Leo XIV calls for coexistence with 'dignity and peace' in France

Pope Leo XIV traveled along Paris's iconic Champs-Élysées in a popemobile on Saturday, as a crowd of faithful welcomed him with cheers, as part of his four-day visit to France.

The pope headed toward the Place de la Concorde, where a massive open-air mass was scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. local time, considered the highlight of the second day of his visit. The ceremony was expected to draw some 600,000 people.

Before the mass, Leo XIV met with migrants being assisted by a Catholic organization in Paris, during which he called for "living together with dignity and peace."

Message to priests and religious figures at Notre Dame

During his visit to Paris, Pope Leo XIV also celebrated Vespers at Notre Dame Cathedral, where he met with bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians, and consecrated men and women from France.

In his homily, the pope called on the clergy and religious to undergo a "missionary conversion," to cultivate a genuine love for the liturgy, and to remain close to the Lord through prayer.

Seven years after the fire that destroyed much of the cathedral, Leo XIV highlighted the beauty of the rebuilt cathedral and affirmed that it "speaks to our restless hearts and calls them to peace."

The pope noted that the reconstruction of Notre Dame represents an opportunity to encounter everyone, especially those on the peripheries who may seem distant but who, in his words, are in some way close to Christ and the Church.

He also suggested that the cathedral's restoration can serve as an inspiration for Paris and for other cities and regions of France, through a "simple and welcoming" missionary presence capable of harmonizing cultural differences and helping to heal divided and wounded societies.

During his homily, Leo XIV recalled that Notre Dame, like all other churches, is primarily intended to be a place of prayer and worship of God, especially through the celebration of the Eucharist.

"Without the liturgy," the church “would lose its soul”

The pope described the liturgy as a space of hope and peace and noted that the celebration of the liturgical year allows the faithful to become "companions of Christ" by commemorating the events of his life and, at the same time, recognize the "signs" of the present times.

Leo XIV called on those with responsibilities related to the liturgy to celebrate with dignity and reverence, even in small communities.

He also urged them to cultivate an "authentic love for the liturgy" and to be witnesses and servants of the prophetic, priestly and royal vocation of the entire people of God.

Likewise, he referred to the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council and asked the clergy and religious to place communion with the successor of Peter and with the Church above personal preferences, with the aim of fostering the unity of the people of God.