Pope Leo XIV draws a sea of people!
Paris, Sep 26 (EFE).- By Cristina Cabrejas
Pope Leo XIV was greeted by hundreds of thousands of faithful as he rode through the Champs-Élysées in the popemobile before celebrating Mass for an estimated 700,000 people at Place de la Concorde, the largest event of his visit to France.
The pontiff traveled to the Arc de Triomphe in an official vehicle before boarding the popemobile for the 2.5-km procession along the Champs-Élysées.
During the 40-minute journey, he repeatedly stopped to kiss and bless children brought to the barriers, in a powerful display of Catholic fervor in one of Europe’s most secular countries.
Around the venue, priests heard confessions in improvised confessionals set up along sidewalks as pilgrims waited for the celebration to begin.
Although nearly 600,000 people had registered in advance, organizers later raised the attendance estimate to 700,000.
The crowd filled a three-kilometer route stretching from Place de la Concorde along the Champs-Élysées, through Place Charles de Gaulle and the Arc de Triomphe, to Avenue de la Grande Armée.
Most worshipers watched the Mass on giant screens, while only a few thousand people were able to gather near the altar in Place de la Concorde.
The previous papal Mass at the same location, celebrated by Benedict XVI in 2008, drew about 260,000 faithful.
“I have come to strengthen you in your faith”
In his homily, Leo XIV urged the faithful in France to build “a renewed nation from its Christian roots.”
“They thirst for God, for life, for truth, for unity, for peace, for communion and for happiness,” the Pope said. “Aspire to rediscover a bright horizon, to build a renewed nation from its roots, watered by faith.”
He said his visit was intended to strengthen believers’ faith and encourage them to “radiate and transmit without ceasing the life, peace and love of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ.”
Reflecting on modern society, Leo XIV spoke of the emptiness many people experience, saying they often seek to fill it with “new pleasures” and material possessions or by constantly distracting themselves to avoid confronting their inner unease.
He proposed faith as the answer, adding that “for God, none of us is a number or a serial code, but a unique and irreplaceable person.”
Among the faithful, banners called for peace alongside more contemporary slogans such as “Keep Calm and Pray Jesus.”
“Peace for the world. That is the most important message he is giving us all,” Sonia Macías, who traveled from Colombia for the Pope’s visit, told EFE.
“We are Catholics, fervent admirers of the Pope. It is a great dream to see him, and we are immensely happy to finally fulfill it,” added fellow Colombian Alex Beltrán.
French political figures attend
Among those attending the Mass were Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, and several leading contenders in France’s 2027 presidential race.
Also present were National Rally figures Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet, Senate President Gérard Larcher, centrist politicians Gabriel Attal and Édouard Philippe, conservative Bruno Retailleau, former President Nicolas Sarkozy, and former prime ministers Michel Barnier and Dominique de Villepin.
The Mass marked the conclusion of the Paris leg of Leo XIV’s visit. He will now travel to Lourdes, France’s most important Catholic pilgrimage site, where he is scheduled to meet vulnerable communities and survivors of clerical abuse. EFE
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