Yesterday, Leo XIV became the first pope to visit Paris in 18 years. And Paris showed up.
The Vatican estimates 700,000 to 800,000 people packed the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde for his open-air Mass. That's the kind of crowd Paris usually saves for World Cup victories. The day before, the first American pope prayed inside Notre-Dame, a first for any pope since the 2019 fire.
Why such a long wait? Pope Francis visited France three times but never the capital. He even skipped the Notre-Dame reopening in 2024, telling reporters flatly: "I will not go to Paris."
Before that, there was Benedict XVI in 2008. He drew around 260,000 people to the Invalides, less than half of yesterday's crowd. Fun detail: he was an elected member of one of France's prestigious academies at the Institut de France, so he stopped by to visit his fellow members. Then he flew to Lourdes for the 150th anniversary of the apparitions.
And in 1980, John Paul II. President Giscard d'Estaing welcomed him by pointing out it was the first time in 817 years that a pope had come to Paris of his own free will. Pius VII did come in 1804, but only because Napoleon summoned him for his coronation.
John Paul II also left France with a question it still quotes today: "France, eldest daughter of the Church, are you faithful to the promises of your baptism?" The nickname goes back to Clovis, the Frankish king baptized some 1,500 years ago.
He came back to Paris in 1997 for World Youth Day.
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten