Pope Leo XIV embarks on a four-day visit to France on Friday, with the highpoint being a giant Mass attended by more than half a million people in central Paris.
For Saturday’s afternoon celebration, an altar has been built on the Place de la Concorde and a large area around the Champs-Élysées sealed off by police.
President Emmanuel Macron greeted the Pope at Orly airport on Friday morning, and is due to hold talks with him at the Élysée Palace on geopolitical issues and artificial intelligence (AI) later. He will also deliver a speech with the Pope in Metz.
However, the president will not be at any of the Pope’s Masses, largely to avoid breaching France’s strict separation of state and religion.
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