France’s continuing & surprising Catholic shift against secular progressivism. God has undoubtedly decided to take over.

Catholic Herald UK ^ | 2024 | Gavin Mortimer

[CondoleezzaProtege]

This year’s Easter Vigil was the busiest in years in France. Figures released last week by the bishops’ conference of France announced that 7,135 adults would receive the sacrament of baptism at the Easter Vigil. This is a 32 per cent increase on 2023 when 5,463 adults were baptised.

…In 2024, an unprecedented 36 per cent of those receiving the sacrament are aged between 18 and 25.

This demographic is also heavily represented in the 700 seminarists currently training to join the priesthood. Of this number, 83 per cent were born in France and 27 per cent are aged between 18 and 24. Forty-four per cent are in the 25 to 29 age bracket.

Monsignor Leborgne, Bishop of Arras and the President of the Council for Catechesis and the Catechumenate, described the rise in the number of adult baptisms as: “An immense joy, and one that was partly unexpected.” Asked to account for the good news, he replied with a smile: “God has undoubtedly decided to take over.”

…One of those who took the sacrament of baptism this year was a young student, who appeared on television last week to explain her decision. “It’s increasingly hard to make sense of the world in which we’re living, I feel there’s a spiritual malaise. It’s up to each of us to find our own path but for me, Catholicism answers my questions.”

The parish priest of Joigny, Matthieu Jasseron, is representative of the Catholic revival in France. The 38-year-old had built up a following of over one million followers on Tiktok, the social media platform. He disengaged from the platform last December because he was becoming too popular.

“I am a priest not a guru,” he said. Nevertheless, his social media popularity pointed to the desire among many young for answers.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

(Worth noting that politics in France is chaotic right now because secularism has traditionally been entrenched in both the Right as well as the Left wing parties — and now, with less room for doldrum Centrism — the way faith-based votes and values shape French elections and political parties is evolving in real time.)

[CondoleezzaProtege]

See also: French Euthanasia Bill on Hold as Macron Calls ‘Snap Election’

https://www.ncregister.com/cna/french-euthanasia-bill-on-hold-as-macron-calls-snap-election?amp

[Rockingham]

France has immense importance in the history of the Catholic faith — and, God willing, France may recover her role.

[Craftmore]

Praying for the Pope to find Jesus

[Rockingham]

I would settle for the Holy Spirit to give the Pope a stiff slap upside his head as an inducement to be a good and true Catholic.

[JimmyTheFish]

When I heard in 2013 that a Latin American had been elected pope, it made sense to me, since Latin America is heavily Catholic. Then when I heard that he was Jesuit, my heart sank.

[bobbo666]

Umm, move away from commie trash towards a church that does not insist that priests comply with their vows of celibacy with their Gawd.

Yeah, that’ll work.

[Ge0ffrey]

Some good news for a change.

[Pajamajan]

bttt

[Rockingham]

Bergoglio was sold to the College of Cardinals as a Third World reformer by a clique of Leftists known as the Saint Gallen Mafia. Bergoglio knew of the con and played along but did not initiate it. Supposedly, he and his family in Argentina were Leftists who admired Peron's way of confusing opponents by secrecy and adroit tactics that obscured his long term intentions.