Pope Leo XIV Draws Paris Crowds
Pope Leo XIV's first visit to France drew huge crowds for an outdoor Mass in Paris.
What happened
Pope Leo XIV drew about 700,000 people to a giant open-air Mass in central Paris, far beyond registrations. The Mass followed a procession down the Champs-Élysées to Place de la Concorde, one of France’s most symbolic public spaces. The visit is his first official papal trip to France in 18 years, during a four-day tour that includes Notre Dame and Lourdes. President Emmanuel Macron stayed away, citing France’s separation of church and state, while other political figures attended or were expected. Leo urged Catholics to share their faith, warned about secularization and artificial intelligence, and praised young French Catholics. His tour continues with more stops.
From the left
Only one left-leaning outlet we track covered this: The Guardian, under the headline “Pope Leo celebrates open-air mass before 700,000 people in Paris”.
From the right
Only one right-leaning outlet we track covered this: Washington Examiner, under the headline “Hundreds of thousands turn out for Pope Leo along Champs-Élysées”.
Pope Leo's first papal visit to France in 18 years attracts 700,000 worshipers for Mass, Vatican says
Pope Leo XIV fills central Paris with 700,000-strong crowd and fervor at giant outdoor Mass
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