Pope Leo XIV urges faith in secular France as Paris readies huge Mass

Pope Leo XIV urged French Catholics to keep the faith during his Paris visit and ahead of a huge Mass at Place de la Concorde. His message highlighted renewed adult baptisms but also the deeper secular decline confronting the Church in France.

In Short

• Leo praised newly baptised Catholics and urged careful pastoral support
• Adult baptisms in France have tripled since 2016, reaching 13,000
• Church leaders say youthful interest offers hope despite long-term attendance decline

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday urged French Catholics to hold on to their faith "even amid the thorns" of a secular world, as Paris prepared for a huge Mass at Place de la Concorde that led to the shutdown of central parts of the city.

On the second day of his France visit, Leo also sought to encourage newly baptised Catholics, whose rise in numbers has offered hope to the French Church despite the long-term decline in religious practice in the once strongly Catholic but now deeply secular country.

The Church's continuing public presence in France has been visible in the large crowds gathering along Paris streets to watch Leo's motorcade. On Friday night, around 80,000 young people filled the national stadium north of the French capital for a vigil featuring fireworks and a theatrical retelling of French Catholic history.

Leo appeared struck by their numbers and enthusiasm, especially at the vigil, which kept the 71-year-old pope out until nearly 11 pm after a packed first day. Speaking extempore in French, he told the crowd: "Thank you for your courage! Thank you for your presence." He added, "Thank you for your faith. You are the saints of France!"

Earlier on Saturday, Leo met a group of newly baptised faithful at the Catholic Institute of Paris. After listening to some of their accounts, the American pope said he was surprised by their numbers and grateful for what he called God's "unfathomable work" in defiance of statistical and sociological analysis.

"We must recognise, welcome and protect the small flame that the Holy Spirit has kindled in the darkness of the night, the tiny seed that strives to grow even amid the thorns," he said.

The number of adult baptisms in France each year has tripled since 2016, reaching 13,000 this year. The figures point to fresh interest in the Church among young people who either left the faith and returned or were not raised in it.

At the same time, statistics and experts have cautioned that this modest rise in new faithful, also seen in secular Spain, does not reverse the broader generational pattern of children of practising French Catholics no longer attending Mass or baptising their babies. In 1980, there were 513,000 baptisms in France. In 2024, the total was 186,000.

While welcoming the increase in adult converts, Leo warned French bishops against becoming too hopeful without action. He said they must help guide these new Catholics and integrate them into church communities.

"As we marvel at what is taking place in the lives of so many of our brothers and sisters, we must not become complacent or naively optimistic," Leo said. "On the contrary, we must remain committed, open to searching, asking ourselves questions and implementing concrete pastoral initiatives."

The Church's influence has weakened across Western Europe. In France, the number of priests has fallen sharply, from nearly 39,000 in 1980 to nearly 12,600 in 2024. The number of Catholics marrying in church fell from nearly 217,500 in 1980 to nearly 40,680 in 2024, according to Vatican statistics.

Still, some French bishops said the rise in adult baptisms offered hope. Bishop Matthieu Roug of Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris, said the number of new adult baptisms showed that "something powerful is happening within the church in France".

"Catholics are happy to see their faith rekindled," he said. "And there are also those who are curious about God -- particularly adults seeking baptism -- who are deeply moved by this moment," he said.

Later on Saturday, Leo was to celebrate Mass at Place de la Concorde, with crowds expected to fill the adjacent Champs-lyses, at the heart of Paris and a symbol of the secular French republic. Road closures and crowd-control measures linked to the pope's visit shut down central Paris and recalled the security arrangements put in place in the city for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Organisers said they chose the site because it was the only space in central Paris large enough for the hundreds of thousands expected to attend. More than 600,000 people registered, and organisers expanded the viewing area last week after anticipating even larger crowds.

"He projects something that could bring peace in the chaos we are living in, reconciliation and joy," said Solene Rousseau, who came out to watch Leo pass by. "Pope Leo can take part in changing this world."

But the choice of Place de la Concorde has drawn criticism from strong supporters of secularism, who said the site represents the Republic and that other venues, including the Invalides complex where Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass before 240,000 people in 2008, would have been more suitable.

France is traditionally a Catholic country, but it follows a strict form of secularism in public life based on a 1905 law separating church and state. Place de la Concorde, designed at the end of the 18th century, was one of the main execution sites during the French Revolution, where Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were guillotined. For many in France, the square symbolises the Republic, and French presidents traditionally mark Bastille Day there. The Champs-lyses has also long been a venue for large public celebrations, including in 1998, when an estimated 1.5 million people gathered there after France won the football World Cup.

Leo's second day in France thus combined large public displays of support, a message of encouragement to new Catholics and a reminder of the difficult long-term decline facing the Church, even as hundreds of thousands prepared to attend Mass in the centre of Paris.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends