More than 12,000 people were baptised in France over Easter — a record number for a country where half the population doesn’t believe in God and which church leaders describe as experiencing “an accelerated “de-Christianisation.”
The Jesuit America magazine reports around 7,000 adults and 5,000 young people aged from 11 to 17 were baptised this Easter. That’s nearly a third more than last year. The French Bishops Conference reports a rise in requests for baptisms over the past decade, especially around Paris and in rural areas. but observing the trend in almost all of the dioceses in France.
A recent study found 80% of young French people have not received any religious education and are ignorant about the church. Director of the national Youth and Vocations Service Father Vincent Breynaert explained: “They have very few preconceived ideas about the Church. What those asking for baptism have in common is that they have had a spiritual experience and a personal encounter with Christ. They are thirsty for information, reference points, fraternity and a sense of belonging.”
CBN News reports most of the new Christians are from families without any religion with five percent from Muslim families. One bishop noted that they “come with a lot of energy.”
