Pope prays at Lourdes after huge Paris mass
LOURDES, France: Pope Leo XIV prayed for France on Saturday at its holy shrine in Lourdes, after riding along the Champs Elysees in the popemobile and holding an emotional open-air mass in front of hundreds of thousands of worshippers in Paris.
Pope Leo XIV led worshippers in a massive mass at Paris's Place de la Concorde on Saturday, a day after praying for France at the country's holy shrine in Lourdes. The 71-year-old pontiff, who is leading a four-day trip to France, the world's 1.4 billion Catholics' most populous nation with strong Catholic roots, has been on the first official papal visit there in nearly two decades.
The mass in the French capital saw around 800,000 people gathered beyond the Arc de Triomphe, with the Pope wearing white liturgical vestments and accompanied by choral and organ music as the sun broke through the grey skies.
In Lourdes, the Pope prayed at the Grotto of Massabielle, the site where, according to Catholic tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to a peasant girl in 1858. He touched the rock, lit a candle, and drank spring water, rituals observed by many pilgrims at the cave.
The Pope's visit comes ahead of a presidential election, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Edouard Philippe among the presidential hopefuls. The Pope prayed for France to have wise and generous leaders who would serve the common good and uphold fundamental human rights and peace.
The Pope's visit also included meeting migrants at Maison Bakhita, an association supporting refugees, where he emphasized the importance of living together in dignity and peace.
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