Pope Leo urges Catholics to 'persevere' in secular France as Paris shuts down for vast open-air Mass

From the Newshound archive · first published 26 September 2026.

Hundreds of thousands of worshippers are flooding Paris's Place de la Concorde for what is expected to be the largest event of Pope Leo's French tour, forcing the French capital into a sweeping security shutdown. The papal visit has already sparked political friction after the Pope publicly criticised France's assisted dying laws directly in front of President Emmanuel Macron.

Pope Leo told French Catholics to 'persevere' despite France being one of Europe's most deeply secular nations.

The Holy Father rebuked France's assisted dying legislation in a direct address to Macron during yesterday's state reception.

Paris has mobilised a €23m security operation to protect the Pope as crowds swell across the city for the outdoor Mass.