San Francisco Frontiers - Pope calls worshippers 'saints of France' after AI warning

"The Church of France needs you," he told the worshippers, who were aged between 17 and 35. "Thank you for your courage, thank you for your presence, thank you for your faith."

"You are the saints of France," he added, after golden fireworks exploded above the Stade de France following a reenactment of the country's Christian history.

Only around five percent of France's 69 million residents go to Catholic church services regularly, a survey found last year.

But while the number of infants getting baptised has dwindled in recent years, more teenagers and adults are taking the plunge.

Earlier in the afternoon, the pope crossed central Paris in his popemobile on the first official papal visit to the European nation in 18 years.

Some balconies and pavements were decked out in the Vatican's yellow-and-white colours.

"He's here!" one person cried as the popemobile passed by, under a clear blue sky. "Look, it's the pope, this is crazy," said another.

- 'Feel it in my heart' -

The Vatican estimated around 300,000 people had come out to see the pontiff.

Terry Spytek, 83, travelled all the way from the United States to see the pope for just three seconds -- but she said it was worth it.

"I feel it right here, in my heart," she told AFP. "I feel very touched even if it was a very quick glance."

People rushed forward to kiss the hand of the first US pontiff before he entered Notre Dame Cathedral, which only reopened in 2024 following a fire in 2019.

One million people are expected at events across Paris during the first two days of his trip, as he marks the first official trip by a head of the Vatican since Pope Benedict XVI in September 2008.

Leo's predecessor Francis visited France three times, but never officially.

The high point of the apostolic journey will be a Mass on Saturday led by the pontiff at Place de la Concorde and adjoining Champs-Elysees.

The leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics will also visit the pilgrimage site of Lourdes, where he will privately meet victims of sex abuse by clergy, and Metz near the German border, where he is to speak about peace in Europe.

- 'Authentic secularity' -

The much-awaited parade came after Pope Leo spoke at the presidential palace on the need to safeguard humanity against artificial intelligence.

"If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment," he said beside President Emmanuel Macron.

In a time of tense transatlantic ties and as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine drags on in its fifth year, Pope Leo urged France to remain a "tireless champion of peace".

In a proudly secular country that has for more than a century separated church and state, Pope Leo stressed that "authentic secularity" should not exclude religion "from the public sphere or from education".

Politicians have in recent years often invoked France's brand of secularism to justify bans on religious symbols, including Muslim women's attire, in public spaces and schools.

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A.Clark--SFF