French Catholics are looking to Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming 25-28 September visit as a possible source of renewed energy for a Church facing long-term secularisation.
A new IFOP survey found 26 per cent of respondents believe the pope’s trip to Paris, Lourdes and Metz could “breathe new life into the Church in France,” while 28 per cent hope he will address peace, global conflicts and the issue of sexual abuse.
Although Pope Leo remains relatively unknown in France, Church leaders and observers say many Catholics are anticipating a “Leo effect,” similar to the enthusiasm generated by St John Paul II’s 1997 World Youth Day visit.
One of the goals of the pope’s visit “is precisely to create such moments of fervor,” said Jérôme Fourquet of IFOP, the French Institute of Public Opinion. Bishop Pierre-Antoine Bozo, spokesman for the bishops’ conference, said growing spiritual curiosity is evident in rising adult baptisms and suggested the pope’s message could resonate with many French people.
Nearly 600,000 people have registered for the pope’s 26 September Mass in Paris. Still, sociologist Yann Raison du Cleuziou cautioned that enthusiasm does not signal a broad Catholic revival. Secularisation continues, he said, and the number of practicing Catholics keeps declining, especially among younger generations.
