Church bells rang together as the Pope landed in Paris. An image, a sound, a symbol. The image of France’s Christian roots, the sound of a unity that the country so badly needs, and the symbol of a faith that resonates in the four corners of France. This trip by the Pope, a true demonstration of extraordinary fervor, should not hide the colossus with feet of clay, also unfairly attacked on a daily basis on his own soil. In a report published this September by the European Center for Law and Justice (ECLJ), among others, we see an incredible renewed interest among young people, which gives hope, and a Catholic Church weakened by the decline in practice, attacks on places of worship and tensions around its schools and healthcare establishments.
As President Nicolas Sarkozy pointed out on CNews, “21 centuries later, the Church still speaks to nearly 2 billion people on the planet”and it is important to emphasize this to understand the fervor around Pope Leo, but let us not forget either that the most persecuted religion in the world is the Catholic religion. Christians are persecuted in 165 countries according to the Pew Research Center’s 2023 count. The number of deaths for religious reasons, according to the Portes Ouvertes organization, shows that Christians are on the front line. The more I see this fervor around the Pope in France, the more I think about the suffering of Christians in Nigeria, in the greatest silence. Seventy percent of the Christians killed for their faith in the world are in this country.
I can’t not think about it. And question me. Both on the silence surrounding these crimes, and on the target, in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the last five years, between 18,000 and 22,000 people have been killed in this country according to Portes Ouvertes, because of their faith. And these numbers are at a minimum. Other Nigerian organizations give much higher figures with many more attacks. I emphasize again, Nigeria remains, year after year, the country where the greatest number of Christians are killed for their faith. In deafening silence. Let us remember that Christians do not advocate hatred, rage or hatred of our neighbors, but love, peace and joy. This paradox should raise questions. Who wants to kill love, peace and joy? For what ? How are these values of union and coming together frightening?
In the silence of Nigeria
I think of the night of June 13, 2025, in Yelwata, Benue State, Nigeria. Families who had already fled the violence slept in the market’s shops and warehouses. They believed they were safe there. Around 11 p.m., armed men attacked the village from several sides. Witnesses identified them as Fulani militiamen and reported that they were shouting. Repulsed by the police as they tried to enter the Saint-Joseph church, where hundreds of displaced people were sleeping, the attackers headed towards the market. They set fire to the rooms where families were sheltering and shot those who tried to flee.
In ten years, adult baptisms have more than tripled
In the morning, survivors discovered charred bodies. Terhemba Lormba lost eight members of his family, including three children. The reported death toll is 200 dead. This massacre is part of the violence that has been hitting the Middle Belt region for years, where land conflicts and religious tensions mix. Behind the toll, there are entire families and broken lives. Let’s not forget them. To forget them is to roll out the red carpet for those who make this hatred of Christians flourish.
Let’s return to France
There is therefore a resurgence of real Catholicism according to certain indicators, especially adult and adolescent baptisms. It does not mean a return to the mass Catholicism of the 1950s and 1960s. The two dynamics coexist. In ten years, adult baptisms have more than tripled, from around 4,100 in 2016 to 13,234 in 2026. 18-25 year olds are now the leading age group among baptized adults, with around 42% in 2025. It should be noted that 2025 already represented the highest level since the French Bishops’ Conference began measuring the catechumenate, in 2002. And they are mostly women, many students, but also a significant proportion from working-class backgrounds. Note that a growing proportion comes from families without religious tradition.
We see a clear transition from a Catholicism of family transmission to a Catholicism of personal adherence. Only 5% of French people attend Sunday mass, compared to 35% in 1960; this development transforms the life of parishes. This trip by Pope Leo should therefore make us think about these churches which are closing, these parishes which are merging, these priests who serve an ever-larger territory. France had some 65,000 priests in 1960, compared to 12,000 in 2023, including 6,700 still active. Like doctors, like nurses, you might say. But this care for the soul, for meaning and for hope is undoubtedly even more important for the future of France. In his report “Suffering and hope of the Church in France”the ECLJ believes that this decline is accompanied by a feeling of being sidelined. Let’s open our eyes…
Added to this internal fragility are damage and theft in churches. The progression of anti-Christian acts is worrying. Let’s dare to say it. Catholic schools are also attacked from all sides. Ninety-six percent of private schools in France are Catholic. Between heritage to maintain, freedoms to defend and communities to sustain, the Catholic Church of France must find how to transmit its faith in a country where it is no longer self-evident.
