https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/pope-leo-draws-800-000-people-to-central-paris-for-open-air-mass-on-iconic-squareContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/pope-leo-draws-800-000-people-to-central-paris-for-open-air-mass-on-iconic-squarehttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/pope-leo-draws-800-000-people-to-central-paris-for-open-air-mass-on-iconic-square#u93769Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:55:50 +0000Pope Leo XIV drew 800,000 people to central Paris for an open-air Mass on the iconic Champs-Élysées avenue. The event was a significant display of the Catholic Church's enduring appeal in France, a country that is officially secular. The Pope also visited the Lourdes shrine, known for its miraculous cures, and prayed for the sick and suffering.Why it mattersThis is the first papal visit to France in almost two decades. The Pope's trip comes at a time when France is preparing for a significant event, and the country is handling its strict secularism with sensitivity. The visit is seen