Pope Leo draws 800,000 to Paris Mass in a secular France

Hundreds of thousands of people packed Paris' Champs-Elysees on Saturday for an open-air Mass led by Pope Leo XIV, underlining the Catholic Church's continuing pull in officially secular France. The Vatican estimated the turnout at 800,000, around 200,000 more than the number registered in advance.

The American pope travelled in his popemobile along a 2-km route to Place de la Concorde, where he celebrated Mass at one of the symbolic centres of the French republic. During the service, Leo urged people not to keep their faith to themselves, but to instead "let it overflow, so that those you meet may be refreshed and their thirst satisfied." He added: "From this beautiful city of Paris, I pray fervently that the living water of the Holy Spirit may flow throughout France."

Despite extensive security arrangements that shut central Paris to road traffic, the atmosphere remained festive and drew people from different generations, faiths and backgrounds, including many who were not Catholic. As the pope rode slowly through the crowd, people brought babies and young children forward for him to bless. "The message of Pope Leo goes well beyond Catholic people; he speaks about social justice, for example," said Leontine Joseph, 42, who attended with two friends of Moroccan origin who grew up in Muslim culture.

Leo has used his four-day visit to encourage French Catholics to hold on to their faith "even amid the thorns" of an increasingly secular world. His trip began on Friday with a prayer visit to the restored Notre Dame, the first by a pope since the cathedral's 2019 fire. Speaking at the Catholic Institute of Paris on Saturday morning, he said he was surprised by the number of new converts in recent years. "We must recognise, welcome and protect the small flame that the Holy Spirit has kindled in the darkness of the night, the tiny seed that strives to grow even amid the thorns," he said.

Adult baptisms in France each year have tripled since 2016 and reached 13,000 this year. But the wider trend remains downward. In 1980, there were 513,000 baptisms in France, compared with 186,000 in 2024. After Paris, Leo was due to travel to the Catholic shrine at Lourdes.

The large turnout and the enthusiasm in the streets echoed other major public gatherings in France, including the celebrations on the Champs-Elysees after the country's football World Cup wins in 1998 and 2018. Many who attended said they had come for the pope's message rather than out of religious identity. "People are seeing a lot of really terrible images. This kind of event reminds people of what is really important in life," said Thierry Chen, a 40-year-old Parisian startup entrepreneur who is not Catholic. "You see a lot of different people here, so it's not just about one race, religion or nation, but about a common belief in humankind."

Sylvane Le Goff, 68, who lives in the Paris region, said she brought her 10- and 12-year-old grandchildren to "give them unforgettable memories". Raised Catholic but not practising, she said: "It's not only about seeing the pope but it also is about his message of peace and unity, values I'd like to share with them." Leo had already drawn huge numbers on Friday night, when around 80,000 young people filled the national stadium for fireworks and a theatrical retelling of French Catholic history. Speaking off the cuff in French, he told them: "Thank you for your courage! Thank you for your presence. Thank you for your faith. You are the saints of France!"

The Mass also added a new layer to the history of Place de la Concorde, a site associated with both the French Revolution and modern national events. Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were executed there, Bastille Day celebrations are traditionally held there, and it hosted several urban sports during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Organisers said it was the only place in central Paris large enough for the gathering, though some supporters of France's strict secular tradition said another venue, such as Les Invalides where Pope Benedict XVI held a Mass in 2008, would have been more suitable.

For some in the crowd, the Mass was also deeply personal. Jean-Claude Farnabe, who turned 63 on Saturday, spent the morning securing a place. A lifelong Catholic who attends Mass every Sunday in the Paris suburb of Suresnes, he said: "There are more and more converts. Many youngsters are interested in faith and in God. Every Sunday, I see new people, people aged between 25 and 40, who are getting baptised." The day as a whole reflected both the scale of Leo's appeal and the continuing place of faith in France's public life.