Pope Leo XIV concludes three-day France visit with 800,000 at Paris mass and Lourdes pilgrimage
Pope Leo XIV met President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, gathered 800,000 faithful on the Champs-Elysees, and concluded his three-day apostolic trip with an open-air mass in Lourdes.
Three-day apostolic journey across France
Pope Leo XIV concluded his three-day apostolic journey to France on Sunday, 27 September 2026, traveling between Paris and Lourdes. The visit began on Friday, 25 September, when French President Emmanuel Macron received the pontiff at the Elysee Palace. Pope Leo XIV subsequently addressed the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), commending the multinational institution for its role in international cooperation. In his discussions with Macron, the Pope criticized the international arms race, arguing that peace requires more than an equilibrium of military forces and mutual fears.
- Meeting with President Macron, address at UNESCO, and evening youth vigil at Stade de France
- Open-air mass on the Champs-Elysees and Place de la Concorde with 800,000 worshippers
- Sanctuary mass, prayer at the apparition grotto, and meeting with sick pilgrims in Lourdes
Paris gatherings and Notre-Dame vespers
On Friday afternoon, the pontiff celebrated vespers inside Notre-Dame Cathedral before an emotional veneration in the restored building. Later that evening, Pope Leo XIV joined 80,000 young Catholics aged 17 to 35 for a musical and prayer gathering at the Stade de France. Speaking to clergy and worshippers at Notre-Dame, he urged the Catholic community to remain an open sanctuary rather than withdrawing from contemporary society.
The Christian community does not constitute a shelter in which one would retreat to protect oneself from one's era, but, like ancient cathedrals, a space of welcome, respect, revelation, and meaning for all.
The logistical operation for the Paris events required four months of joint coordination between the Vatican and the Paris police prefecture. General Hervé Wattecamps, coordinator of the papal visit in Paris, confirmed that teams carried out multiple rehearsals to secure the venues and maintain smooth public movement.
Everything was timed down to the millimeter, of course. There was preparation, rehearsals with the Vatican, which came several times with the police prefecture to ensure that everything would proceed simply and smoothly.
Open-air mass on the Champs-Elysees
The largest gathering took place on Saturday, 26 September, when 800,000 worshippers filled the Avenue des Champs-Elysees and the Place de la Concorde. Organizers installed approximately 40 giant screens across the avenue so the public could follow the open-air service. Under 3,000 white umbrellas, designated volunteers distributed 500,000 communion wafers to attending worshippers. During the gathering, the pontiff urged young believers to keep their hearts open to the suffering of their peers, while reiterating Catholic positions against abortion and euthanasia.
- Stade de France youth gathering
- 80000 people
- Champs-Elysees and Concorde mass
- 800000 people
Mass and meetings in Lourdes
On Sunday, 27 September, Pope Leo XIV traveled to Lourdes in the Hautes-Pyrenees for the third day of his visit. Local authorities halted vehicular traffic across the town at 7:30 as charter buses transported arriving pilgrims directly to the sanctuary. Pope Leo XIV made a brief stop to visit cloistered nuns before leading an 11:00 open-air mass for tens of thousands of worshippers on the sanctuary plain. Following the service, the pontiff prayed at the Massabielle apparition grotto and met with sick and disabled pilgrims at the Accueil Notre-Dame. During his appearances in Lourdes, the Pope addressed the scourge of sexual abuse in the church and reaffirmed his opposition to assisted dying.
