Huge Paris Crowd Welcomes the Pope for Outdoor Prayer

Hundreds of thousands greeted Pope Leo XIV in Paris on 26 September 2026 as he rode in his car, the popemobile, down the Champs-Élysées, blessing babies. An altar, a stage for prayer, was built at Place de la Concorde for a 3 p.m. Catholic service expected to top half a million, on France's first pope visit in nearly 20 years.