Secular groups challenge Pope's visit funding in French court

Two secular associations have taken legal action against the Metz city council over a €250,000 municipal subsidy allocated for Pope Leo XIV's visit to the city on September 28. The Union des familles laïques (Ufal) of Moselle and the association Les Profanes are contesting the funding, which is earmarked for event-related investments.

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The visit of the Pope is a global event.

The subsidy will notably cover the acquisition of large screens to equip fan zones where the Pope's mass, to be celebrated in Metz Cathedral, will be broadcast. The associations have also filed an urgent request for suspension, aiming to halt the procurement of equipment while the administrative court reviews the subsidy's legality. They question whether funding equipment directly linked to a religious ceremony complies with the law.

This legal challenge arises in a specific regional context. Unlike most of France, the 1905 law on the separation of Church and State does not apply in the Moselle and Alsace regions. This historical exception allows local authorities in these areas to provide financial support for religious services.

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The law of 1905 on the separation of Church and State does not apply in Moselle or Alsace. Local authorities can therefore finance cults there.

Metz city officials referred to statements made by Mayor François Grosdidier, who had anticipated the full expenditure of the €250,000 budget. He described the Pope's visit as a "global event," not just for the Catholic community, and highlighted the "immense honor" of Metz being chosen for the visit. Pope Leo XIV's trip to Metz will conclude his tour of France, which also includes stops in Paris and Lourdes.

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The associations indicate that they have also accompanied their filing with a request for suspension (emergency procedure), in order to block the order of equipment while waiting for the administrative court to make a decision.