The Catholic Church in France expects 13,200 adults and 8,200 adolescents aged 11–17 to be baptized in 2026, up 28% and 10% respectively from 2025, despite falling infant baptisms; many young converts follow a two-year preparation path.
Historian Charles Mercier said there is no single explanation: some young converts describe spiritual experiences, while bereavement, breakups, failure and worries about the future can also prompt religious searching. He cautioned that the increase does not offset falling infant baptisms or deaths among older Catholics. A 2025 La Croix survey put the share of French people identifying as Catholic at 46%, down from 85% in the 1960s; 150,000 babies were baptized in 2024, less than half the 2000 total, according to the bishops’ conference.
The trend has drawn Vatican attention: Pope Leo XIV is set to meet young people pursuing baptism during his official visit to France, beginning Friday. At one Maurepas parish, adult baptism candidates have grown from one or two a year a few years ago to around 20 baptisms annually, according to Denis Barral; 19 new converts are preparing for baptism next Easter.
