France Welcomes Pope Leo as He Celebrates Mass on the Champs-Elysees
PARIS — Pope Leo XIV will celebrate mass on September 26 at Place de la Concorde and the adjoining Champs‑Élysées avenue during a four‑day state visit to France, the French capital’s archbishop Laurent Ulrich announced on Friday.
The pope will be in France from September 25 to 28 for the first official state visit by a pontiff in 18 years. The mass on the iconic avenue is expected to draw 500,000 people, according to the diocese. On September 25, a gathering with young people is also planned at the Stade de France stadium in the Paris suburb of Saint‑Denis.
“We want these events to be open to as many people as possible,” said Ulrich. He described the venues as “symbolic places in Paris and France” that demonstrate “the joy of an entire country and its capital in coming out to meet him.”
After Paris, where he will meet President Emmanuel Macron, the pope will travel to Lourdes, a major Christian pilgrimage site, for an open‑air mass on September 27. He will also hold another mass at the cathedral in the northeastern city of Metz on September 28.
Leo, the first pope from the United States, was elected in May 2025. His visit to France follows a trip to Spain in June, reflecting his interest in engaging with historically Catholic yet increasingly secular European countries that had been largely overlooked by his predecessor, Francis.
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