Pope Leo XIV celebrated a massive open-air mass on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, drawing an estimated 600,000 believers. The event took place on Saturday, the second day of his four-day visit to France. The Pope led the faithful in prayer from 3:00 pm local time. This was his first official visit to France in 18 years. The mass was a significant event, showcasing the Pope's connection with the French Catholic community.
The Pope's visit comes at a crucial time in France, with elections scheduled for next year. President Emmanuel Macron's term is ending, and the far-right is eyeing a potential win. Several presidential hopefuls, including Marine Le Pen and Edouard Philippe, attended the mass. However, President Macron did not attend the event. The Pope also met with six migrants at Maison Bakhita, an association that helps welcome and protect foreigners.
During his visit, Pope Leo emphasized the importance of ethics in the age of artificial intelligence. He warned against losing humanity in a world driven by machines. The Pope also urged France to remain a champion of peace, particularly with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. On Friday night, he told young adults at a stadium outside Paris that they were the "saints of France" and that the Church needed them.
France is a deeply secular country, with only around 5% of its 69 million residents attending Catholic church services regularly. However, more teenagers and adults are getting baptized in recent years. The Pope's visit comes as the Church in France faces challenges, including a 2021 inquiry that found clergy or lay members had abused about 330,000 people as minors over seven decades.
After the mass, Pope Leo will head to Lourdes, a town in southwestern France. There, he will speak with seven victims of clerical sex abuse. The Pope's trip will conclude in Metz on Monday, where he is expected to make a speech about peace in Europe. His visit aims to strengthen the connection between the Catholic Church and the French people.
The Pope's meeting with migrants at Maison Bakhita was seen as a significant gesture. The six migrants he met were from Algeria, Belarus, Iraq, and the Ivory Coast, and were of Christian and Muslim faith. This event was viewed as a message in the run-up to the French elections. The Pope's emphasis on welcoming and protecting foreigners resonated with his overall message of compassion and understanding.
Pope Leo's visit to France concluded with a speech in Metz, focusing on peace in Europe. The Pope's trip was seen as a landmark event, marking a significant moment in the Catholic Church's relationship with France. His message of hope, compassion, and peace resonated with the French people, and his visit was widely covered in the media.
Key points
- Pope Leo XIV celebrated a massive open-air mass on the Champs-Élysées, drawing 600,000 believers.
- The Pope emphasized the importance of ethics in the age of artificial intelligence and urged France to remain a champion of peace.
- The visit comes as the Church in France faces challenges, including a 2021 inquiry into clerical sex abuse.
