Huge Crowds Gather in Paris as Pope Leo XIV Celebrates Open-Air Mass
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| File Photo: Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims during a previous public appearance. Photo: Sergio López Prieto / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. |
Paris, France — Huge crowds gathered across central Paris on Saturday as Pope Leo XIV celebrated a major open-air Mass at the Place de la Concorde, drawing hundreds of thousands of worshippers during his first official visit to France as pope.
The Vatican said around 700,000 people attended the open-air service in central Paris, according to Deutsche Welle. Earlier estimates had put the number of registered participants at around 600,000, while organizers had prepared for a crowd of roughly half a million or more.
Large crowds line the Champs-Élysées
Before the Mass, Pope Leo XIV travelled through Paris in his popemobile, with large crowds gathering along the Champs-Élysées and surrounding areas.
People cheered and waved as the pope passed through the French capital. Reports said the pontiff stopped at several points and blessed babies while moving through the crowds.
The large turnout followed another major gathering on Friday, when about 300,000 people were reported to have gathered along the pope’s route through Paris. Around 80,000 young people also attended a vigil at the Stade de France on Friday evening.
Mass held at Place de la Concorde
The main open-air Mass took place at the Place de la Concorde, close to the Champs-Élysées.
Paris authorities had made extensive preparations for the event, including transport restrictions and the temporary closure of several metro and RER stations around the Mass area. The official Paris tourism information said around 600,000 people had registered for the event before it began.
The Diocese of Paris had earlier reported about 550,000 registered participants and said worshippers would be distributed across 18 designated sectors covering the Place de la Concorde, Champs-Élysées, Place de l’Étoile and Avenue de la Grande Armée.
Pope meets migrants in Paris
Before the Mass, Pope Leo XIV visited the Maison Bakhita centre, which supports migrants and refugees.
During the visit, he spoke about the possibility of people living together with dignity and peace. The visit was part of a wider programme focused on social issues as well as religious events during his France trip.
The pope also visited the Catholic Institute of Paris, where he addressed the subject of baptisms and the role of faith in French society.
First official papal visit to France
It is impossible to overstate what we are seeing today in Paris
1 million people are attending Pope Leo XIV’s Mass
They are lining the entire length of the Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe and chanting the name of the head of the Catholic Church
France is Catholic https://t.co/ayJRO7aiKR
— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) September 26, 2026
Pope Leo XIV’s four-day trip to France runs from September 25 to September 28, 2026. His visit includes Paris, Lourdes and Metz.
The Paris leg is particularly significant because it is the first official papal visit to the French capital since 2008, when Pope Benedict XVI visited the city.
After leaving Paris, Pope Leo is scheduled to travel to Lourdes, where he will take part in religious events on September 26 and 27. He will then travel to Metz for the final part of his France visit on September 28.
A major international gathering
The size of the Paris crowds has made the papal visit one of the major international religious events of the week.
The visit has also included discussions on broader social and global issues. On the first day of his trip, Pope Leo warned about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence and spoke about protecting human dignity in a rapidly changing technological environment.
The pope’s France trip is expected to continue attracting large crowds as he travels to Lourdes and Metz over the coming days.
Key Facts
• Pope Leo XIV celebrated an open-air Mass in central Paris on September 26, 2026.
• The Vatican said around 700,000 people attended the Mass.
• Around 600,000 people had registered for the event before it began.
• Large crowds also gathered along the Champs-Élysées during the pope’s popemobile procession.
• About 300,000 people were reported along the pope’s Paris route on Friday.
• Around 80,000 young people attended a Friday evening vigil at the Stade de France.
• Pope Leo also visited a centre supporting migrants and refugees.
• His France visit runs from September 25 to September 28, covering Paris, Lourdes and Metz.
Sources: Deutsche Welle, Euronews, Paris tourism authorities, Diocese of Paris, Vatican News and Reuters.