Emmanuel Macron will attend the mass which will be celebrated by Pope Francis at the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille on September 23, confirms the Elysée

He will ultimately go to Marseille. Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by his wife, Brigitte, will attend Pope Francis’ mass organized at the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille on September 23, the Elysée confirms to the press on Thursday September 14.

“VSIt is not necessarily the place of the President of the Republic to attend a mass.”estimated Fabien Roussel, Thursday morning at the microphone of franceinfo. “I respect the faith and the faithful. But, I disagree with the fact that an elected official and in particular the President of the Republic, participates in this capacity in a religious ceremony.”also reacted Alexis Corbière on (formerly Twitter).

Rejecting criticism from left-wing elected officials who considered that such a presence would be contrary to the principle of secularism, the entourage of the Head of State considered that the separation between Church and State did not exclude “absolutely not that the Republic maintains relations” with “all religions. He clarified that the president would not participate “to the Eucharist”that is to say he will not receive communion.