Paris crowds greet pope on leafy Left Bank

PARIS-Paris's Left Bank, a haunt for Bohemian students and earnest philosophers, was invaded on Friday by Roman Catholic faithful who turned out in their thousands to catch a glimpse of Pope Benedict.Making his first visit to France as pontiff, Benedict demonstrated his popular appeal, with flag-waving crowds filling the leafy avenues around the capital's imposing Notre Dame cathedral as he arrived for an evening service."I am astounded to see so many people here, especially so many youngsters," said Lucien Charles, 75, who traveled with his wife from the Val d'Isere in southeast France to see the German pope.Police estimated around 40,000 people thronged the squares and streets around Notre Dame to welcome the pope, old and young mixing together on a sunny autumnal evening.The Roman Catholic Church set up giant screens along the banks of the River Seine to let the crowds listen to a speech the pope made to intellectuals and artists, and then follow the vespers prayer service."Oh, he speaks better French than Pope John Paul," said Juliette Balmont, an elderly French woman, resting on a stool.The 81-year-old Benedict, who often appears more austere and distant than his predecessor, delivered a complex, difficult text that some on the streets found hard to follow."It is good to have a Church that presents a strong, dense message, not some flabby, flashy message," said Antoine Dargnies, a banker who came to see the pope after work. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSLC18662520080912
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