Pope Leo XIV in France: 600K expected for Paris Mass
Pope Leo XIV begins a four-day visit to France on Friday, with over 600,000 people expected to attend a giant Mass in central Paris.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Pope Leo XIV embarks on a four-day official visit to France starting Friday.
- Over 600,000 Catholic faithful are expected along the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
- President Emmanuel Macron will greet the Pope and discuss AI and geopolitics.
- The itinerary includes meetings with migrants and victims of clerical abuse.
Pope Leo XIV is set to begin a four-day visit to France this Friday, featuring a massive highlight event consisting of a giant Mass in the heart of central Paris that is projected to draw enormous crowds.
For Saturday afternoon's celebration, an altar has been erected at the Place de la Concorde, while police have sealed off the surrounding area of the Champs-Élysées to manage the massive influx of attendees stretching toward the Arc de Triomphe.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
French President Emmanuel Macron will greet the pontiff at Orly airport on Friday morning before holding discussions at the Élysée Palace covering geopolitical matters and artificial intelligence, followed by a joint speech in Metz.
While President Macron will skip the Masses to maintain France's strict state and religion separation laws, his wife Brigitte and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will represent the administration alongside various political figures.
This apostolic journey takes place against the backdrop of a deeply secularized French society where regular churchgoers have dramatically decreased over decades. Yet, recent data revealing a sharp rise in adult baptisms indicates a shifting cultural landscape, with spiritual resurgence finding a foothold among modern Europeans.
On Monday, the Pope will travel to Metz to honor European Union founding father Robert Schuman, alongside holding crucial private meetings with migrants in Paris and abuse survivors in Lourdes.
Source: BBC World
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