Around 800,000 people gathered on Saturday for Pope Leo XIV’s open-air Mass on the Champs-Élysées in Paris — the highlight of his visit to France. In his homily, the pontiff urged Catholics not to seek happiness in material things, emphasising that only God can fill the inner void.
Briefly about the main points
- Around 800,000 people attended the Mass celebrated by Leo XIV in the centre of Paris.
- The crowd stretched for about two kilometres along the Champs-Élysées.
- At UNESCO, the Pope spoke about the crisis facing multilateral institutions and the risks posed by AI.
- The Pope has called on the French Church to take a measured view of the growth in the number of new believers.
- He is due to meet seven victims in Lourdes on Sunday.
Crowds filled the route from Zgoda Square to the Arc de Triomphe
People occupied a stretch of the avenue approximately two kilometres long between Zgoda Square and the Triumphal Arch. During The arrival of Leo XIV From the open-top popemobile, shouts of «Lion, Lion» and «Long live the Pope» rang out over the crowd.
The car stopped frequently: the Pope blessed people with disabilities, children and babies, whom volunteers brought closer to him. Among those attending the service were the wife of the French President, Brigitte Macron; Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu; and the leader of the far-right Marine Le Pen and Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH.
The faithful began to gather even before dawn, awaiting Mass later that afternoon. After the service, 67-year-old Benoît Didier-Anglad said he was struck by the clarity with which the Pope spoke in French about rejecting the easy path and distractions.
In Paris, the pontiff spoke about diplomacy, peace and the limits of artificial intelligence
The day before, at UNESCO headquarters, Leo XIV stated that the UN and other multilateral organisations are in crisis. At the same time, he called for a restoration of trust in genuine dialogue and international cooperation, which are essential for tackling the challenges that individual states cannot overcome on their own.
It was the first papal visit to UNESCO in 46 years. The Pope also called on French leaders to reconsider their approach to the development of artificial intelligence, warning against a future in which a «paradise of machines» would take control of the Earth.
Leo XIV has repeatedly called for peace. His criticism of the war in Iran had previously drawn rebuke from US President Donald Trump.
Record numbers of adult baptisms have not halted the long-standing secularisation of France
Before Mass, the Pope met with newly baptised Catholics at the Catholic University of Paris. He advised the French Church not to be «naively optimistic» about the recent increase in the number of believers, but to nurture this fragile beginning.
The French Bishops’ Conference reported a record 21,000 adult baptisms last Easter. At the same time, figures from INSEE show that 25% French people aged between 18 and 49 identified as Catholic, whereas ten years ago this figure stood at 43%.
France enshrined the separation of church and state in law as far back as 1905. The decline in religious self-identification in the country is in line with a trend that is also evident in other traditionally Catholic nations.
In Lourdes, Pope Leo XIV is due to meet with victims of abuse by the clergy
Later on Saturday, the Pope will travel to Lourdes, home to a Catholic shrine. On Sunday, he is scheduled to meet there with seven French victims of abuse by members of the clergy.
The visit is taking place five years after a report on such abuses caused nationwide shock. Since 1 September, a permanent independent body, Iniave, has been operating in France to support victims throughout restorative justice processes.
King Louis XIV’s four-day itinerary covers three cities and will run until Monday.
