Pope Leo XIV celebrated an outdoor Mass at Place de la Concorde in central Paris on Saturday before a crowd the Vatican estimated at 700,000, above the 600,000 registered in advance. He urged people in largely secular France to build a renewed nation on faith.
Adult baptisms in France have tripled since 2016, reaching 13,000 this year. But experts say the rise does not offset a broader generational decline: children of practicing Catholics increasingly do not attend Mass or receive infant baptism. Total baptisms fell from 513,000 in 1980 to 186,000 in 2024.
Organizers said Place de la Concorde was the only central Paris site able to hold the expected crowd. Secularism supporters criticized the choice, arguing that the square represents the Republic. Leo’s four-day visit began Friday with a prayer at restored Notre Dame Cathedral, the first papal prayer there since the 2019 fire, and was set to continue with a prayer at Lourdes.
