Pope Leo XIV draws about 800,000 to open-air Mass in Paris

Pope Leo XIV celebrated an open-air Mass in central Paris on Saturday before a crowd the Vatican estimated at about 800,000 people.

Hundreds of thousands packed the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde, with attendance roughly 200,000 above advance registrations, according to Al Jazeera. Before the service, the pope greeted cheering, flag-waving crowds from his popemobile during a 2-kilometre parade along the boulevard.

A large stage topped by a golden cross was erected at Place de la Concorde, where clergy, choir members and worshippers gathered. Organisers said the square was the only central Paris site capable of accommodating such a crowd. Its use drew criticism from some supporters of France’s strict separation of church and state, who argued that the square is a symbol of the French Republic and that another venue would have been more appropriate.

The Mass took place during the second day of the pope’s four-day apostolic visit to France. He later prayed at the Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, an internationally known Catholic pilgrimage site.

During the visit, Pope Leo also urged concessions to end the war in Ukraine, according to Reuters and Politico. The New York Times reported that he praised European democracy, while Vatican News quoted him as saying Europe’s future lies not in uniformity but in “the harmony of differences.”