Pope Leo Paris Mass Draws 800,000 to Place de la Concorde
The Pope Leo Paris Mass drew an estimated 800,000 people to the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde on Saturday, the Vatican said, making it the single largest event of his four-day visit to France. That figure ran roughly 200,000 above the number who had pre-registered, a gap organizers put down to walk-ins who showed up once word of the spectacle spread through the city.
Leo, the first American to hold the papacy, covered the two-kilometer stretch between the avenue and the square in his popemobile, waving to crowds several people deep before taking the stage built for the service. Wire photographers on the ground put the scene at roughly 800,000 people, a number that would make it one of the largest gatherings the avenue has seen outside a national celebration. Church attendance...