Pope Leo celebrates open-air mass in front of 700,000 people in Paris | France

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris on Saturday to attend an open-air mass with Pope Leo, on the second day of his visit to France.

The Vatican estimates that 700,000 people attended the outdoor mass with the 71-year-old American pope, about 100,000 more than the number of people registered to attend.

It took place on the Place de la Concorde, the site of bloody executions by guillotine during the French Revolution – when the staunchly Catholic regime of Louis XVI was overthrown – and today the center of the secular republic.

The choice of the site, a symbol of the French republic for many, was criticized by supporters of strict French legislation separating church and state in public life.

But cheers rang out from the crowd as the pope thanked “God in his homily for the opportunity to” visit France during a four-day, three-city whirlwind tour to promote Catholicism and its teachings.

This is the first official papal visit to France in 18 years.

Pope Leo asked those in the crowd not to keep their faith to themselves. “Let it overflow, that those whom you meet may be refreshed and their thirst quenched,” he said. “From this beautiful city of Paris, I pray fervently that the living water of the Holy Spirit flows throughout France.”

He told Catholics that only their faith, not material things, can bring true happiness.

“Only God can fill the void in us,” he said.

The security zone for the event – ​​the largest of the papal tour – stretched for around 2.2 km, cutting off road traffic in central Paris, from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe and beyond.

Chanting “Léon, Léon” and “Long live the Pope,” crowds of people waved French and Vatican flags as the pontiff slowly drove down the grand boulevard of the Champs-Élysées in a popemobile – a specially designed, partially open vehicle used during public appearances.

He stopped frequently along the way so that babies could be taken from the crowd and brought to him to receive a papal pat on the head. The city center was cordoned off for duty, with helicopters hovering overhead and snipers positioned on rooftops.

Around 14,500 police officers, gendarmes, soldiers and firefighters were deployed for this event, which was attended by 2,400 priests and deacons, as well as around a hundred bishops.

Marie-Élisabeth, a 44-year-old Burgundian nun, told a France 24 journalist: “This event is for us a way of saying loud and clear that Christians are here. »

Speaking to Agence France-Presse journalists, Sylvie Leclerc, a 51-year-old teacher, also said she and her fellow Christians wanted to share their fervor for their faith. “We don’t hear much about us Catholics, but now we’re going to make some noise!” she said. “But to proclaim love, peace, joy.”