Signs of a Catholic revival flowing through France
Will the Pope’s just-concluded visit to France, and the hundreds of thousands of Catholics who flooded streets and stadiums to greet him, end up changing France, the United States, and the entire West? Sounds fanciful, but there’s precedent.
TL;DR
- Pope Leo XIV's recent visit to France saw hundreds of thousands of Catholics gather, drawing parallels to Pope John Paul II's 1979 visit to Poland.
- John Paul II's visit to Poland is credited by many with contributing to the eventual collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe.
- Large crowds, including 800,000 in Paris for an open-air Mass, and 80,000 at the Stade de France, indicate a significant Catholic presence and fervor.
- The event is seen by some as a counter-force to secularism (laïcité) and Islamification in France and the West.
- Despite a general decline in baptisms since 1980, trends like tripled adult baptisms and record numbers for the Paris-Chartres pilgrimage suggest a revival of faith, particularly among the young.