Pope Leo XIV celebrates open-air Mass in front of 800,000 people in central Paris
More than 800,000 people filled the streets of central Paris to hear Pope Leo XIV say Mass on Saturday, according to Vatican estimates. The pontiff rounded out the second day of his four-day apostolic visit to France by praying at the Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, a renowned pilgrimage site for Catholics from across the world.
Pope Leo XIV celebrated an open-air Mass in central Paris, drawing an estimated 800,000 people to the event. The Mass took place on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, stretching from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. According to SABC News, chants of "Leo, Leo" and "Long live the Pope" echoed through the crowd as the Pope arrived in an open-top popemobile, blessing people with disabilities, children, and babies.
The Pope urged Catholics to find happiness in faith, not material things, telling them that "only God can fill the emptiness within us." The event was attended by several high-profile figures, including Brigitte Macron, the French president's wife, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, and Bernard Arnault, the billionaire chairman of French luxury group LVMH.
After the Mass, the Pope traveled to Lourdes, a renowned pilgrimage site for Catholics, where he prayed at the Grotto of Massabielle, according to France 24. On Sunday, he was due to meet with French bishops, celebrate an outdoor Mass, and meet with staff and sick people at the Accueil Notre-Dame, as well as survivors of sexual abuse by priests and other Catholic personnel.
Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, Euronews, SABC News, Channel News Asia, PBS NewsHour — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
