Hundreds of thousands expected in Paris for Pope's visit

Pope Leo XIV with French President Emmanuel Macron /SCREENGRAB

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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.