Pope Leo XIV Praises Young Catholics’ ‘Energy and Commitment’ as 700,000 Fill Paris for Open-Air Mass
PARIS — Pope Leo XIV praised the enthusiasm and commitment of young Catholics on Saturday as an estimated 700,000 people filled the Place de la Concorde for an open-air Mass, one of the largest public events of his four-day visit to France.
The Mass, celebrated from a special altar in the heart of Paris, came on the second day of the pontiff’s trip and followed a motorcade down the Champs-Élysées, where the pope waved to crowds from his open-topped popemobile.
In his homily, Leo told worshippers that Catholics should not keep their faith to themselves. Instead, he said, they should let it “overflow so that those you meet may be refreshed.”
He also singled out young people, describing them as “today’s Church.” “How beautiful it is to see your enthusiasm, energy and commitment, and the joy you bring to Christian communities,” he said.
The scale of the gathering was striking in a country where regular Mass attendance has long been in decline and where the Catholic Church’s public role is carefully balanced against France’s strict separation of church and state. Church leaders have pointed to the crowds as evidence of a renewed spiritual hunger among the French and other Europeans.
Politics were never far from the event. President Emmanuel Macron met the pope on Friday but did not attend Saturday’s Mass and is not expected at any of the papal Masses during the visit, in large part to avoid appearing to blur France’s secular tradition. His wife, Brigitte Macron, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Senate President Gérard Larcher were among those present.
Several candidates for next year’s presidential election also attended, including Marine Le Pen of the hard-right National Rally and conservative Bruno Retailleau. Centrists Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal were also seen at the Place de la Concorde. Their presence underscored how the papal visit has become a major moment in France’s public and political calendar, even as the country guards the line between religion and the state.
On Friday, the pope joined about 80,000 young people at the Stade de France in northern Paris after being welcomed by Macron.
Earlier on Saturday, Leo visited the Maison Bakhita center, an organization supporting refugees, where he met migrants and volunteers. He praised the group for inviting people “to see those who are invisible,” and stressed what he called the fundamental role of women in building a civilization of love.
The pope also used the opening day of his visit to warn about the risks of artificial intelligence. At the Élysée Palace, in remarks to church and state officials, he cautioned against “losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines.”
Large crowds are expected for the rest of the trip. About 150,000 people have signed up to attend Mass on Sunday at the Pyrenean sanctuary of Lourdes. On Monday, Leo will travel to the northeastern city of Metz to honor Robert Schuman, a founding father of the European Union and a devout Catholic who is a candidate for beatification.
The pope’s personal ties to France have added texture to the visit. Born in Chicago in 1955, Leo was originally named Robert Prevost, a French name. His paternal grandmother was born in Le Havre, Normandy, in 1894. When she married in the United States years later, she and her Italian husband took the name Prevost, which had been her mother’s maiden name.