Why is France's Gen Z turning to Catholicism?

As France prepares for Pope Leo XIV's visit, a surprising trend has emerged in recent years: the number of baptisms among teenagers and young adults has skyrocketed. More than 21,000 catechumens, those undergoing the period of preparation for baptism into the Christian Church, have been recorded so far in 2026. How can this renewed interest in the Catholic faith be explained? Florence Gaillard reports for France in Focus. A pandemic, lockdowns, the return of war to Europe, climate change: all of these are proven sources of anxiety, even depression, among young people in France. With some feeling adrift, they're turning to religion and knocking on the door of the Catholic Church. In 2026, more than 21,000 adults and teenagers were baptised, a figure that has more than tripled in the past decade. A search for meaning and community For Johan, who had long prioritised athletic performance, his grandmother's death sparked a search for meaning and spirituality. For Morgane, who grew up in public housing with a single parent, the need for community became apparent. For Malick, who grew up in Senegal in a Muslim family, reading the Bible proved a turning point. All three asked to be baptis...