Pope Leo XIV draws hundreds of thousands to open-air Mass on Champs-Élysées in Paris

# What happened

Pope Leo XIV led an open-air Mass on Place de la Concorde in Paris on the second day of a four-day trip to France. He rode down the Champs-Élysées in the Popemobile before the service, greeting crowds lining the avenue who waved French and Vatican flags.

The Vatican estimated about 700,000 people stretched along more than two kilometres beyond the Arc de Triomphe. A giant white canopy served as a makeshift altar and dozens of large screens broadcast the hour-and-a-half ceremony so worshippers could follow the prayers and music.

# Atmosphere and attendance

# Security and logistics

Paris authorities sealed the city centre for the event. Helicopters circled overhead and snipers were positioned on rooftops. Organizers installed screens and infrastructure along the Champs-Élysées to manage the size of the crowd.

# Messages and earlier engagements

At the Mass the pope, dressed in white liturgical vestments, prayed and spoke on faith in a public setting. Earlier in the day he visited Maison Bakhita, an association supporting refugees and migrants, where he met migrants and said it was possible to live together "in dignity and peace." The association said the visit carried a message ahead of France's upcoming presidential election.

On previous events of the trip he addressed young adults and called them the "saints of France." He warned against leaving ethics behind amid rapid technological change, saying there was a risk of an AI-driven "paradise of machines" if ethical questions are ignored. He also urged France to remain a strong voice for peace as the war in Ukraine continued into its fifth year.

# Personal stories in the crowd

Attendees described a mixture of devotion and family ritual. One couple said they brought their two-year-old so the child could share the moment even if she would not remember it later. Others compared the turnout to the fervour seen during Pope John Paul II's visits decades ago.

# What comes next on the visit

The pope will travel to Lourdes, the southwestern pilgrimage site associated with Marian apparitions, and is scheduled to meet seven victims of clerical sex abuse on Sunday. He will end the trip in Metz, where he is due to deliver a speech about peace in Europe.

# Why it matters now

This is the first official papal visit to France in nearly 20 years and comes months before voters choose a successor to President Macron. The trip combines religious events, meetings on migration and social issues, and public interventions on ethics and peace, drawing attention across political lines.