More than half a million people gathered on the Champs‑Élysées for a large open‑air Mass led by Pope Leo X, who waved from his popemobile as he moved past the Arc de Triomphe and stopped to bless babies along the avenue while the crowd trilled “Leo, Leo.”
President Emmanuel Macron chose not to attend any of the Pope’s Masses to keep France’s strict separation of church and state clear, but his wife Brigitte and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu were among the dignitaries in the parade, joined by candidates for the 2027 presidential election such as Marine Le Pen and Bruno Retailleau, as well as centrists Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal.
Earlier in the trip the Pope visited the Maison Bakhita centre that supports refugees, praising the organization for making the “invisible” visible and noting that it is possible to meet one another and live together in dignity and peace.
He also delivered a warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence, urging that humanity does not become lost amid a paradise of machines during his meeting at the Élysée Palace.
The continuing journey will take the Pope to Lourdes on Sunday, where an expected 150,000 pilgrims will attend mass, and to Metz on Monday to honor Robert Schuman, a founding father of the European Union who has been proposed for beatification.
The visit exemplifies a growing spirituality among French and European people, with crowds reflecting a renewed sense of faith across diverse communities.
Born in 1955 as Robert Prevost in Chicago, Pope Leo X carries French heritage from his grandmother born in Le Havre, a lineage that echoes his role as a global shepherd.
