Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass before an estimated 700,000 people at Place de la Concorde in Paris, bringing the Paris leg of his first apostolic visit to France to a close. The Vatican said the crowd stretched across central Paris, with many faithful following the celebration from large screens along the Champs-Élysées.
In his homily, Leo XIV reflected on humanity’s search for meaning, happiness and fulfilment, drawing on Jesus’ words: “Whoever is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” He urged Catholics to look beyond material satisfaction and turn to Christ as the source of what he described as “living water.”
“Let it overflow, so that those you meet may be refreshed and their thirst satisfied,” the Pope told the faithful, calling on them to let their faith become a source of hope for others.
After the Mass, Leo XIV travelled to Lourdes, where he prayed at the Grotto of Massabielle and entrusted France and its people to the Virgin Mary. In his prayer, he asked for “the gift of fraternal harmony” and prayed for peace, the poor, the sick and those facing hardship.
The visit to Lourdes continues Pope Leo XIV’s four-day journey through France, with further religious celebrations and encounters scheduled at the sanctuary.
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