Source: French to English Tester Published on: 2026-03-31
Source: The Conversation – France in French (3)– By Charles Mercier, Professor of Contemporary History, University of Bordeaux
While the vocations of priests are in crisis and church attendance has been declining for decades, the number of baptisms has seen a significant increase. Should this be seen as a reversal of trends for the Catholic Church? Who are these new faithful? Does their practice of religion differ from that of their elders? As Easter approaches, historian Charles Mercier puts the phenomenon into perspective.
The Conversation: Does the increase in the number of baptisms reflect a global revival of Catholicism in France?
Charles Mercier:The notable evolution concerns theadolescents and young adultsA: we went from a little less than 6,000 baptisms (adults and teenagers combined) in 2022,Over 21,000 in 2026. But this resurgence must be put into perspective with the figures for priest ordinations, child baptisms, marriages, and church funerals, about which there is less visibility, and which are either declining or on the way tostabilization. If theopinions are divided on the issue, there is certainly no widespread growth.
Regarding thisincrease in baptisms among young people, several factors are at play. First, there is a postponement effect of baptism from childhood to adolescence and adulthood. With the secularization of society, families are less religious. When they remain so, the individualization of values pushes them not to decide for their child: religion is less and less perceived as an identity inherited. It is rather seen as an individual choice to be made when one has the age and maturity to decide. Nearly 75% of children were baptized before the age of 7 in 1974, 50% in 1996, and only a quarter in 2024. It is considered that “they will choose when they are older.”
Finally, this increase in adult baptisms also fits into aresurgence of spirituality benefiting Catholicism and other religions.
What can act as a trigger for these people who turn to baptism in adolescence or adulthood?
C.M.:On this issue, we can cross-reference the figures from the Conference of Bishops of France with those of ainvestigation conducted by the daily newspaperla CroixLast year. What stands out first is the strong spiritual experience. Half of the newly baptized declare having felt a presence, a peace, or a fullness perceived as supernatural, for example when entering a church or attending a religious rite.
Next come the trials of life (a breakup, the loss of a loved one, a break in an otherwise well-charted path…) that lead to questioning oneself and seeking a way to overcome the suffering.
The third factor, mentioned by a third of new baptisms, is the desire to give meaning to existence: what is the point of living if it ends with death, what is the use of accumulating wealth, why go to work, have children…? A society focused solely on material prospects would not be enough to answer these questions, and, in certain cases, the spiritual and religious would become resources.
Is the transmission of the Catholic faith taking place today outside the family framework?
C. M. :The answer is nuanced, because some Catholics continue to be baptized as children and educated religiously by their family. But yes, the increase in conversions at the end of adolescence or upon entering adulthood indicates a shift from vertical transmission to a more horizontal transmission. Inthe investigation ofla Croix, friends play a role in almost 50% of adult baptism request journeys, by talking about their faith, lending a Bible, inviting to attend a mass, a spiritual gathering, or a prayer group.
Spouses are mentioned by a small third of the sample. Coupling can be the starting point for rapprochement with Catholicism, insofar as exogamy, that is, marrying outside one’s original social environment, is increasingly common, and probably favors mixed couples in terms of beliefs.
As we can see, transmission primarily occurs between peers. Nevertheless, the family setting is not entirely erased, even if there is often a generational gap: neo-Catholics more often invoke the figure of their grandparents than that of their parents. In interviews, they talk about the grandmother who took them to church during the holidays, who made them say a prayer, or who simply appears to them as a figure of kindness and becomes a kind of inspiring role model.
In the case of one in five new baptized individuals, contact with influencers on social networks would also have mattered.
Who are these Catholic influencers?
C. M. :Some figures have established themselves, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, as thebrother Paul-AdrienwhereSister Albertine, who benefit from a form of legitimacy linked to their status as clergy. In the background, there areinfluencerswho have fewer subscribers, but whose age, between 18 and 25 years, can create an identification effect among young adults. They provide religious advice – how to fast – which can blend with wellness or even beauty tips – how to have a good complexion, etc. It is a thriving, very dynamic world on Instagram and TikTok.
