Pope Francis Celebrates Mass for Hundreds of Thousands in Paris and Lourdes
Pontiff draws massive crowds during a four-day visit to France, engaging with both political and religious sites.
World • 4 hours ago
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass for an estimated 700,000 people in Paris's Place de la Concorde on Saturday, transforming the historic square into a vast open-air cathedral. This event marked the second day of his four-day pastoral visit to France.
Following the Parisian mass, the Pope traveled to Lourdes, a town renowned for its religious significance. There, he prayed at the grotto where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared in the 19th century. He is scheduled to lead Mass in Lourdes on Sunday.
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Pope Leo XIV on Friday. However, Macron abstained from attending Saturday's public Mass, reportedly to uphold France's strict principle of secularism, which mandates the separation of Church and state.