France has seen a dramatic increase in adult baptisms, with 13,234 baptised this Easter.
The figure represents a 20 per cent increase on the previous year and a 220 per cent increase on 2016. The largest cohort comes from 18 to 26 year olds, who make up 42 per cent of the group, with 82 per cent aged 40 or under.
Roughly the same proportion of catechumens declaring no religious tradition, or no known religious tradition (46 per cent), was recorded as those identifying with a Christian religious tradition (45 per cent). At least three per cent came from a Muslim background, though this figure is likely higher due to a reluctance to share amongst those leaving Islam.
Significantly more women (62 per cent) were baptised than men, challenging the perception that the resurgence in Catholic faith globally is largely driven by disaffected men. The majority came from cities, with major urban areas such as Paris (3,184), Lyon (1,200) and Marseille (1,437) recording large numbers of converts.
The increase was also seen among adolescents, with 8,152 baptised, a 10 per cent rise on the previous year. In 2017, just 1,385 were baptised, marking a 489 per cent increase in nine years.
The rise in the number of Catholics will place further pressure on the vocations crisis in the historically Catholic country. While the Diocese of Paris has shown signs of growth, ordaining 16 men in 2025, and the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, formerly under the episcopate of Bishop Dominique Rey and known for its traditionalist communities, ordained 10, the national picture indicates that ordinations remain insufficient. Just 90 priests were ordained in 2025, down from 105 in 2024.
However, as the surge in adult baptisms remains a relatively recent development, and the fostering of a vocation typically takes many years to reach ordination, France may in time see a corresponding rise in vocations.
While the increase in baptisms offers positive news for the eldest daughter of the Church, the country continues to face anti-Christian violence. Some 770 anti-Christian acts were recorded by police in 2024, and criminal fires and attempted arson attacks at Christian places of worship rose by more than 30 per cent. Secularism, reinforced by strands of far-left political ideology marked by hostility towards Christianity, has left the Church frequently exposed to such incidents.
This was particularly visible during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where an opening ceremony performance featured a mockery of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. More recently, the Catholic convert Quentin Deranque was killed, reportedly by a group of far-left activists.
Responding to the rise in adult conversions, the archbishop of Lyon, Mgr Olivier de Germay, said: “The major challenge for the Church is to accompany them over time, enabling them to become disciples, and thus full members of parish communities.”
He added that across the country, “to respond to this joyful development”, initiatives were being established to support converts in becoming integrated into the life of the Church.
