Pope Leo XIV rides through Paris in the popemobile to Notre-Dame
Golden Page News | September 26, 2026
Paris,Pope Leo XIV said on Saturday it was possible to “live together in dignity and peace” as he met migrants in Paris, ahead of a giant open-air mass expected to gather hundreds of thousands of people on the iconic Champs Elysees.
The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics was on the second day of his four-day apostolic journey to France — his first official visit to France and the first papal visit to the country in nearly two decades. The first US pontiff, age 71, chose a powerful symbol for his message.
“It Is Possible To Encounter One Another”
The pontiff made the remarks on Saturday during a visit to “Maison Bakhita”, a centre that provides social support and integration services for migrants and refugees in Paris. The visit formed part of the second day of his four-day apostolic journey.
The meeting brought together migrants from different countries and religious backgrounds, including Christians and Muslims. “I am pleased to begin this second day in Paris with you, in a house that bears witness to the whole city that it is possible to encounter one another and to live together in dignity and peace,” the Pope said.
In his full address, Leo thanked the Archdiocese of Paris, the Scalabrinian Sisters, and all staff and volunteers who “bring this place to life and serve those who find here a welcome, a listening ear, formation and friendship.”
He highlighted the centre’s patron saint, St. Josephine Bakhita, a former African slave who became a religious sister in Italy, as an inspiration:
“The name of your Center… inspires us to recognize the fundamental role of women in building a civilization of love, which is an alternative to a culture that tears communities apart and leaves cities sick with loneliness,” he said.
“Saint Bakhita invites us to see those who are invisible, to free those whom today’s economy and culture enslave, and to honor the immeasurable dignity of every brother and sister, in whom Jesus himself comes knocking at our door.”
The pontiff added: “For Christians, the poor are not a sociological category, but the very ‘flesh’ of Christ.”
Valerie Moniod, president of the association, said the Pope’s visit was intended to emphasise shared humanity and the dignity of every person regardless of political differences. The association said the visit sent a “message” ahead of France’s presidential election.
600,000 On The Champs Elysees
Later on Saturday, Leo was scheduled to celebrate a major open-air Mass at Place de la Concorde, with activities extending along the Champs-Élysées from 3:00 pm (1300 GMT).
French authorities expect about 600,000 people to attend the event, making it one of the largest gatherings of the Pope’s four-day visit. Some reports put the figure at 700,000. Parents arrived with pushchairs or children perched on shoulders, with dozens of coaches dropping worshippers who had travelled from across France.
“It’s a big event, we’ve come to share the Christian fervour,” said Sylvie Leclerc, a 51-year-old teacher clutching the Normandy flag. “You don’t hear much from us Catholics, but now we’re going to make some noise! But to proclaim love, peace, joy.”
The trip comes seven months before voters choose a successor to President Emmanuel Macron, with the anti-immigration far-right eyeing its best chance yet. Macron will not attend the mass, but presidential hopefuls including Marine Le Pen and Edouard Philippe confirmed their attendance.
A Pontiff’s Message To Secular France
Pope Leo XIV’s visit is stirring enthusiasm in a deeply secular country with deep Catholic roots. Only about five percent of France’s 69 million residents attend Catholic services regularly, though adult baptisms are rising.
On Friday, an estimated 300,000 people turned out to see the pontiff as he waved from his popemobile on the way to Notre Dame Cathedral. “There is a sense of fervour reminiscent of that experienced over 40 years ago with John Paul II,” said Francois Mabille, director of the Geopolitical Observatory on Religion.
During his address at UNESCO on Friday, Leo warned that technological advancement without adequate ethical safeguards could undermine human dignity, arguing that AI could process enormous amounts of information but could not answer fundamental questions about the meaning of human life. He also urged France to remain a “tireless champion of peace.”
Following Saturday’s engagements in Paris, Leo is scheduled to travel to Lourdes, where he will speak with seven victims of clerical sex abuse. A 2021 inquiry found that clergy or lay members of the Church had abused about 330,000 minors in France over seven decades.
For the last leg of his trip, in Metz on Monday, Leo is expected to deliver a speech about peace in Europe and celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Stephen. But the line that defined his second day in Paris remained the simplest
