Pope Leo XIV praised the enthusiasm and commitment of young Catholics on Saturday as an estimated 700,000 people gathered for an open-air Mass at Paris’s Place de la Concorde.
The service, held on the second day of his four-day visit to France, followed a procession along the Champs-Élysées, where crowds cheered as the pontiff passed in an open-topped popemobile.
The Vatican estimated attendance exceeded registrations by about 100,000 people.
Addressing worshippers, Leo urged Catholics not to keep their faith to themselves and described young people as “today's Church”.
He praised their “enthusiasm, energy and commitment” and the joy they bring to Christian communities.
The Pope also told those gathered that faith, rather than material possessions, could provide true happiness.
The Mass followed a gathering of about 80,000 young people with the Pope at the Stade de France on Friday.
Leo had earlier been welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron, whom he met at the Élysée Palace.
Macron did not attend Saturday’s Mass, while his wife, Brigitte Macron, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and several French political figures were present.
Authorities imposed extensive security measures around the event, closing road traffic across a roughly 2.2-kilometre zone stretching from Place de la Concorde toward the Arc de Triomphe.
About 14,500 police officers, gendarmes, military personnel and firefighters were deployed, alongside rooftop snipers and helicopters.
The service was also attended by approximately 2,400 priests and deacons and about 100 bishops.
Earlier Saturday, Leo visited the Maison Bakhita centre, which supports refugees, where he met migrants and volunteers and highlighted the role of women in society.
His visit continues on Sunday at the Pyrenean sanctuary of Lourdes, where about 150,000 people have registered for Mass.
The Pope is then scheduled to travel to Metz on Monday to pay tribute to Robert Schuman, a founding figure of the European Union and a candidate for beatification.