Il papa in Francia: catecumeni, la conferma

Pope Leo XIV met with 400 members of the Ecclesial Assembly at the Institut Catholique on Saturday, September 26, during his visit to France. The group represents nine dioceses in the Ile-de-France region and will study the topic of baptismal inquiries from October through May. During the meeting, the assembly members presented the Pope with an introductory document for their upcoming work.

The Pope affirmed the significance of the rising number of adult baptisms in France, which grew from 4,500 in 2020 to 21,300 in 2026, even as baptisms for children declined from 380,000 to 180,000 over a few years. He also endorsed the quality of the responses implemented by the national Church and its dioceses. This work involved 46,000 participants, including priests, religious, catechumens, and those returning to the faith.

The Pope's visit also recognized the history of reflection and experimentation on ecclesial initiation in France, which dates back to the 1940s and 1950s and includes the 1996 Letter to the Catholics of France and the RICA. These efforts support the current choice of bishops for a Church in a state of initiation.