Since our earlier report on Pope Leo XIV’s France visit, the pope has drawn two large crowds and made an appeal for the Catholic Church to confront abuse. The Vatican estimated 800,000 people attended his Saturday Mass at Paris’ Place de la Concorde, and Euronews reported about 150,000 at Sunday’s Mass in Lourdes, where Leo met seven survivors of clergy sexual abuse.
The visit began with Leo warning that technology could undermine humanity, PBS News reported. The crowds show the Church can draw public attention, but do not prove that religious practice is rising or trust has recovered.
1. Do the crowds signal a church revival?
The Vatican’s Paris attendance estimate was about 200,000 above the number of people who had registered in advance, according to PBS News. Leo rode in his popemobile along the Champs-Élysées before the Mass at Place de la Concorde; the avenue was his route, not the site of the service.
The turnout came against a longer decline in French religious practice. Adult baptisms reached 13,000 in 2026, triple the 2016 figure, but total baptisms fell from 513,000 in 1980 to 186,000 in 2024, PBS reported. One papal gathering cannot establish that those broader trends have changed.
The choice of venue also drew objections. Some supporters of strict French secularism criticized holding a religious service at Place de la Concorde, which they see as a symbol of the Republic. Organizers said it was the only central Paris location that could accommodate the crowd. France’s 1905 law separates church and state.
2. Can the Church answer for its abuse record?
In Lourdes, Leo called on the Church to take responsibility for wrongdoing within its ranks. “The Church must have the courage to be the first to undergo this conversion,” he said, according to Euronews. He praised French bishops’ response to abuse while urging them to remain vigilant.
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An independent French investigation published in 2021 estimated that about 330,000 children had been abused over 70 years and identified about 3,000 alleged perpetrators among priests and Church workers. Those figures were estimates, not judicial findings, and the investigation’s methods and conclusions have faced criticism. The French Church’s independent compensation system has recommended more than €20 million for survivors; reports do not establish how much has actually been paid.
Leo’s private meeting with seven survivors lasted two hours, CBS News reported. The group included one person abused as an adult, and participants raised abuse prevention. Jérôme Guillement, a survivor, described the encounter positively to CBS: “There was something sincere with him. Every word was chosen; every word had a meaning. There were many emotions.”
The selection process drew criticism before the meeting. Survivors who signed an open letter objected to Church officials choosing participants instead of leaving selection to survivor organizations. Monsignor Pierre-Antoine Bozo, spokesperson for the French bishops’ conference, said two participants had been proposed by survivor organizations and defended the small group format. “When it comes to listening to them, you can't have 50 people in front of you,” he told Euronews.
3. What will the Church do with its public platform?
Leo has also used the visit to weigh in on contested social questions. In Lourdes, he opposed legalizing medically assisted dying, arguing that legality does not settle the moral question, according to CBS News. The dispute over the Paris Mass venue likewise showed the tension between public religious expression and France’s secular tradition.
The crowds demonstrate reach, not necessarily restored confidence or growing religious participation. Reports do not establish what, if any, specific commitments followed Leo’s meeting with survivors. Questions also remain about how the participants were selected and what follow-up the Church will provide on prevention and survivor support.