Pope Leo XIV celebrates Paris Mass before crowd of 800,000
Pope Leo XIV led an open-air Mass in central Paris on Saturday, with the Vatican citing French authorities for an attendance of 800,000. He traveled along the Champs-Élysées in the Popemobile before the service at Place de la Concorde. French political figures attended, while President Emmanuel Macron stayed away, a decision attributed to France's separation of church and state.
Pope Leo XIV’s four-day French trip began Friday. After the Paris Mass, he went to Lourdes, a Marian pilgrimage destination, and planned a Monday stop in Metz, near Germany, for an address about Europe. Earlier Saturday he visited a social center and met recently baptized adults.
The Vatican’s crowd estimate came from French officials. Attendees included Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Marine Le Pen, Brigitte Macron and Bernard Arnault. President Macron stayed away, a choice linked to France’s church-state separation. In his homily, Leo urged trust in God over material goods and fleeting idols.
The Paris Mass may strengthen public visibility of Catholicism in France, where baptism trends show adult baptisms rising while infant baptisms decline. Believers and church leaders could see renewed attention; non-religious citizens may debate the role of faith in a secular state, especially given Macron’s absence. The Lourdes and Metz stops may also shape conversations about religion and Europe, though concrete effects remain uncertain.