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• Live Pope's visit to Paris: after his mass in front of 800,000 spectators at Place de la Concorde, Leo XIV flies to Lourdes
The sovereign pontiff boarded a plane from Orly airport.
What you need to know
A human tide of faithful. According to the Vatican, 800,000 people attended the giant mass organized on the Place de la Concorde on Saturday September 26. In his homily delivered in French, Pope Leo XIV greeted the youth who are, according to him, "the church of today". The outdoor mass, which lasted an hour and a half, was in honor of the Virgin Mary. The sovereign pontiff then flew to Lourdes, where he is due to land around 7 p.m. Follow the event live.
• Many personalities present on the Place de la Concorde. Several political figures were seen in the audience at Place de la Concorde. Among them, Brigitte Macron, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, the President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, and the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet. National Rally deputies are also there. Among them, Marine Le Pen, Jordan Bardella and Sébastien Chenu.
• The most beautiful avenue in the world, crowded with people. It was 2 p.m. when the popemobile began a procession along the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, from the Arc de Triomphe. Acclaimed by a human tide of faithful, Leo XIV greeted the crowd and blessed babies carried to him by volunteers.
• From the pope to meeting migrants. In the morning, Leo On this occasion, he pleaded for “living together in dignity and peace”.
Gwen2235
0 seconds ago
#PAPE what is the proportion of Catholics in France? Is such media coverage necessary in a secular state? Aren’t there more important matters?
Response from Yann Thompson
franceinfo 0 sec ago
@Gwen2235: According to the latest data from INSEE, 29% of adults aged 18 to 59 claim to belong to the Catholic faith (compared to 10% of Muslims and especially 51% of those without religion). There are several of you in the comments of this Live who are moved by the coverage given to this event. Please know that we are trying to find the right measure, keeping our distance without neglecting the scale of a highlight like this gathering of hundreds of thousands of people in Paris this afternoon. The next few hours of the Pope's visit will result in less coverage from us.
update on the news
0 seconds ago
At the start of the evening, let's take a new look at this Saturday's news:
• #POPE Pope Leo XIV concluded the Paris leg of his visit to France with a mass organized on the Place de la Concorde in front of around 800,000 people, according to the Vatican. The sovereign pontiff must now fly to Lourdes, where he must meet victims of sexual violence tomorrow. Follow our live stream.
• #CLIMATE At the end of a scorching summer, more than 250 climate marches and rallies were organized across the country to demand an emergency plan and tax measures in favor of life. In Clermont-Ferrand, a car forced its way into the procession, lightly injuring four people.
• #MIDDLE EAST Donald Trump yesterday rejected the plan submitted to Washington by Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. “They are losing badly,” the US president said of the Iranian leaders.
• #VOLLEY Eleven years after its only continental title, France, led by a new generation, will compete in the Euro final, at 9 p.m., against Poland, the reigning European champion. The two teams had already faced each other in the final of the Paris Olympics, with a French title at stake.
franceinfo
0 seconds ago
#POPE The mass organized on the Place de la Concorde brought together around 800,000 people, according to a new estimate sent by the Vatican. This is more than the 260,000 faithful who welcomed Benedict XVI in 2008 at the Invalides, but less than the million present with John Paul II in 1997 at the Longchamp racecourse for World Youth Day.
Credits: AFP
franceinfo
0 seconds ago
#CLIMATE Between the Pope at Concord and the climate at Republic, they have chosen. Catholics from the Laudato Si movement, who campaign for “climate and ecological justice”, are present at the Parisian rally organized for the climate. On their stand, this question signed by Leo XIV in 2025 is displayed: "God will ask us if we have cultivated and taken care of the world he created... What will be our answer?" #IPO
franceinfo
0 seconds ago
#PRESIDENTIAL For her first campaign meeting, in Paris, Lutte Ouvrière candidate Nathalie Arthaud unveiled a program described as a “combat plan” against “the capitalist class”. In allusion to the news of the day, a leader of the far-left party opened the meeting in front of a thousand activists with this humorous touch: "This meeting is placed under the aegis of Leo. But not of Pope Leo XIV, of Leon Trotsky."#PAPE
(Mehdi FEDOUACH / AFP)
franceinfo
0 seconds ago
#PAPE While right-wing and far-right political leaders showed up at the giant mass given by the pope, others on the left, like the socialist Olivier Faure, are trying in their own way to point out their "contradictions" by evoking the message of the sovereign pontiff.
PiR268
0 seconds ago
#PAPE How do we reconcile this immense street prayer with our secular republican principles of state neutrality in the face of religions? Political reactions to this?
Response from Yann Thompson
franceinfo 0 sec ago
@PiR268: Hello. On this subject, the Conference of Bishops of France wished to recall that this giant mass was the subject of a declaration in the prefecture, like any demonstration authorized in public spaces (as it does for example during processions in many municipalities during the year). An association for the defense of child victims of sexual violence, particularly in the Church, had tried, in vain, to have it banned, and some political voices were raised to question this place given to religion in the public space, such as the related environmentalist deputy Alexis Corbière in Libération.
franceinfo
0 seconds ago
#POPE End clap for the giant mass organized on the Champs-Elysées, where Léon XIV leaves the scene on foot, treading the cobblestones of the Place de la Concorde. He is now expected at Orly airport to take off in about an hour towards Lourdes.
marcomontois
0 seconds ago
#PAPE Hello FI. It seems to me that for the moment the Pope has not addressed the issue of sexual assault and rape in the church. Can you confirm or deny?
Response from Yann Thompson
franceinfo 0 sec ago
@marcomontois: Hello and thank you for your question. The question will be addressed tomorrow afternoon in Lourdes during a private meeting with people who are victims of sexual violence in the Church. We will perhaps not count on Leo XIV to expand publicly on the content of this exchange, but some participants have already planned to speak at a press conference afterwards.
franceinfo
0 seconds ago
#PAPE As snack time approached, communion ended on the Champs-Elysées. Here are aerial images showing the lines of faithful waiting for the cups of hosts distributed under white umbrellas.
Credits: FRANCEINFO
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