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Hundreds of thousands of people gathered today on the Champs-Élysées in Paris to welcome Pope Leo XIV. He arrived in the papal car shortly after 2:00 PM local time for a mass that was the culmination of his visit to the French capital.

This religious ceremony marked the end of Leo XIV's trip to France. Previously, in 2008, the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, visited Paris, gathering about 260,000 believers for a mass at the Invalides Square.

The open-air mass, which Pope Leo XIV held in the Concords Square in Paris during the second day of his visit to France, began shortly after 3:00 PM. According to Vatican estimates, about 800,000 people participated, gathered along the Champs-Élysées avenue.

In his sermon, the Pope focused on the 'source of meaning, truth, and self-realization that resides in the heart of every person.' He asserted that Jesus Christ 'meets every person in their story and reveals himself as the true source of water capable of quenching' this thirst.

The Pontiff also warned against the risk of filling inner emptiness with 'material goods' or 'small idols promising worlds and wealth.' He reminded that 'in God's eyes, none of us is a number on an ID card or identification code, but a unique and irreplaceable person.'

The crowd silently followed the missal and sang hymns. A ton of hosts was provided for communion, which continued after Leo XIV's departure. He is heading to Lourdes, the next stop on his journey through France.

Addressing the faithful, Leo XIV urged them not to keep their faith 'only for themselves.' He stated: 'Let it overflow to satisfy the people you meet. It is your duty to carry hope where despair and spiritual drought reign,' calling on those present to become agents of change in society.

Before arriving at the temporary structure set up near the Luxor Obelisk, featuring a white altar topped with a four-meter cross, the head of the Catholic Church traveled along the Champs-Élysées in the papal car, blessing children and greeting the crowd of believers, many of whom arrived several hours before the start.

Various political figures attended the mass, which was the main event of the Pope's visit to France, including presidential candidates Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, and Marine Le Pen, accompanied by Jordan Bardella, as well as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, former President Nicolas Sarkozy, and presidents of both chambers of Parliament, Yael Braun-Pivet and Gérard Larcher.

The Head of State of France, Emmanuel Macron, was presented with his wife Brigitte Macron.

Leo XIV's visit to France, which will take him to Metz on Monday after visiting Lourdes, is taking place under heightened security measures requiring 17,000 volunteers and about 15,000 police officers, with a budget of 27 million euros.

Before the religious celebration, in the morning, Leo XIV visited Maison Bakhita, a diocesan association supporting migrants. After listening to testimonies from Afghan and Nigerian refugees at this association, located in an industrial area, he stated: 'A home that shows the whole city what it is possible to meet and live together with dignity and peace.'

Leo XIV also noted that he was 'impressed' by the growing number of new baptisms in France, some of which he discovered in the historical residence of 'Catholics of Paris.'

A young man who left Chhansi (Uttar Pradesh) about twenty years ago in search of work and went to West Bengal has now returned to his village in Chhansi with his wife and four children. Here, he has once again embraced Hinduism along with his spouse.

Rajunkar, a resident of Rajapur village in the Raxa district, stated that after moving to Bengal, he adopted Islam and changed his name to Rafiq. According to him, he arrived in Malda (West Bengal) for manual labor, where he faced pressure to convert to Islam, leading him to change his religion. During this period, his name became Rafiq, and he married a young Muslim woman, Afsari Khatun, registering under the new name Rafiq.

Approximately two decades later, when he remembered his native village and family, he returned to Rajapur with his wife Afsari and four children. However, local relatives refused to accept him. Following this, he wrote a letter to the District Administrator expressing his desire to return to Hinduism.

Subsequently, a ceremony was organized at the Siddheshwar temple in the presence of members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Sanatan Ekta Sangh. There, Rafiq, also known as Rajunkar, and his wife Afsari participated in the process of returning to Hinduism. Under the guidance of Pandit Rajiv Patak, Brahmins performed the Homa and Puja rituals according to all traditions.

During the event, they also performed Aarti to the deity Shiva. According to information, as part of the religious ritual, they underwent purification using water from the Ganges and cow urine, after which they were adorned with Yagyopavit and Raksha Sutra. After this, they officially accepted Hinduism according to all established rules.

After accepting the religion, Rajunkar stated that about 20 years ago he left for Bengal for earnings, where he converted to Islam and married Afsari, registering all documents under that name. Now he has returned to the village with his wife and children and has once again embraced Hinduism.

Rajunkar expressed great pleasure in re-embracing Hinduism after performing the Homa and Puja with his wife at the temple. He clarified that his name has reverted to Rajunkar, and his wife Afsari's name has been changed to Anita. His wife Afsari stated that she wishes to stay with her husband, so she also decided to convert to Hinduism. Both participated in the religious event held at the temple and performed Puja.

This entire situation began when Rajunkar approached the District Administrator requesting to return to Hinduism. After the matter became known locally, a religious event was held at the temple, attended by representatives of Hindu organizations and a priest.

The temple priest, Pandit Rajiv Patak, and the leader of the Hindu organization, Vinod Awasthi, reported that they learned Rajunkar had converted to Islam in Bengal. He has now returned to Chhansi with his Muslim wife and children and wishes to revert to Hinduism. According to them, Rajunkar's wife also wished to convert to Hinduism. Considering this, an event was organized at the temple. They performed Homa and Puja, and purified them with Ganges water and cow urine, tying the Raksha Sutra according to religious rules. The temple priest and the leader of the Hindu organization were present during this event. After the event, Rajunkar and his wife performed Aarti to the deity Shiva. Rajunkar announced his intention to restore his name Rajunkar, while his wife received the new name Anita.