Several hundred thousand people gather for Pope Leo’s mass in Paris

What the report says

Several hundred thousand people gathered in Paris on Saturday for Pope Leo XIV’s open-air Mass, with the Vatican estimating attendance at 700,000. According to Al Jazeera, the event took place at Place de la Concorde after the pope traveled there in the popemobile along the Champs-Élysées, waving to crowds before leading prayers.

The Mass was part of a four-day visit to France, which Al Jazeera said is the first official papal trip to the country in 18 years. The report noted that the pope’s visit comes as the Catholic Church seeks to strengthen its position in largely secular France, where it has faced the fallout from a major abuse inquiry and public debate over assisted dying. French President Emmanuel Macron did not attend the Mass, with his wife Brigitte representing him, while far-right political figure Marine Le Pen was among those present.

Al Jazeera also said the pope met Macron on Friday and addressed officials at the Élysée Palace, where he praised France’s diversity and warned about the social risks of artificial intelligence. The pontiff is expected to continue to Lourdes, where he is due to meet victims of clergy abuse. The large turnout in Paris, along with earlier crowds along the route to Notre-Dame Cathedral, underscores the public interest in the visit and the continuing visibility of the papacy in France.