Paris: Pope Leo XIV to celebrate Mass before huge crowd
Around 600,000 people have registered to attend a Mass at the Place de la Concorde, near the Champs-Elysees. Pope Leo XIV is on a four-day visit to France.
Pope Leo XIV is set to celebrate Mass for an estimated 600,000 attendees in central Paris on Saturday. The service is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) at Place de la Concorde, close to the Champs-Elysees. This visit marks Pope Leo's first to France since his election last year and is part of a four-day tour encompassing Paris, Lourdes, and Metz.
The large crowd has been queuing for hours, with many parents and children eager to witness the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. Pope Leo's appearance is expected to foster Christian fervor, as expressed by teacher Sylvie Leclerc. Earlier, the pontiff visited a social center and met with recently baptized adults. On Friday, around 300,000 people gathered to see him wave from his popemobile on the way to Notre Dame Cathedral, which underwent restoration following a 2019 fire.
French President Emmanuel Macron will not attend the Mass, but far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Edouard Philippe have confirmed their presence.
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