Young Catholics take to Paris streets to welcome Pope Leo XIV

Young French Catholics fanned out across Paris on Friday ahead of Pope Leo XIV's visit to the city, using informal outreach methods including paper fortune-tellers and pop worship songs to engage passersby. The volunteers, many affiliated with the Anuncio movement, said their goal was to spark conversations about faith among strangers in the crowds gathering for the papal visit.

France is widely regarded as one of Europe's more secular countries, and organizers described their street presence as an attempt to reach people who might not otherwise encounter religious outreach in daily life. Participants said they hoped the pope's visit would prompt renewed interest in Catholicism among younger generations.

A visit drawing crowds

The pope's arrival in Paris drew significant public attention, with crowds gathering along anticipated routes and at public appearances. Youth-led religious groups used the occasion to mobilize volunteers for informal street evangelism, a practice that has become more visible around major papal visits in recent years.

Organizers with Anuncio said the combination of light-hearted engagement tools, such as the paper fortune-tellers, and contemporary worship music was intended to make religious conversation feel approachable rather than formal. The movement has previously organized similar outreach efforts around other large public gatherings in France.

The visit is expected to include additional public events, with organizers and city officials continuing to coordinate around crowd movement and security as the pope's schedule in Paris continues.