600,000 expected for Pope Leo’s Paris Mass

Pope Leo XIV has begun a four-day visit to France, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to attend a major open-air Mass in central Paris. About 600,000 people have registered for Saturday’s celebration near the Champs-Élysées, making it one of the largest gatherings of Leo’s pontificate so far.

Mass Preparations Underway

An altar has been constructed at the Place de la Concorde, while authorities have closed large sections of the Champs-Élysées ahead of the event. The crowd is expected to extend along the avenue towards the Arc de Triomphe and surrounding areas as security measures remain in place.

Macron Welcomes Pope

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Pope Leo at Orly airport and is due to hold talks with him at the Élysée Palace. Their discussions are expected to cover geopolitical issues and artificial intelligence, while the two leaders are also scheduled to appear together in Metz later during the visit.

President to Skip Papal Masses

Macron will not attend the Pope’s Masses, reflecting France’s strict separation between the state and religion. His wife, Brigitte Macron, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu are expected to attend the Paris celebration instead. Several prominent French political figures are also expected to be present.

Notre-Dame and Young People

After travelling through Paris in the Popemobile and visiting Notre-Dame, Pope Leo is scheduled to meet about 80,000 young people at the Stade de France. The gathering is part of a programme that places young Catholics and questions about faith at the centre of the visit.

Lourdes Mass on Sunday

The Pope will travel to Lourdes on Sunday, where about 150,000 people are expected to attend Mass at the famous Catholic sanctuary. He will also meet survivors of sexual abuse by members of the Catholic clergy during the visit.

Church Abuse Crisis

The meeting with abuse survivors comes as the Catholic Church continues to deal with the consequences of France’s 2021 investigation into clerical abuse. The report estimated that about 330,000 children were abused by Catholic clergy and lay figures over several decades.

Final Stop in Metz

The four-day visit will conclude in Metz, northeastern France, where Leo will pay tribute to Robert Schuman, one of the founding figures of European integration. The Pope is expected to speak about Europe, peace and unity during his final engagements.

Pope’s French Connection

Born in Chicago in 1955 as Robert Prevost, Pope Leo also has family ties to France. His paternal grandmother was born in Le Havre, Normandy, in 1894 before later moving to the United States.

France’s Catholic History

France has a long and complicated relationship with the Catholic Church. The papacy was based in Avignon during the 14th century, while the country later played an important role in European Catholic politics. France was historically described as the “Eldest Daughter of the Church”, although other countries adopted Christianity earlier.

Secular France Sees Renewed Interest

France has become increasingly secular, with fewer than half of its population now identifying as Catholic. Regular church attendance has also declined sharply over the decades, while the number of priests has fallen substantially.

Adult Baptisms Increase

Despite the decline in traditional religious practice, the Church has reported signs of renewed interest in Catholicism. Adult baptisms in France have more than doubled in recent years, reaching about 10,000 in 2025, according to figures cited around the Pope’s visit.

A Major Papal Visit

Leo’s journey is the first formal papal visit to France in nearly two decades. While Pope Francis visited French territory several times, his trips focused on individual locations rather than a nationwide visit. Benedict XVI was the last pope to make a formal visit to France, in 2008.