Pope Leo XIV draws 700,000 to Paris open-air Mass during four-day visit to France

Massive gathering on Place de la Concorde

Pope Leo XIV led an open-air Mass on Saturday, 26 September, at Place de la Concorde and along the Champs-Élysées in Paris. According to Vatican figures, over 700,000 people attended the service, with crowds stretching past the Arc de Triomphe along Avenue de la Grande Armée for more than two kilometers. Pilgrims arrived on chartered buses from across France, equipped with folding chairs and papal flags, while transport authorities closed approximately ten metro stations. Several French political figures and prospective 2027 presidential candidates attended, including Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Marine Le Pen, Jordan Bardella, Gabriel Attal, and Édouard Philippe. President Emmanuel Macron, who received the Pope on Friday at the airport and the Élysée Palace, was represented at the service by his wife, Brigitte Macron.

Youth vigil and cathedral reopening

The weekend liturgy followed earlier events across the French capital on Friday, 25 September. Pope Leo XIV became the first pontiff to enter Notre-Dame Cathedral since its December 2024 reopening, seven years after the April 2019 fire. Approximately 300,000 people gathered along the Seine to view the motorcade, while 8,000 attendees filled the cathedral and its forecourt, where Archbishop Laurent Ulrich and rector Olivier Ribadeau-Dumas welcomed the pontiff. Later on Friday evening, more than 80,000 young people assembled at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis for a vigil featuring contemporary Christian artists, an exposition of the Holy Tunic of Argenteuil, and fireworks. Bishop of Saint-Denis Étienne Guillet described the response of the audience.

The Pope addresses young people directly, without ever judging them. His word is demanding, and today's youth is looking precisely for this requirement. In addition, in a deeply divided society, faith offers moments of communion that are absolutely necessary.

Ethical warnings and migrant support

On Saturday morning, Pope Leo XIV visited Maison Bakhita, a diocesan migrant support association established following a 2017 initiative by Pope Francis to provide language courses, workshops, and medical assistance. Speaking with Afghan and Nigerian exiles, the pontiff urged French society to uphold human dignity for all individuals. During an official address at the Élysée Palace on Friday before President Macron, diplomats, and civil society representatives, the Pope outlined ethical concerns regarding technological and medical developments.

I firmly reaffirm that the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right.

The pontiff warned against treating technology as a purely commercial pursuit, criticizing genetic manipulation, commercial surrogacy, organ trade, and assisted dying.

Security deployment and national itinerary

French authorities established extensive security protocols across the four-day papal journey, deploying 15,000 police officers and gendarmes alongside 17,000 volunteers under an operational budget of 27 million euros. Following the Mass on the Champs-Élysées, Pope Leo XIV scheduled a departure on Saturday evening for the Marian sanctuary in Lourdes. The papal tour concludes on Monday, 28 September, with official and pastoral events in Metz.