Crowds greet Pope Leo on Champs-Élysées before Paris Mass
Crowds cheered Pope Leo XIV along the Champs-Élysées before an outdoor Mass in Paris. A France 24 correspondent reported live from the city. The event drew large numbers of people ahead of the service.
Pope Leo XIV’s Paris visit on 26 September 2026 included a procession along the Champs-Élysées, where crowds gathered before an open-air Mass. Reports indicated hundreds of thousands attended the parade, with roughly 600,000 worshippers expected at the service, described as the tour’s biggest event.
During the France trip, the pope was also scheduled to meet survivors of French sexual abuse and to visit migrants and marginalised people. He addressed themes of dignified, peaceful coexistence and suggested that secularism can coexist with religious belief. This was France’s first papal state visit in 18 years.
The visit may draw attention to Catholic communities in France and to survivors of abuse, whose experiences could receive wider public focus. Large gatherings could affect Paris traffic, security, and local businesses, while the pope’s messages on peace, dignity, and secularity may prompt public reflection on religion’s place in a diverse society. The event could also strengthen civic conversations, though its long-term impact remains uncertain.