PARIS – Pope Leo XIV encouraged French Catholics on Saturday to persevere in their faith “even amid the thorns” of a secular world, rallying the faithful ahead of a huge Mass at the iconic Place de la Concorde that shut down central Paris.
Leo opened his second day in France by meeting with young converts, whose decision to join the Catholic Church has sparked optimism in the French hierarchy even amid an overall downward spiral of the practicing faithful in the once staunchly Catholic but now deeply secular country.
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Leo has sought to encourage them during his visit, which began on Friday with his arrival and prayer at the newly restored Notre Dame cathedral, the first by a pope since the devastating 2019 fire. After Leo's Mass on Saturday, the pope travels to the Catholic shrine at Lourdes, where he is due to meet with survivors of clergy sexual abuse.
During a visit to the Catholic Institute of Paris on Saturday morning, the American pope said he was surprised by the numbers of new converts and grateful for what he said was God’s “unfathomable work” to counter all statistical and sociological analysis.
“We must recognize, welcome and protect the small flame that the Holy Spirit has kindled in the darkness of the night, the tiny seed that strives to grow even amid the thorns,” he said.
The number of adult baptisms in France each year has tripled since 2016, hitting 13,000 this year. But statistics and experts caution that the slight uptick, which has been recorded also in secular Spain, doesn’t counteract the overall generational trend of children of practicing French Catholics no longer going to Mass or baptizing their babies.
In 1980, there were 513,000 baptisms in France; in 2024, a total of 186,000.
Huge crowds come out to see the pope
The church's enduring influence in France has been visible in the throngs filling Paris avenues to see Leo's motorcade pass by, with road closures reminiscent of the security blanket that was thrown over central Paris for the Olympic Games in 2024.
On Saturday, those closures extended to one of Paris' most iconic neighborhoods. Leo was to celebrate Mass at the central Place de la Concorde, with crowds expected to fill the adjacent Champs-Élysées, essentially the heart of Paris and a symbol of the secular French republic.
With hours to go before the Mass, thousands of pilgrims flocked to secure a place under cloudy skies. Many didn't identify as Catholics, but came out of interest in the pope's message.
“People are seeing a lot of really terrible images. This kind of event reminds people of what is really important in life," said Thierry Chen, a 40-year-old Parisian start-up entrepreneur who is not Catholic. "You see a lot of different people here, so it’s not just about one race, religion or nation, but about a common belief in humankind.”
Sylvane Le Goff, 68, who lives in the Paris region, came with her 10- and 12-year-old grandchildren to “give them unforgettable memories.” Le Goff, who was raised Catholic but is not practicing, said she wanted to open her grandchildren’s minds.
"It’s not only about seeing the pope but it also is about his message of peace and unity, values I’d like to share with them,” she said.
Leontine Joseph, 42, a fervent Catholic, came with two friends of Moroccan origin who grew up in Muslim culture.
“The message of Pope Leo goes well beyond Catholic people; he speaks about social justice, for example,” she said.
Leo has clearly been impressed by the numbers and enthusiasm of the French, especially at a Friday night vigil that kept the 71-year-old pope out until nearly 11 p.m. after a packed first day.
Some 80,000 young people filled the national stadium north of the French capital for an extravaganza of fireworks and a theatrical retelling of French Catholic history.
“Thank you for your courage! Thank you for your presence,” Leo told the crowd, speaking off the cuff in French. “Thank you for your faith. You are the saints of France!” he said to raucous cheers.
Hundreds of thousands expected to attend Mass
The choice of Place de la Concorde for Saturday's Mass was significant.
Organizers said they chose it because it was the only area in central Paris that could accommodate the hundreds of thousands of people expected to attend. More than 600,000 people registered. Last week, organizers extended the crowd site because they predicted more.
But the choice of the venue has been criticized by staunch supporters of secularism who argue that the site represents the Republic, and that other places such as the Invalides, a complex of buildings where Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass in front of 240,000 people in 2008, would have been more appropriate.
France is a traditionally Catholic country, but adheres to a strict form of secularism in public life based on a 1905 law separating church and state.
The Place de la Concorde was designed at the end of the 18th century and was among the main sites of execution during the French Revolution. Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were guillotined there. For many French people, the square embodies the Republic: French presidents traditionally celebrate Bastille Day there.
The Champs-Élysées has long served as a gathering place for large public celebrations, particularly after major sporting events. In 1998, an estimated 1.5 million people celebrated on the famed avenue after France’s football team won the World Cup.
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Associated Press writer John Leicester contributed to this report.
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