Pope Leo XIV Draws Hundreds of Thousands for Open-Air Mass on the Champs-Elysees

Pope Leo XIV celebrated an open-air Mass for hundreds of thousands of believers on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, according to a photo report from Al Jazeera documenting the event.

The large open-air gathering formed part of the pontiff's broader visit to France, which also included stops in other locations, including the pilgrimage site of Lourdes in the days that followed.

Open-air Masses of this scale are a common feature of papal visits, allowing large numbers of the faithful who might not otherwise have access to indoor venues to attend in person. The choice of the Champs-Elysees, one of Paris's most prominent public avenues, underscored the visibility and scale of the event within the French capital.

The report did not provide additional detail on the specific themes of the pope's homily during the Mass or further logistical details of the event, focusing instead on visual documentation of the large turnout.

Security arrangements for the Mass were not detailed in the available report, though large papal events typically involve coordination between Church organizers and local authorities given the scale of attendance.