Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass with hundreds of thousands in Paris
Pope Leo XIV held an open-air Mass in central Paris on Saturday, drawing an estimated 700,000 to 800,000 worshippers to the Place de la Concorde. The event included a papal procession along the Champs-Élysées and reflected the Catholic Church's continued significance in France despite broader secularization trends across Europe.
Left-leaning outlets emphasized the Mass as evidence of the Church's enduring influence amid declining church attendance and secularization across Europe, framing it as a notable exception to modernizing trends.
Right-leaning outlets highlighted the massive turnout as a sign of the Catholic Church's persistent appeal and cultural importance in a historically Catholic nation, noting the symbolic significance of the event.