Pope Leo XIV leads Paris mass for hundreds of thousands

Champs-Élysées Mass Draws Hundreds of Thousands

Crowds stretched more than two kilometers across central Paris from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. Attendees waved white and yellow flags and pressed against security barriers as the pontiff passed in an open-top popemobile, according to Reuters reporting. Chants of “Leo, Leo” and “Long live the Pope” echoed down the boulevard.

The vehicle paused frequently along the route, allowing Leo to bless babies, children, and people with disabilities who were passed forward by volunteers. Geraldine Pambou, a 42-year-old attendee, told Reuters she hoped the pope would continue speaking out for global peace.

Political Attendance and State Relations

While French President Emmanuel Macron held an hour of talks with Leo on Friday, September 25, 2026, he did not attend the Masses. Macron’s absence avoided breaching France’s strict separation of state and religion. However, the ceremony at the Place de la Concorde drew Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Brigitte Macron.

Several candidates for upcoming presidential elections also appeared at the venue. The presence of Marine Le Pen of the National Rally party, conservative Bruno Retailleau, and centrists Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal was noted.

Warnings on AI and Multilateral Diplomacy

During his four-day, three-city trip, Pope Leo addressed broader global issues. In a speech at the Paris headquarters of UNESCO, the UN culture and education body, he warned that multilateral groups were in crisis. He also cautioned against the unchecked development of artificial intelligence, telling French leaders that AI could create a future where “a paradise of machines” takes control of the Earth, as reported by Reuters.

Earlier on Saturday, the pope visited the Maison Bakhita center, an association supporting refugees. He praised the organization for inviting people to “see those who are invisible” and emphasized the fundamental role of women in building a civilization of love.

Decline in French Church Affiliation

Pope Leo’s visit comes amid a steady decline in affiliation with the Catholic Church in France since World War II. Official statistics agency INSEE reported that only 25% of French 18-to-49-year-olds identified as Catholic, down from 43% a decade prior.

Despite the broader decline, the French Bishops’ Conference recorded 21,000 adult baptisms last Easter. Speaking with newly baptized Catholics at the Catholic University of Paris, Leo urged the local church not to be “naively optimistic” about the numbers, stating that leaders must protect the “small flame that the Holy Spirit has kindled in the darkness of the night.”

Upcoming Schedule in Lourdes and Metz

Following the Paris events, Pope Leo will travel to the Pyrenean shrine at Lourdes, where 150,000 people have signed up to attend Mass. On Sunday, September 27, 2026, he is scheduled to meet seven French victims of clergy abuse. On Monday, he will visit Metz to pay tribute to European Union founding father Robert Schuman.