Hundreds of thousands expected in Paris for Pope's visit

Image source, AFP via Getty Images Image caption, Pope Leo begins his visit in the French capital, before moving on to Lourdes and Metz

Pope Leo XIV embarks on a four-day visit to France on Friday, with the highpoint being a giant Mass attended by more than half a million people in central Paris.

For Saturday's afternoon celebration, an altar has been built on the Place de la Concorde and a large area around the Champs-Élysées sealed off by police.

Some 600,000 Catholic faithful are expected to cram the avenue up to the Arc de Triomphe and beyond.

Large crowds are also due at other stages in the Pope's itinerary, reflecting an enthusiasm that the Church attributes to growing spiritual thirst among the French and other Europeans.