Hundreds of thousands welcome Pope Leo XIV in Paris ahead of Mass — BBC News
Hundreds of thousands of people welcomed Pope Leo XIV in Paris ahead of an open-air Mass. The pontiff travelled along the Champs-Élysées beneath the Arc de Triomphe, greeting those present from the popemobile, according to BBC News.
People greeted the head of the Catholic Church with chants of “Leo, Leo”. During stops at different points along the avenue, he blessed several babies. More than 500,000 people are expected to attend the service in the centre of the French capital. A special altar was erected for the ceremony at Place de la Concorde.
Mass attendees
French President Emmanuel Macron, who held an hour-long meeting with the Pope the previous day, will not attend any of the pontiff’s Masses during his four-day visit to France. BBC News notes that this is largely due to France’s strict principle of separating the state from religion.
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The president’s wife, Brigitte Macron, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu are expected at the Mass on the Champs-Élysées. Before the event at Place de la Concorde, representatives also spotted National Rally member Marine Le Pen, conservative Bruno Retailleau, Le Havre mayor and former prime minister Édouard Philippe, as well as former prime minister François Fillon. Gabriel Attal is also expected to attend.
Meeting with migrants and visit programme
Earlier on Saturday, Leo XIV visited the Maison Bakhita centre, which supports refugees, and met migrants. He praised the organisation for inviting people to “see those who are invisible” and said that people can meet and live together “in dignity and peace”. The pontiff also stressed the “fundamental role of women in building a civilisation of love”.
At the start of his visit to France, the Pope warned of the dangers of artificial intelligence, urging people not to “lose our humanity amid the paradise of machines”. On Sunday, 150,000 people are expected to attend Mass at the Pyrenean sanctuary of Lourdes. On Monday, the pontiff will be in Metz, where he will honour Robert Schuman, one of the founders of the European Union, who is now a candidate for beatification.
