PARIS, France: Pope Leo drew an estimated 800,000 people to central Paris on September 26 for an outdoor Mass, the biggest event of his four-day visit to France.

He urged Catholics to look to faith rather than material possessions for happiness as huge crowds filled the Champs-Élysées.

People gathered along the roughly two-kilometer tree-lined avenue from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. Crowds chanted the pope's name and called out in support as Leo arrived in an open-top popemobile.

The vehicle stopped several times as people waved white-and-yellow Vatican flags. Volunteers also brought children, babies and people with disabilities forward so the pope could greet and bless them.

Among those attending were Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and billionaire Bernard Arnault, chairman of luxury goods group LVMH.

During his sermon, Leo thanked God for allowing him to visit France. His four-day trip covers three cities and comes as the Catholic Church continues to deal with the impact of abuse scandals that caused widespread shock in the country.

Leo told the crowd that faith, rather than material possessions, was the source of lasting happiness.

"Only God can fill the emptiness within us," the pope said.

People had begun arriving before sunrise to attend the afternoon Mass.

Benoît Dedieu-Anglade, 67, said afterward that he had been impressed by the pope's speech and its message about avoiding distractions.

The pope has also used his visit to speak about wider global issues. On September 25, during a speech at UNESCO's Paris headquarters, he warned that the United Nations and other international organizations were facing a crisis.

He also repeated his concerns about the development of artificial intelligence. Speaking to French leaders, he warned that AI could create a future in which a "paradise of machines" takes control of the Earth.

Leo has frequently called for peace. His comments about the war involving Iran earlier this year drew criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump.

France is a secular country where law has protected the separation of church and state since 1905. Catholic affiliation has declined steadily since the Second World War, following a wider trend in countries with traditionally large Catholic populations.

Before the Mass, Leo met newly baptized Catholics at the Catholic University of Paris. He urged the French Catholic Church not to be overly confident about the recent rise in new members,

Leo is due to travel later to Lourdes, home to one of France's best-known Catholic shrines. On September 27, he is scheduled to meet seven French people who were victims of abuse by members of the clergy.