Pope Leo XIV fills central Paris with 700,000-strong crowd and fervor at giant outdoor Mass

PARIS — Hundreds of thousands of Parisians gathered on the Iconic Champs‑Élysées avenue for Pope Leo XIV’s massive outdoor Mass on Saturday, underscoring the Catholic Church’s continuing relevance in a country that remains officially secular yet still holds strong religious roots.

The visited the streets from his popemobile while welcoming flag‑waving, cheering fans during a two‑kilometre (≈1.2 mi) procession up the grand boulevard toward the Place de la Concorde for Mass—a symbolic focal point of Paris representing the French republic.

The Vatican reported that roughly 700,000 individuals attended—exceeding the 600,000 who had pre‑registered—and the massive turnout reflected the Church’s ongoing influence across France, even as declining attendance and steep secularisation erode worship attendance elsewhere in Europe.

In his homily, the Pope urged the congregation to share their faith broadly. He declared, “Let it overflow so that those you meet may be refreshed and their thirst satisfied.”

“‘From this beautiful city of Paris, I pray fervently that the living water of the Holy Spirit may flow throughout France,’ he wrote,”

“Despite heavy traffic restrictions imposed to secure the centre of Paris, the festive scene attracted people regardless of creed or lack thereof. The energy resonated across eras; families presented infants and toddlers, allowing the Pope to gently caress their heads from beneath the popemobile.”

“The message of Pope Leo extends far beyond Catholics; he frequently emphasizes social justice, for instance,” said Leontine Joseph, 42, a devout Catholic accompanied by two Moroccan friends who grew up in a Muslim milieu.

Leo has worked to inspire French Catholics to uphold their faith amid a secular world. His four‑day visit opened on Friday with his arrival and prayer at the newly consecrated Notre‑Dame, marking the first papal Mass since the 2019 fire. Following Paris, the Pope plans a pilgrimage to the shrine at Lourdes.

At the Catholic Institute of Paris on Saturday morning, the Pope expressed surprise at the surge of new converts in recent years and thanked what he called God’s “unfathomable work” in defying prevailing statistical and sociological predictions.

“We must recognise, embrace and safeguard the tiny spark that the Holy Spirit has ignited in the night’s darkness—the fragile seed still seeking growth against the thorns,” he declared.

“The annual count of adult baptisms in France has more than doubled since 2016, reaching 13,000 in the current year. Nevertheless, analysts warn that the increase mirrors trends seen in secular Spain and does not reverse the overall decline.”

The figure rose from 513,000 baptisms in 1980 to 186,000 in 2024.”

The sea of spectators that crowded central Paris eclipsed other large‑scale civic celebrations, mirroring the fervour seen during France’s 1998 and 2018 World Cup triumphs on the Champs‑Élysées.

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