Pope to visit Corsica but skip Notre-Dame's grand reopening in Paris

Pope Francis is set to visit the French island of Corsica next month to participate in a congress on religiosity in the Mediterranean region and celebrate Mass, the Vatican announced on Saturday.

The island has never received a visit from a pope.

Francis will meet French President Emmanuel Macron during the one-day trip on December 15. A brief meeting is planned shortly before Francis's return to Rome at the airport in the island's capital, Ajaccio.

A week before Francis's visit to Corsica, the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will be reopened following a lengthy restoration after a devastating fire in 2019.

Macron had initially expected the pope to attend the grand ceremony. But in September the pope made it clear that he would not participate and would instead appoint new cardinals at a Vatican function on December 7.

Francis visited France last year. During the visit to Marseille he met Macron for a short discussion.