Pope Leo XIV celebrates open-air Mass in Paris

Pope Leo XIV celebrated an open-air Mass before an estimated 800,000 people at the Place de la Concorde in Paris on Sept. 26, 2026. The Vatican reported that the crowd was approximately 200,000 people larger than the number of those who had registered in advance.

During his homily, the pope told the congregation that no person is merely a number or an entry in a register, but is a unique and irreplaceable person in the eyes of God. He encouraged the crowd to let their faith overflow so that others might be refreshed, and he prayed that the Holy Spirit would flow throughout France.

Before the Mass, the pope traveled nearly two miles in the popemobile from the Arche de Triomphe along the Avenue of Champs-Élysées to the altar. While the procession moved through the city, priests heard confessions for people on the sidewalk. Six young men with Down syndrome served as altar servers during the celebration.