Pope Leo Set for Largest Event of France Tour as Paris Crowds Swell
More than 600,000 people registered for the open-air service as Leo used the visit to urge French Catholics to persevere amid secular decline.
- On Saturday, Pope Leo XIV celebrated an open-air Mass at Place de la Concorde in Paris, drawing approximately 700,000 worshippers to the Champs-Élysées, exceeding the 600,000 who registered in advance.
- Security personnel deployed 14,500 officers across a three-kilometer zone to manage crowds, as France's 1905 law mandates strict separation of church and state in public spaces.
- During a visit to the Catholic Institute of Paris on Saturday morning, Pope Leo urged bishops not to be "naively optimistic," noting that adult baptisms have tripled since 2016 to 13,000 this year.
- Attendees from multiple faiths praised the event's message of peace and unity; critics, however, argued Place de la Concorde was inappropriate, citing the Invalides' successful 2008 papal Mass for 240,000 as a better alternative.
- Tomorrow, Pope Leo travels to the Catholic shrine at Lourdes to meet seven French abuse survivors; on Monday he visits Metz to honor European Union founder Robert Schuman, a candidate for beatification.
128 Articles
128 Articles
Hundreds of thousands turn out for Pope Leo along Champs-Élysées ahead of mass in Paris
Hundreds of thousands of people packed Paris's iconic Champs-Élysées avenue for Pope Leo XIV's big outdoor mass on Saturday, a sign of the Catholic Church's enduring appeal in the once staunchly Catholic but officially secular country.
Hundreds of thousands turn out for Pope Leo's Mass in Paris
The Vatican has estimated that 700,000 people have turned out for Pope Leo XIV's Mass at Paris' iconic Place de la Concorde, a sign of the Catholic Church's enduring appeal in the once staunchly Catholic but officially secular country.
Zeit Online
saarbruecker-zeitung.deHere you can find information on the topic "Catholic Church". Read now "700,000 people at the Pope's Mass in Paris".
France is considered the "oldest daughter of the Church". The relationship between Paris and the Vatican is not free of tensions - but nevertheless Leo XIV is celebrated by a huge crowd.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
