VATICAN CITY (CNS) ─ Pope Leo XIV asked the bishops of France to work more diligently to ensure that the Catholic faith continues to be alive and can thrive in their nation "despite the contrary and sometimes hostile winds of indifference, materialism and individualism."
In a letter marking the 100th anniversary of the canonization of three French saints -- John Eudes, John Vianney and Thérèse of Lisieux -- Pope Leo prayed that the anniversary celebrations "will not merely evoke nostalgia for a past that might seem bygone, but that they will awaken hope and give rise to a new missionary impetus."
The pope's letter was released at the Vatican late May 28.
While most people in France have been baptized Catholic, Vatican statistics show a decline in the percentage of the population that is Catholic over the past 20 years -- from 77.5% at the end of 2003 to 74.9% at the end of 2023, the last year for which statistics are available.
In those 20 years, according to the Vatican Statistical Yearbook, the number of diocesan priests has dropped to 9,270 from 17,473. The number of baptisms dropped from more than 372,000 in 2003 to just under 196,000 in 2023. And the number of Catholic marriages dropped from 102,024 to 41,402.
Pope Leo asked the bishops to look at the spiritual traits of Sts. John Eudes, John Vianney and Thérèse of Lisieux that can speak to people today beginning with the fact that "they loved Jesus unreservedly in a simple, strong and authentic way; they experienced his goodness and tenderness in a special daily closeness, and they bore witness to it in an admirable missionary drive."
The most beautiful and simplest program of evangelization and mission for France, the pope said, is "to help everyone discover the tender and devoted love that Jesus has for them, to the point of transforming their lives."
While the challenges are many, Pope Leo said, "saints do not appear spontaneously but, by grace, emerge from living Christian communities that have been able to transmit the faith to them, to kindle in their hearts the love of Jesus and the desire to follow him. This Christian heritage still belongs to you; it still deeply permeates your culture and remains alive in many hearts."
