A tradition rooted in the French monarchy grants French presidents the honorary title of canon of the Basilica of Saint John in Lateran, a prominent Roman church. Since 1957, this title has become a symbolic gesture for French presidents aligned with the political right. This largely unnoticed practice has sparked discussions about the relationship between France's secular principles and the Catholic identity of its leaders. The next French president, who will be elected in 2027, may travel to Rome to meet the Pope and participate in a ceremony as an honorary canon. If the president is from the right or far right, this is likely. Since 1957, nearly all French presidents from this political group have chosen to accept this title, beginning with René Coty, a right-wing leader from the previous republic. In contrast, left-leaning presidents have generally avoided this tradition. This 70-year-old tradition, which began during the Fourth Republic (1947-1958), has become a subtle indicator of the political alignment of French leaders with Catholicism. René Coty, who became president in 1954, was a Catholic but not an active churchgoer. His decision to visit the Vatican and participate in the Lateran ceremony was met with some controversy. Despite this, the event was carefully organized and left a lasting impression on Coty, who later thanked the canons of the Lateran in a personal letter. Charles de Gaulle, who succeeded Coty, continued this tradition, further embedding it into the political culture of the Fifth Republic. However, this tradition has not always been followed by right-wing presidents. Georges Pompidou, who took office in 1969, was a practicing Catholic but did not visit the Lateran. This was due to tensions between the Catholic Church and the Gaullist government, which had grown over issues like military policy and arms sales. These tensions made it politically unwise for Pompidou to participate in the ceremony. In contrast, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, a right-wing president, participated in the Lateran ceremony in 1978, continuing the tradition. His successor, François Mitterrand, a socialist, was invited but did not attend, preferring private meetings with the Pope. The tradition re-emerged in 1995 with Jacques Chirac and continued with Nicolas Sarkozy, who used the ceremony to make a political statement about secularism and Christianity. More recently, Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, accepted the invitation, completing his political profile as a right-leaning leader. This historical pattern shows that right-wing presidents have used the Lateran ceremony to reinforce their Catholic identity and appeal to their base. Left-wing presidents, by contrast, have generally avoided the event, highlighting a clear divide between political ideologies. The tradition also reflects a shift away from the secular values of the Third Republic, where leaders like Georges Clemenceau refused to participate in religious ceremonies to maintain the separation of church and state.