Does the Catholic Church remain withdrawn from this digital phenomenon or does it support it?
C. M. :The Church is both interested in the potential this represents and vigilant about possible abuses. In July 2025, there was theinfluencer jubileeIn Rome. Every twenty-five years, there is what is called the jubilee, a “holy year” during which Catholics are invited to undertake a pilgrimage. And, for the first time, an event was dedicated to influencers, with the idea that the Internet can be a means of evangelization, provided one does not give in to narcissism, self-promotion, or polarization.
These influencers are often free agents. Even for those who are priests or religious, the Catholic hierarchy sometimes has little control over the content they disseminate. Catholic influencers draw their legitimacy from their audience and not from a mandate, which helps to deinstitutionalize the communication of the Catholic Church.
What characterizes the religious practice of these young people compared to their elders?
C.M.:Among these young people who arrived in the Catholic Church in adulthood, as well as those who grew up in Catholicism, one observes acertain return to grace of traditional devotionswhich had been somewhat marginalized by previous generations, like the rosary. This new generation is reclaiming practices that were seen as old-fashioned or outdated, while sometimes adapting them to the codes of pop culture. One can cite theSacré-Cœur which was the subject of a filmand which also becomes a decorative object, available in large retail chains.
The trend is also towards the return of more codified gestures, such as kneeling at certain moments of the Mass. This is something that had more or less disappeared from Catholicism and is now coming back among young adults. Perhaps it reflects a greater sensitivity to the transcendent and vertical dimension of religion.
Perhaps it is also necessary to see here a demand for a framework that would help structure one’s existence and foster a feeling of belonging. One can take the example of Lent, which does not have the festive dimension of Ramadan, and mainly consists, since theVatican II Council (1962-1965), to undertake an ascetic practice individually and discreetly. It is felt that young Catholics, probably due to their contacts with their Muslim friends, are seeking instructions and precise rules, but also communal moments.
What relationship do these new Catholics have with the figure of the pope?
C. M. :This is a question that is not easy to answer… I would be tempted to say that Pope Francis’ pontificate has brought about a shift in the figure of the pope. Schematically, one could say thatBenoît XVIand, even more, John Paul II were mobilizing figures internally: their travels and appearances created a strong effect of cohesion among the faithful, especially among the young, born and raised in Catholicism. This is the dynamic ofWorld Youth Days (WYD) of John Paul II, whose magnetism and charisma moved and carried Catholic crowds.
François took a step aside: in his own words, he wanted to address all the sheep that had gone out of the church enclosure (or had never entered it) rather than the small number who were settled there. He took positions on immigration,ecology, the family morality which alienated part of his base, but which was able to generate interest among people, particularly young people, who were distant from the Catholic world. So much so that one can say that the figure of the pope has become less central for those native to Catholicism, but more important for a certain number of neo-Catholics who have been touched by the way he repositioned the Church in relation to major contemporary issues.
It will be necessary to see if this trend is confirmed withLouis XIV, who currently appears to be someone relatively discreet and who almost seems to want to fade into the background behind the pontifical function.
Does the aspiration for more traditional practices, mentioned above, sum up the developments of Catholicism among young people?
C. M. :There is another important dynamic, which is the emergence of adiversity Catholicism, linked both to the numerical increase of young Catholics from immigration and to a rise in religiosity in working-class suburbs. Young people who are of Catholic culture, but whose families have stopped practicing, are interested, through contact with their Muslim neighbors, in their own religious heritage. This “emulation” helps to complicate the sociology of Catholicism, long seen as bourgeois, white, conservative. The growing visibility of these populations from diverse backgrounds contributes to renewing the codes ofFrance’s leading religion.
Statements collected by Aurélie Djavadi.
Charles Mercier does not work for, advise, hold shares in, receive funds from any organization that could benefit from this article, and has declared no other affiliation than his research institution.
–ref. Between adult baptisms, influencers, and the return of rites, the new faces of Catholicism –https://theconversation.com/between-adult-baptisms-influencers-and-the-return-of-rites-the-new-faces-of-catholicism-279502