Paris turns into an ‘open air cathedral’ as Pope Leo XIV’s visit

The BBC’s religion editor Aleem Maqbool explains what Pope Leo’s visit means for France.

Skip to content

Site searchHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewsletters

Pope Leo XIV gave a mass in central Paris on Saturday, as the city turned into a “huge open air cathedral,” BBC religion editor Aleem Maqbool reports.

An estimated 700,000 people gathered for the Mass celebrated by the Pope from a special altar on the Place de la Concorde, on the second day of his four-day visit to France.

President Emmanuel Macron met Pope Leo on Friday, but did not attend Saturday’s event, largely to avoid appearing to breach France’s strict rules on the separation of Church and state.

Read more about what Pope Leo’s visit means for France and the history of Catholicism in the country.

13 minutes agoPope Leo XIVParisFranceShareSave

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About the Author

Easy WordPress Websites Builder: Versatile Demos for Blogs, News, eCommerce and More – One-Click Import, No Coding! 1000+ Ready-made Templates for Stunning Newspaper, Magazine, Blog, and Publishing Websites.

BlockSpare — News, Magazine and Blog Addons for (Gutenberg) Block Editor

Search the Archives

Access over the years of investigative journalism and breaking reports