Pope Leo draws massive crowds in France. Is Catholicism making a comeback?
- By September 28, 2026 / 3:08 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google For a few days, France — one of Europe's most secular countries — looked like it was in the throes of a Catholic revival.
- An estimated 800,000 people filled the streets for Pope Leo XIV's outdoor Mass in Paris on Saturday, according to the Vatican.
- Priests there were seen hearing confessions out in the open, no confessional required.
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- By September 28, 2026 / 3:08 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google For a few days, France — one of Europe's most secular countries — looked like it was in the throes of a Catholic revival.
- An estimated 800,000 people filled the streets for Pope Leo XIV's outdoor Mass in Paris on Saturday, according to the Vatican.
- Priests there were seen hearing confessions out in the open, no confessional required.
Sources: CBS News