian crosses and other clothing that visibly signals a 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 educators say secularism in public schools and other institutions protects less observant and nonreligious people from pressure while leaving everyone free to worship in private. Critics, however, argue that the policy primarily targets Muslim girls who wear headscarves.

In sports, the rules are complex and vary according to the athlete’s representative role and the governing federation.

French authorities prohibit national-team athletes from displaying religious symbols while competing in an official capacity, including at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In 2023, France’s highest administrative court said the country’s soccer federation could impose a ban on headscarves in competitions even though the measure can limit freedom of expression.

International federations may also permit clothing that the corresponding French federation prohibits domestically. SYLVIE CORBET, PARIS, MDT/AP