France sees record surge in youth-led baptisms this Easter
The Catholic Church in France welcomed a record number of adults into the faith in 2025, with particularly strong growth in the numbers of young adults and teenagers, according to newly released statistics from the country's Conference of Bishops (CEF). (French Bishops' Conference)
PARIS: In an unexpected development, France saw a record wave of adult baptisms this Easter, with over 17,800 catechumens — 10,384 adults and more than 7,400 adolescents — baptised during the Easter Vigil on April 19, according to the French Bishops' Conference.For the first time, young adults (18–25) make up the largest group of adult converts, surpassing the 26–40 age group. Around 42 per cent are students or young professionals, indicating a generational shift and a deepening spiritual hunger among youth in secular France.'This is not a passing wave,' said Archbishop Olivier de Germay of Lyon, urging parishes to treat baptism not as an end but the beginning of discipleship. He emphasised the Church's role in welcoming and guiding new Christians.Despite secularism's dominance in public discourse, the Church notes a spiritual countercurrent, especially among the young. Urban parishes report booming attendance — St Maurice in Lille had nearly 1,000 people on Ash Wednesday, many of them first-time young attendees.Adolescent baptisms are also rising sharply, with a 33 per cent increase over last year. The Jubilee of Young People in Rome is seen as a key opportunity for these new believers to connect globally.Adult baptisms in France have grown 160 per cent in a decade, from under 4,000 in 2015 to over 10,000 in 2025. Cécile Eon, national delegate for adult catechumenate, called it 'impressive and sustained,' highlighting the pressure on diocesan teams to expand formation programmes.The movement is diverse — some catechumens have Christian roots, others come from non-religious or alternative spiritual backgrounds like Buddhism or esotericism. A 2021 study found 17 per cent had prior spiritual experience outside Christianity.Women make up 63 per cent of adult converts. After two years of rural growth, urban parishes are now seeing the fastest expansion.Globally, France's revival reflects wider trends. In the US, Christian identification is stabilising, with 62 per cent still identifying as Christian, according to Pew Research. While secularisation continues, grassroots, youth-driven, sacramental movements are reshaping the spiritual landscape.
As Archbishop de Germay noted, the varied paths to faith show the personal work of God in each journey. 'If the Church is listening,' he said, 'this Easter could mark a resurrection of hope where faith had long seemed dormant.'-- Zenit
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Borneo Post
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Charles Lwanga became the protector to the younger boys under his care, shielding them from the king's sexual exploitation. His defiance, along with that of others infuriated the king. In May 1886, the King convened a court session and demanded that all his pages declare whether they were Christian. When a group boldly stepped forward affirming their faith, he ordered them imprisoned. They were given a stark choice: abandon Christianity or die. None recanted. On June 3, 1886, a group of Catholic, Anglican and Muslim converts were marched to Namugongo, a place that would soon become hallowed ground. Along the way, some were executed by spear or beheading, but most were reserved for a gruesome public spectacle of burning. At Namugongo, they were stripped, tightly bound in reed mats and tied to posts over a massive pyre. As the fire was lit, the martyrs prayed aloud, sang hymns and offered words of forgiveness to their executioners. 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Stories passed in hushed voices — of blindfolds and ropes, of final prayers in the jungle, of graves that disappeared beneath the earth and vines. For years, these whispers went unheard, swept aside by colonial politics and post-war rebuilding. They were not spies. They were not soldiers. They were men of peace, caught in the storm and eliminated not for what they did, but for who they were: steadfast shepherds in the image of God. Their deaths were not collateral damage; they were a deliberate silencing of moral witness. Their bodies were never found. But their names remain etched into the soul of Tenom, in the chapels they built, in the generations they catechised and in the courage of a Church that remembers. Thus, we honour them not as pawns of politics, but as martyrs of mercy. In a world gone mad, they chose to stay. When flight was an option, they remained. When silence was survival, they still stood for truth. 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As a priest, he vowed to 'unturn every stone.' Silence, he believed, should never be the final word. His book presents compelling evidence that the missionaries were executed. It stands as the first detailed account of priests who died not in combat, but in faithful service. A turning point came from a 1952 memoir by Ain Yamazaki, wife of Japanese officer Kenji Yamazaki, who plainly stated the priests were executed — a long-awaited affirmation for grieving villagers. The book's launch was more than literary — it was spiritual. Parishioners wept. Elders remembered. Young people listened, many for the first time. Fr Cosmas reminded us that memory is sacred — and these men must never again be forgotten. Their legacy now fuels calls for recognition as martyrs. With the Church newly stirred, a cause for beatification is on the horizon. Recently, Archbishop Datuk John Wong led a two-day clergy pilgrimage retracing the path of Msgr Wachter and his companions. Marking 80 years since their deaths, the journey — from Kota Kinabalu to Tenom — paused at historical sites with prayers of gratitude and renewal. Guided by Fr Cosmas's reflections, the pilgrimage became not only a tribute to their sacrifice but a call for priests to rekindle courage and perseverance in their vocations. Archbishop John Wong led a Pilgrimage of Hope (23–24 June 2025), retracing the steps of WWII martyred missionaries in remembrance and renewal. (Photo: Fr Terans Thadeus) When Uganda Meets Sabah: Convergence and Contrast At first glance, the Uganda Martyrs and Sabah missionaries seem worlds apart—different lands, cultures and eras. But look closer and a shared spirit emerges. Both faced fear and violence, yet chose to stay, to serve and to surrender their lives to God. What follows is a reflection on the parallels and contrasts between these two martyrdoms—two lights that rose from very different soils, yet shine with the same unwavering flame. 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The Uganda Martyrs live not only in stained glass, but in Africa's young hearts. In Sabah, we still wait — praying for the day when Tenom becomes holy ground, and Msgr August Wachter and his companions are remembered not just in history, but in liturgy and prayer. Hope does not disappoint. From Namugongo's fire to Tenom's silence, the Church walks with her martyrs. Though their deaths were separated by continents and centuries, they share one sacred thread: unwavering faith and surrender to God. In both Uganda and Sabah, holiness wore ordinary faces: young pages, seasoned missionaries, faithful laymen. All said yes. All gave all. They remained. They witnessed. They trusted. And because they did — we remember, we honour and we carry the flame. In the end, their stories speak the same truth: That the Church is built not only on stone and incense, but on the quiet courage of those who refuse to leave when the cross appears. And that martyrdom, whether by fire or silence, is never the end. It is always a beginning.
Herald Malaysia
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