In short
- An estimated 700,000 people attended the open-air Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV at the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
- The Mass was held on the second day of the Pope’s four-day visit to France, which began with a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron on Friday.
- Around 150,000 people have signed up to attend a Mass the Pope will celebrate on Sunday in Lourdes, in south-west France.
- Pope Leo XIV met 80,000 young people at the Stade de France on Friday and warned at the Élysée Palace against “losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines”.
- Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago in 1955 and was originally called Robert Prevost.
Pope Leo XIV celebrated an open-air Mass at the Place de la Concorde in Paris on Saturday, where an estimated 700,000 people gathered on the second day of his four-day visit to France. The pontiff travelled down the Champs-Élysées Avenue in his open-topped popemobile, waving to crowds, before the service began.
How many people attended the Mass in Paris?
An estimated 700,000 people gathered at the Place de la Concorde for the Mass, which Pope Leo XIV celebrated from a special altar. On Friday, 80,000 young people joined the Pope at the Stade de France in northern Paris.
What did Pope Leo XIV say to young people?
The Pope told worshippers that Catholics should not keep their faith to themselves but “let it overflow so that those you meet may be refreshed”. Addressing young people, he described them as “today’s Church” and said: “How beautiful it is to see your enthusiasm, energy and commitment, and the joy you bring to Christian communities.”
Who attended the Mass?
Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, and French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu attended the Mass, along with several candidates in next year’s presidential election: Marine Le Pen of the National Rally, the conservative Bruno Retailleau, and the centrists Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal. Emmanuel Macron met the Pope on Friday but did not attend the Mass and will not be at any of the Pope’s services during the visit, largely to avoid appearing to breach France’s rules on the separation of Church and state.
What did Pope Leo XIV say about artificial intelligence?
At the Élysée Palace on Friday, the Pope warned against “losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines” in remarks to Church and state officials. The warning came as authorities continue to respond to incidents involving AI systems, among them an OpenAI agent that Australia’s prime minister said breached the Medicare data portal.
Where else is Pope Leo XIV travelling in France?
Earlier on Saturday, the Pope met migrants and volunteers at the Maison Bakhita centre, an association supporting refugees, and praised the organisation for inviting “us to see those who are invisible”. He also stressed “the fundamental role of women in building a civilisation of love”. Late on Saturday he flew to the south-western town of Lourdes, where he prayed at its sanctuary and will celebrate a Mass on Sunday that 150,000 people have signed up to attend. On Monday he will be in the north-eastern city of Metz to pay tribute to Robert Schuman (1886-1963), a founding father of the European Union and a fervent Catholic who is a candidate for beatification.
Elsewhere in Europe, Catholic communities have been confronted with violence at religious sites: in Poland, a priest was killed and four people were injured at an abbey in the south-east.
Who is Pope Leo XIV?
Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago in 1955 and was originally called Robert Prevost. His paternal grandmother was born in Le Havre in Normandy in 1894, and when she married in the United States she and her Italian husband took the name Prevost, her mother’s maiden name.
Frequently asked questions
How many people attended the Pope’s Mass in Paris?
An estimated 700,000 people gathered at the Place de la Concorde for the open-air Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV on the second day of his four-day visit to France.
Did Emmanuel Macron attend the papal Mass in Paris?
No. Emmanuel Macron met Pope Leo XIV at the Élysée Palace on Friday but did not attend the Mass and will not be at any of the Pope’s services during the visit, largely to avoid appearing to breach France’s rules on the separation of Church and state.
Where is Pope Leo XIV travelling next in France?
The Pope flew to Lourdes in south-west France on Saturday evening and will celebrate a Mass there on Sunday that 150,000 people have signed up to attend, before travelling to Metz on Monday.
What did Pope Leo XIV say about artificial intelligence?
Speaking at the Élysée Palace on Friday, he warned against “losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines” in remarks to Church and state officials.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Architecture Building — Joshua Davis / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)