Pope Francis arrives for a vigil in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. (Associated Press)
Pope Francis will visit France next year, the Vatican said on Tuesday, at a time when French politics is increasingly divided over social reforms such as gay marriage.
In a terse announcement, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi did not specify the dates or the itinerary of the planned visit.
French Catholic daily La Croix reported Monday that the trip would include stops in Paris and Lourdes, where hundreds of thousands of Catholics flock every year because of its reputation as a healing shrine.
The pontiff will already have passed briefly through France, on November 25, when he is to speak at the European Parliament and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
The three-hour visit will not include even a symbolic handshake with a Catholic Church figure, a plan that has raised eyebrows in France -- and observers say the announcement of the visit, even though vague, appears to be an attempt to smooth ruffled feathers.
Relations between the Holy See and France have been strained since French President Francois Hollande came to power in 2012 over a variety of issues including gay marriage, adoption by gay couples and plans to legalise euthanasia, which goes against Catholic doctrine.
Hollande and Francis met at the Vatican in January at the height of a swirling scandal over the French leader's love life.
The pope's meetings with French leaders next year face opposition from the Catholic right, which sent tens of thousands into the streets in Paris and Bordeaux on Sunday to demonstrate for what protesters called "traditional family values".
Catholic conservatives say Francis is not as firm as his predecessor Benedict XVI on family issues.
Francis's trip next year will be the 10th papal visit to France, often referred to as the "eldest daughter" of the Roman Catholic Church, with a history going back to the second century.
Pope Benedict visited in 2008, when he also made stops in Paris and Lourdes.