Thousands gathered on Paris' central Place de la Concorde Square on Saturday (September 26) as Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass on a temporary altar on the foot of the iconic Champs Elysees avenue.

The mass, attended by crowds of believers and religious and political officials, punctuated Leo's second and final day of visit in Paris.

Leo, the first US pope and the first pontiff to offer an official visit to France in two decades, is set to arrive later on Saturday in the southern France's Lourdes Sanctuary, one of the Catholic Church's most revered pilgrimage sites.

His four-day visit to the country will conclude in the eastern French city of Metz, where European unity and peace will be the main talking points.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 26, 2026) (HOST BROADCASTER - No use France)

1. VARIOUS OF POPE LEO XIV ARRIVING ON POPEMOBILE ON PLACE DE LA CONCORDE SQUARE FOR MASS

2. CROWD ON SQUARE

3. VARIOUS OF CHOIR SINGING

4. VARIOUS OF LEO DRESSED IN MASS ATTIRE WALKING WITH CHURCH OFFICIALS

5. CROSS

6. LEO WALKING, GESTURING SIGN OF THE CROSS

7. CROWD ON SQUARE

8. VARIOUS OF LEO AND CHURCH OFFICIALS WALKING ON TO STAGE

9. LEO WALKING TOWARDS ALTAR

10. VARIOUS OF LEO STANDING AT ALTAR, MITRE BEING TAKEN OFF

11. LEO BEING GIVEN INCENSE

12. VARIOUS OF LEO WAVING INCENSE AND WALKING ON STAGE

13. VARIOUS OF LEO WAVING INCENSE IN FRONT OF VIRGIN MARY STATUE AND BOWING

14. CROWD ON SQUARE

15. POPE GESTURING SIGN OF THE CROSS, SAYING (French): "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

16. CROWD HEARD REPLYING (French): "Amen"

17. POPE SAYING (French): "May peace be with you."

18. CROWD HEARD REPLYING (French): "And also with you."

19. VARIOUS OF CROWD PRAYING

20. VARIOUS OF POPE SINGING

21. NUNS SINGING IN AUDIENCE

22. VARIOUS OF CHURCH OFFICIALS SINGING

23. AUDIENCE

24. LEO BEING GIVEN BIBLE

25. LEO STANDING

26. VARIOUS OF LEO TAKING BIBLE AND RAISING IT

27. MASS IN PROGRESS

28. (SOUNDBITE) (French) POPE LEO, SAYING:

"May my presence among you confirm your faith and encourage you to ceaselessly radiate and share the life, peace and love of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ."

29. ATTENDEES LISTENING

30. (SOUNDBITE) (French) POPE LEO, SAYING:

"Jesus reveals God's unconditional love for us. To Him, none of us is a number on an identity card or an ID code, but a person, a unique and irreplaceable person. I see you gathered here, brothers and sisters, heirs to a long and beautiful sacred history in France. I say to you: drink, in your turn, from that source which is the pierced heart of Jesus."

31. POPE GIVING HOMILY

32. (SOUNDBITE) (French) POPE LEO, SAYING:

"I think of you, dear young people, you are the Church of today. How beautiful it is to see your enthusiasm, your dynamism, your commitment and the joy within Christian communities."

33. VARIOUS OF ATTENDEES SINGING