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Newly baptized Catholic: France moving from inherited to a chosen Christianity
A newly baptized Catholic and two catechumens preparing to receive the Sacraments of Initiation share with Vatican News their stories of discovering the faith, saying that seeing the Pope gives them hope for the future.
By Isabella H. de Carvalho – Paris
As the world seems to be moving away from faith and increasingly more people say they do not identify with any religion, several nations have seen an increase in the number of adults choosing to get baptized and discover Catholicism.
One of these is France where over 13,000 adults were baptized during Easter in 2026. The number of baptisms has increased by 28% in comparison to 2025 and in 10 years has more than tripled.
On Saturday, several of these newly baptized and catechumens – those who have begun preparing to receive the Sacraments of Christian Initiation – had a chance to see Pope Leo XIV during his visit to the Catholic University of Paris on September 26, as part of his Apostolic Journey to France.
“I see this decision [to convert] as part of a broader sociological trend. Today the Church in France is experiencing something very unique: it is transitioning from a Christianity that was once inherited to a Christianity that is chosen,” 24-year-old Robin, who was baptized in 2023, told Vatican News.
“In the aftermath of World War II, there was a widespread effort in our society to build a society without God—a society indifferent to God. It’s clear that young people aren’t any happier today. On the contrary, they’re even unhappier than before. And I’m part of that generation and that youth that thirsts for God.”
Robin (R) and another young man await Pope Leo at the Catholic University of Paris
Robin: Discovering the faith through priests and a French intellectual
Robin is a student in Paris and grew up in an Evangelical Protestant family and is the 8th of 9 siblings. He explained that he was raised in a “demanding culture of faith that was centered on a personal relationship with Christ.”
What he discovered in the Catholic Church that touched him was “the communal dimension of faith, that is a faith lived in communion, lived with the people of God, lived within the Catholic Church in its universal sense.”
“It was this message that deeply moved me,” he noted.
He highlighted how even though his family was of a different faith, he was still in contact with Catholic culture often in his youth, as his parents were involved in bioethical issues to which the Church is also committed. He also attended camps organized by the European Scouts and visited many churches and abbeys.
“How I formally came to the faith though was largely through conversations with priests at the St. Louis parish in Paris, as well as through reading extensively — particularly the writings of Charles Péguy [a French poet and essayist, who rediscovered his Catholic faith in his later years], which deeply moved me and led me to where I am today,” Robin said.
His family also reacted well to his conversion and he said they encourage and support each other in the faith: “Fundamentally, and I think this is the most important thing to remember, we’re all still Christians, so there wasn’t any radical change. There was simply another religious tradition that resonated more with me.”
Robin was also very happy to get to participate in the event with the Pope, which he had already seen during the Jubilee for Youth in August 2025 in Rome. “To see him again in Paris, in my country, specifically in the capital, is truly a great honor for us, a great honor for France, the eldest son of the Church,” he said.
“I see in Pope Leo a commitment to working toward the unity of the Church and to harnessing the power of youth.”
Cristal: A personal message from God and the importance of prayer
Like Robin, Cristal, 34-years-old, was also present at the event with the Pope and belongs to this youth that is searching for meaning. She began the catechumenate this year and hopes to be baptized in Easter 2027. Her mother is Muslim but Cristal explained she was not attracted to this religion.
“It was after accompanying a friend to an Adoration celebration that I decided to convert,” she said. “That day, I asked God for a message that was very personal to me. I received it and as a result of that message, I decided to begin the catechumenate.”
Cristal said her mother took the news well: “Her response was that, in any case, there’s only one God, so it doesn’t matter what religion you follow — as long as you pray to the same one, that’s fine. So, it was pretty positive.”
She acknowledged that this process of discovery of the faith is not without its highs and lows. However, she pointed to the importance of being accompanied and supported by a mentor and also praying.
Angelina (L) and Cristal (R) await Pope Leo at the Catholic University of Paris
“It’s really great to be guided on my journey, but above all, it’s actually prayer that accompanies me every day and constantly soothes my doubts in life; that’s really what’s moving me forward and supporting me on my journey right now,” she shared.
She also hopes that this “wave of conversions” in France will go beyond her, but be “a positive momentum for France and its youth as well.”
For Cristal, having the chance to see the Pope is “truly incredible” and helps her delve even deeper into her faith.
Angelina: Seeing the Pope as a sign of being on the right path
Angelina, 34-years-old, will be baptized on Easter next year and feels the same way about the Pope’s visit. “I really see this as a sign—just a few months before my baptism—that I made the right choice,” she underlined. “I’m really impressed, I realize now that I am not going to see him on TV like the other days but in person.”
For Angelina, her curiosity towards Catholicism began when she had a complicated family problem. “I’d been thinking about it for a while, and after this issue, I felt the strength to go through with beginning this process. My husband was also a huge support, he helped me take the plunge and knock on the door of the church in my town,” she said.
Her husband is Catholic and so are her parents, but they never baptized her as a child. “I’m glad to be able to make this decision on my own as an adult,” she noted.
“At first, I didn’t dare talk about this at all — I was very shy about it — but then I realized that when I did talk about it, there were actually a lot of people in my circle who were Catholic, but we just hadn’t talked about it,” she continued. She added that she has been encouraged and supported in her journey, which she said has been really positive.
“Ever since I started on this path, I’ve felt much more at peace in my daily life. I’ve truly found a spiritual family, and that’s what I’ve liked the most: the sense of community within the Church and all the gatherings and events we get to attend.”
Angelina is already very involved in her parish and hopes to continue on this path, engaging with her community and Catholic connections.
Hope in the future and French youth
On Friday night, Pope Leo XIV held a prayer vigil with over 80,000 young people who filled the Stade de France stadium with an electric energy and joy. Among them was the newly baptized Robin.
“I saw a generation, a French youth, that was awake, that was profoundly active. It gives me a great deal of hope for the future of our country and our youth.”
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