The bishops of France have requested a new overflow area for Pope Leo XIV’s outdoor Mass in Paris as registrations approach 600,000 people. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich said the Mass would be a “historic celebration”.
The archbishop thanked the faithful for responding to the Holy Father’s invitation to attend the Mass at the Place de la Concorde on the banks of the River Seine. He stated that, due to the “reliable information on the participation of the faithful from Paris and all of France” that, as the numbers neared 600,000 people, the bishops requested the overflow space.
Archbishop Ulrich said the event would be “an encouragement to deepen our joy in being in Christ, an invitation to be ever more Christians rooted in faith, steadfast in hope, ardent in charity”.
The overflow areas will be at the Place de l'Étoile and along the Avenue de la Grande Armée within a perimeter secured by law enforcement, to whom the archbishop expressed his “full gratitude”. Registrations to attend the Mass have now closed.
“To all those engaged in the final preparations, to all those preparing to take the road that will lead them to Paris, to you, Parisians of all spiritual affiliations, I want to express my confidence, my gratitude, my joy at reuniting with you, in a number that exceeds all our expectations, or at praying to the Lord for you, in your midst, at the side of the Holy Father,” he said in a September 16 statement.
The Pope’s visit to France, which will take place from September 25 to 28, will include a visit to the Élysée Palace, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, UNESCO headquarters and the shrine of Lourdes. Taking four flights over the course of the journey, Leo will visit Paris, Lourdes and Metz before returning to Rome.
During the visit, the Holy Father will deliver nine addresses and four homilies, as well as meeting with political and diplomatic figures, Catholic youth, local clergy, the bishops’ conference and a community caring for the sick.
He will begin his visit by meeting French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, which will include a private discussion. Macron previously met with the Pope on April 10 in the Vatican, where they discussed the country’s assisted suicide debate. A new law legalising the practice was later promulgated by French President Emmanuel Macron on August 19.
Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris responded by stating that the opposition to assisted suicide was one for “fraternity to prevail”, urging Catholics to “continue to pray, hope and act creatively and consistently”. He stated that Catholics would “undoubtedly have to make courageous choices, perhaps against the tide, starting with those we will make for ourselves”.
The motto for the Pope’s upcoming visit, “That the world may have life”, was chosen by Rome to invite a recognition of “the greatest gift given to us by Christ the Savior”. It stated that it was a “call to hope and communion, encouraging us to overcome divisions in order to share peace, reconciliation and fraternity, which are signs of new life in the world.”
