Pope Leo XIV draws 700,000 to Paris Mass, reviving faith debate in France

Pope Leo XIV celebrated an open-air Mass before a vast crowd in central Paris. The turnout and venue row highlighted renewed interest in faith in secular France.

In Short

• Notre Dame prayers and upcoming Lourdes stop framed the four-day visit
• Families lifted children for blessings as festive crowds crossed faith lines
• Adult baptisms in France have tripled since 2016, reaching 13,000

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on Paris' Champs-Elysees on Saturday for Pope Leo XIV's outdoor Mass, underlining the Catholic Church's continued pull in officially secular France. The Vatican said 700,000 people attended, more than the 600,000 who had registered in advance.

The American pope travelled in his popemobile along a 2-kilometre route to the Place de la Concorde, where the Mass was held. His four-day visit, which began on Friday with prayer at the restored Notre Dame cathedral and will continue with prayer at Lourdes, has drawn large crowds and renewed attention to the place of faith in France.

Despite heavy security and road closures in central Paris, the mood was festive, with people from different faiths and also those with no faith turning up. Many waved flags and cheered, while families lifted babies and young children from the crowd for the pope to bless as he passed. Leontine Joseph, 42, who attended with two friends of Moroccan origin who grew up in Muslim culture, said, "The message of Pope Leo goes well beyond Catholic people; he speaks about social justice, for example."

Earlier on Saturday, during a visit to the Catholic Institute of Paris, Leo said he was surprised by the number of new converts in recent years and grateful for what he called God's "unfathomable work" against statistical and sociological trends. He said, "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 has urged French Catholics to remain steadfast in their faith "even amid the thorns" of a secular world.

Figures in France show that adult baptisms have tripled since 2016, reaching 13,000 this year. But that increase does not reverse the broader long-term trend, with fewer children of practising Catholics attending Mass or being baptised. In 1980, there were 513,000 baptisms in France; in 2024, the total was 186,000.

The scale and enthusiasm of Saturday's turnout echoed other big public gatherings in France, including celebrations on the Champs-Elysees after the country's football World Cup wins in 1998 and 2018. Many in the crowd said they were not practising Catholics. Thierry Chen, a 40-year-old Paris startup entrepreneur, said, "People are seeing a lot of really terrible images. This kind of event reminds people of what is really important in life." He added, "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 came with her 10- and 12-year-old grandchildren, said she wanted to "give them unforgettable memories" and open their minds. Raised Catholic but no longer 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 a strong response on Friday night, when 80,000 young people filled the national stadium north of Paris for fireworks and a theatrical retelling of French Catholic history. Speaking in French, he told them, "Thank you for your courage! Thank you for your presence," and added, "Thank you for your faith. You are the saints of France!"

The choice of the Place de la Concorde for the Mass also carried political and historical weight. Organisers said it was the only central Paris site large enough for the expected crowd, and they expanded the viewing area last week after anticipating higher numbers. But strong supporters of secularism criticised the choice, saying the square symbolises the Republic and that a site such as the Invalides, where Pope Benedict XVI held a Mass for 240,000 people in 2008, would have been more suitable. France follows a strict form of secularism in public life based on the 1905 law separating church and state. The square, designed in the late 18th century, was one of the main execution sites during the French Revolution, where Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were guillotined, and French presidents traditionally mark Bastille Day there.

For some in the crowd, the day was also personal. Jean-Claude Farnabe, who turned 63 on Saturday, spent the morning securing a place along the route. A lifelong Catholic who attends Mass every Sunday in the Paris suburb of Suresnes, he said he had seen growing interest in religion. "There are more and more converts," he said. "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 large turnout in Paris, the mix of believers and non-believers, and the debates around the venue together summed up the significance of Leo's visit to France.

With PTI Inputs

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