During the second day of his Apostolic Journey to France, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass before a vast crowd of approximately 800,000 faithful at the Place de la Concorde in the heart of Paris. In his homily, the Holy Father emphasized that the deep human desire for God can only be quenched by Jesus Christ, who comes to meet every person within their unique story as the source of living water.
The Mass was celebrated using the readings for the Votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Fountain of Salvation, which highlight the motif of living water. Pope Leo connected the prophetic vision of water flowing from the Temple in Ezekiel to the Gospel of John, where water flows from the pierced side of Christ. Echoing Saint Augustine, he reminded the congregation that Jesus offers peace, happiness, and unconditional love to restless human hearts.
Addressing the gathered crowd as heirs to France’s rich legacy of faith, the Pope urged believers to “drink from the source that is the pierced heart of Jesus.” He noted that Christ alone can fulfill humanity’s profound thirst for truth, unity, peace, communion, and life.
Concluding his message, Pope Leo XIV called on French Catholics to actively share their faith rather than keeping it to themselves. Citing historical and modern French witnesses to the faith—including Saints Irenaeus, Martin, and Francis de Sales—he offered a fervent prayer that the living water of the Holy Spirit would flow from Paris throughout all of France, inspiring ongoing commitment to truth, peace, justice, and family.