Paris: Difference between revisions

'''Paris''' (French: ''Paris'') is the capital and most populous city of [[France]], located on the Seine River in the north-central part of the country within the [[Île-de-France]] region. With a municipal population of approximately 2,152,000 as of 2025 estimates, it serves as the seat of the [[Archdiocese of Paris]], a metropolitan see encompassing the city proper and overseeing one of Europe's oldest Christian communities.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/pari0.htm |title=Archdiocese of Paris |publisher=GCatholic.org |access-date=2025-11-23}}</ref> As a historic cradle of Catholicism—where early martyrs like Saint Denis preached and where medieval scholasticism flourished at the Sorbonne—Paris remains a global pilgrimage hub, drawing millions to its Gothic cathedrals and shrines despite secular trends, embodying the Church's enduring call to beauty, charity, and conversion.

Clovis I's baptism in 496 by Saint Remigius marked Frankish conversion, elevating Paris as a royal and ecclesiastical center. The 12th century saw Notre-Dame's construction (1163–1345), symbolizing Gothic innovation and Marian devotion. Scholastic giants like Saint Thomas Aquinas taught at the University of Paris (founded c. 1150), shaping theology. The 17th century birthed reforms: Saint Vincent de Paul founded the Lazarists (1625) for the poor, while Saint Louise de Marillac co-established the Daughters of Charity.