Baptism France

 Pope Leo’s pleasant surprise regarding France https://aleteia.org/2025/09/26/pope-leos-pleasant-surprise-regarding-france/

In a book-length interview published on September 18 in Spanish, Pope Leo XIV revealed that he had been particularly struck by the number of catechumens in France. In his first interview since his election, published in a book released on September 18 in Spanish, Leo XIV discusses many topics and reveals some of the directions his pontificate will take. But when he brought up a very specific subject — catechumens — he spoke of a specific country: France. In his answers in “Leo XIV, Citizen of the World, Missionary of the XXI Century,” Leo XIV specifically mentioned the situation of the Church in that country, referring to his audience on July 29 with 600 young catechumens — people seeking baptism — in France. He describes as "very interesting" the phenomenon of the rise of catechumens in a country “which for a period of time was considered one of the most secularized countries that was around." In a report published in April, the Conference of Bishops of France announced that more than 10,000 adults and more than 7,400 adolescents were expected to be baptized in 2025, a record number. Aleteia and Famille Chrétienne teamed up to consider some of the reasons for this growth. See the results here. “Stay connected to the Lord Jesus” During that meeting at the end of July, Pope Leo XIV rejoiced to see “young people who are committed to the faith and want to give meaning to their lives by allowing themselves to be guided by Christ and his Gospel.” Using the language of social media, he urged them to “stay connected to the Lord Jesus.” He called on them to live “a personal journey” so as not to be content with being “Christians of convenience, habit, or comfort,” who merely bear the “Christian label.” “They want to come to the church because they realized that their lives are empty, or are missing something, or don’t have meaning, and they’re discovering something again that the church has to offer,” he told Elise Ann Allen. What’s the explanation for the uptick in catechumens? While the Church is increasingly responding to requests, as evidenced by the number of catechists — 11,500 committed individuals, 80% of whom are lay people, an increase of 30% in one year — it is indeed the Holy Spirit who is at work. “Everyone talks about a journey, a personal experience,” Catherine Chevalier, head of “Announcement and Accompaniment of Christian Life” at the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF), told Aleteia. “Then there are factors such as a somewhat anxiety-provoking social context, the desire to build one's life on solid foundations, the search for peace that some have experienced in churches, etc. But above all, it’s an experience, an intimate encounter with Christ.”