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Pope Leo XIV's Paris Mass Draws Near, With Over 600,000 Registered
Confirmed
In Short: Nearly 600,000 people have registered for Pope Leo XIV's open-air Mass in Paris, as the event expands to accommodate the massive turnout.
Excitement is building in France as Pope Leo XIV prepares to visit the country, with nearly 600,000 people registered for the open-air Mass at the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées, according to Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris. The registration process began on August 10 and quickly surpassed 200,000 participants in the first few hours, with an additional 8,000 new registrations arriving daily in the final stretch, as reported by General Coordinator Gen. Hervé Wattecamps.
Organizers had to expand the security perimeter and the route to accommodate the growing number of attendees. The original plan was for the pope to travel along a 2.5-kilometer route through central Paris, but the demand has forced an expansion. At least 500,000 people are expected along the Champs-Élysées and near the Arc de Triomphe, where Leo will cross in the popemobile, according to organizers.
The French bishops' conference is still short of 21 million euros to cover the cost of the visit, which starts on September 25 and includes a popemobile ride, an open-air Mass, and a stop in Lourdes. The trip is expected to attract more than 1 million people, according to Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, president of the bishops' conference. At least 500,000 people are expected to line the Champs-Élysées and near the Arc de Triomphe, organizers said.
The visit will begin in Paris, where Leo will meet with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, before delivering a speech at the headquarters of UNESCO, the U.N.'s cultural agency. The pope's arrival is expected to cost the Catholic Church 27 million euros, according to Sylvain Guillebaud, deputy secretary-general of the CEF. As many as 150,000 people could gather to welcome him, organizers say.
What's confirmed
- Excitement is building in France as Pope Leo XIV prepares to visit the country, with nearly 600,000 people registered for the open-air Mass at the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées, according to Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris. The registration process began on August 10 and quickly surpassed 200,000 participants in the first few hours, with an additional 8,000 new registrations arriving daily in the final stretch, as reported by General Coordinator Gen. Hervé Wattecamps.
- Organizers had to expand the security perimeter and the route to accommodate the growing number of attendees. The original plan was for the pope to travel along a 2.5-kilometer route through central Paris, but the demand has forced an expansion. At least 500,000 people are expected along the Champs-Élysées and near the Arc de Triomphe, where Leo will cross in the popemobile, according to organizers.
- The French bishops' conference is still short of 21 million euros to cover the cost of the visit, which starts on September 25 and includes a popemobile ride, an open-air Mass, and a stop in Lourdes. The trip is expected to attract more than 1 million people, according to Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, president of the bishops' conference. At least 500,000 people are expected to line the Champs-Élysées and near the Arc de Triomphe, organizers said.
- The visit will begin in Paris, where Leo will meet with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, before delivering a speech at the headquarters of UNESCO, the U.N.'s cultural agency. The pope's arrival is expected to cost the Catholic Church 27 million euros, according to Sylvain Guillebaud, deputy secretary-general of the CEF. As many as 150,000 people could gather to welcome him, organizers say.
What's still developing
- Nothing material beyond the confirmed record.