Pope Leo’s visit to France shows how the church and country are changing

Pope Leo XIV completed a four-day visit to France from September 25 to 28, where he addressed large crowds with messages of compassion, justice, and peace. During the trip, the pope called on young people to act as modern saints by working for the common good.

On Friday, September 25, approximately 80,000 young people gathered at the Stade de France to pray and listen to the pope. The following day, an estimated 800,000 people attended a Mass held along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, stretching from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. The crowd size required police to open additional overflow areas to accommodate the attendees. On Sunday, 150,000 people attended the pope's Mass in Lourdes.

According to Religion News Service reporter Thomas Reese, the visit saw the pope welcomed by European officials as a world leader and by French citizens as a pastor.