Pope Leo XIV draws 700,000 to Paris Mass amid France’s secular shift

Paris: Around 700,000 people gathered along Paris’ iconic Champs-Élysées and at the Place de la Concorde on Saturday for an outdoor Mass led by Pope Leo XIV, in a major public display of Catholic faith in France.

The American pope travelled about 2 kilometres along the Champs-Élysées in his popemobile, greeting flag-waving crowds as he made his way towards the Place de la Concorde, one of the French capital’s most prominent public spaces.

The Vatican estimated that about 700,000 people attended the event, exceeding the 600,000 who had registered in advance. The turnout came despite decades of declining church attendance and growing secularism in France and across Europe.

During his homily, Leo urged Catholics not to keep their faith private.

“Let it overflow, so that those you meet may be refreshed and their thirst satisfied,” he said, praying that the “living water of the Holy Spirit” would flow throughout France.

Central Paris was largely closed to road traffic for security reasons, but the event drew people from different religious backgrounds as well as those who do not identify as religious. Families brought children to see the pope as he travelled slowly through the crowds.

Leo has used his four-day visit to encourage French Catholics to maintain their faith despite the country's increasingly secular society. His visit began on Friday with a prayer at the restored Notre Dame cathedral, marking the first papal visit there since the 2019 fire. He is due to travel to Lourdes after his time in Paris.

Speaking at the Catholic Institute of Paris on Saturday morning, Leo said he had been surprised by the number of adult converts to Catholicism in recent years. He described the development as evidence of what he called God's “unfathomable work”.

France recorded around 13,000 adult baptisms this year, about three times the number recorded in 2016. However, the increase has not reversed the broader decline in baptisms. France recorded 513,000 baptisms in 1980, compared with 186,000 in 2024.

The crowds in Paris included people who were not practising Catholics but said they had come to hear the pope's message. Some attendees highlighted his focus on peace, social justice and unity.

The visit has already drawn large crowds. Around 80,000 young people attended a vigil at the national stadium north of Paris on Friday night, where fireworks and a theatrical presentation on French Catholic history were held.

Leo, 71, remained at the event until almost 11pm and thanked the young people in French, praising their faith and presence.

Saturday's Mass was held at the Place de la Concorde, a square with deep historical significance in France. It was used as an execution site during the French Revolution, where King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were guillotined, and has since become closely associated with the French Republic and major national events.

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The choice of the location for the Mass drew criticism from some supporters of France's strict model of secularism, based on the 1905 law separating church and state. Critics argued that the square symbolises the Republic and that another venue, such as the Invalides, would have been more appropriate.

The Invalides hosted Pope Benedict XVI's Mass in 2008, which attracted around 240,000 people.

For some attendees, however, the gathering was primarily about experiencing the pope's message. Thierry Chen, a 40-year-old Parisian entrepreneur who is not Catholic, said the event offered a reminder of values that could bring people together.

For lifelong Catholic Jean-Claude Farnabe, the gathering also marked his 63rd birthday. He said he had recently noticed more young people showing interest in Catholicism and attending Mass in his local parish.