A New Spirit of Catholicism is Arising in France

The reopening of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris last December after being closed for five years following a fire was not only a joyful moment but also a symbol of how the Catholic faith in France is arising once again. Unlike neighboring Italy and Spain, France is not generally seen as a particularly Catholic country although Catholics make up the majority of the Christian population. France has had a secular tradition since the Revolution and an estimated 60% of the population are either “convinced atheists” or do not feel religious at all.* Church and State are officially separate and religion is not taught at state schools. Although marriages can take place in a church they need to be officialized in a civil ceremony.

However, there are some heartening signs that more and more people are returning to their Catholic faith or converting to it. For example, around 90,000 people took part in the annual pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres this year. Over 10,000 adults were baptized at the Easter Vigil, an increase of 45% over last year. The good news is that 42% of these were aged between 18 and 25, hopefully ensuring a new generation of believers who will, in turn, pass their faith onto their children. Check out this YouTube video entitled “Catholicism´s Comeback in France: A Nation´s Return to Faith” for more information.**

These figures are a drop in the ocean in a country of around 69 million but it is in line with a global trend that has shown more people returning to the Church or converting to Catholicism. The Covid pandemic and spread of high tech and social media which has made society less human and enhanced loneliness among those who feel left out are cited as possible reasons. God and the Church provide the comfort and solace people need in this heartless new world where the human touch is disappearing in front of our eyes.

Despite its current reputation France has always punched above its weight in spreading the Catholic faith and it is not for nothing that it has been referred to as the “eldest daughter of the Church” since earliest days.

For example, the French played a leading role in the Crusades and fought to oust the Moslems from the Holy Land and restore it to Christendom. They also fended off Islamic invaders at the Battle of Poitiers in 732 when Charlemagne defeated Moslem invaders from Spain. This victory prevented the Moslems from spreading their religion and rule across other parts of western Europe and its importance cannot be underestimated.

There have been 16 French popes, making it the country with the second highest number of Pontiffs after Italy. The Papacy itself was based in Avignon from 1309 to 1376 when seven French popes assumed office following a row between the Vatican and the French crown.

France has also contributed a huge number of saints, including the national heroine and patron saint, Jeanne d´Arc. St. Denis, the patron saint of Paris, was beheaded in present-day Montmartre, the mount of the martyrs. Even one of the French kings, Louis IX, became a saint. The patron saint of priests, St. Jean-Marie Vianney, was French.

St. Bernadette and St. Marie-Therese had a huge influence and were responsible for turning places like Lourdes and Lisieux into centers of pilgrimage visited by tens of thousands of devotees every year. Other important pilgrimage sites include Sainte-Chapelle, Saint Serin and Mont St Michel. The French Church built beautiful cathedrals and churches like Notre Dame, Sacre Couer, Notre Dame de la Garde in Marseille and Chartres.***

French missionaries were pioneers in spreading the Word in France´s colonial possessions in North America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. If you attend mass in the larger town and cities of France you will certainly see worshippers from these former colonies.

During the Second World War, France put its secularism aside and turned to a Christian symbol - the Cross of Lorraine - for inspiration. It became a symbol of resistance and was adopted by de Gaulle's Free French Forces. The Cross was linked to the region of Lorraine and Jeanne d´Arc and stood for French patriotism and the recovery of the lost territories of Lorraine and Alsace.

On a personal note I would say that this increase in interest in French Catholicism does not come as a surprise to me. I live in Brazil, the country with the largest Catholic population in the world, yet I have found myself at masses in France with larger congregations than in São Paulo. Not only that but many of the worshippers have been young families with lots of children as well as teenagers and young adults. And, believe it or not, the singing and music has been better and more passionate than I ever hear in Brazil. The French language has a special power that makes it ideal for sacred music and singing.

It will take a long time to find out if the “eldest daughter” is really returning to Mother Church and whether this trend is meaningful but let us pray that not only Catholics but other Christian communities continue to expand. One of the reasons is that France´s second largest religion is Islam, a faith that is dedicated to destroying Christianity and modern western values. ****

* https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/celebrating-a-catholic-renaissance-in-france

** “Catholicism´s Comeback in France: A Nation´s Return to Faith” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R58dwp1M5nQ

***(I would recommend visitors to Paris who do not have the time or patience to wait to get into Notre Dame to visit the Church of Saint-Sulpice on the left bank of the Seine or La Madeleine near Place de la Concorde on the right bank. Both are imposing and sacred. For a humbler but equally spiritual alternative, try St Julien le Pauvre which is only a few minutes walk from Notre Dame and is on the left bank.)

**** For more on this see my article “Time for Catholics to Wake Up to the Islamic Threat” published on August 3