Pope Leo XIV on Saturday will celebrate Mass for hundreds of thousands of worshippers in central Paris. Around 600,000 people have registered to attend the afternoon Mass at the Place de la Concorde, near the Champs-Elysees.

The service is expected to take place from 3:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT). Pope Leo is on a four-day visit to France that will see him in Paris, Lourdes and Metz. It's also his first visit to France since becoming pope last year.

Crowds began queuing hours before the service was due to begin, with many parents and children among those hoping to catch a glimpse of the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. "It's a big event, we've come to share the Christian fervour," teacher Sylvie Leclerc told the AFP news agency. "You don't hear much from us Catholics, but now we're going to make some noise! But to proclaim love, peace, joy," she added.

Earlier on Saturday, the pope visited a social center and later met with adults who had recently been baptized. On Friday, around 300,000 people gathered to see the pontiff as he waved from his popemobile on the way to the restored Notre Dame Cathedral, which had to be restored after a devastating fire in 2019.

French President Emmanuel Macron will not attend the Mass, however, far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Edouard Philippe have confirmed their attendance. While the visit aims to boost the Catholic community's engagement in France, the participation of certain political figures may spark controversy.

Source: www.dw.com