What happened
Pope Leo XIV recently visited France, where he noted a renewal in the Catholic faith. The pope's visit included a prayer vigil with over 80,000 young people and Mass with an estimated 700,000 people. The visit has sparked concern among radical leftists and a Muslim activist group, who fear a return to Catholicism in France.
The French Bishops' Conference reported an increase in baptisms, with 13,234 adults and 8,152 teenagers baptized at Easter this year. This growth has been evident for several years, with the number of young people and adults seeking baptism on the rise.
Some groups, including the Islamic propaganda outfit Miséricorde pour l’Humanité France, have expressed sadness and helplessness over the potential return to Catholicism. The group's member described feeling like a CIA agent witnessing the return of the Soviet Union and predicted that France will become Catholic again in 45 years.
Other groups, such as the satirical publication Charlie Hebdo and the National Federation of Freethought, have also expressed concern over the pope's visit. Charlie Hebdo's deputy editor, Jean-Loup Adenor, said that the sight of Catholics engaged in confession on the streets of Paris made him recoil. The National Federation of Freethought claimed that the pope's visit was a violation of international law and that it glorified and exalted the Catholic faith.
