Cardinal Aveline stresses that pastoral care for the newly baptized is a national priority for the Church in France. This past Easter, over 10,000 adults received baptism.

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Over 10,000 adults baptized in 2025 alone.

These are the record-breaking figures for the Church in France, in the historical heartland of secularism.

It is hardly surprising that Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille and recently appointed president of the French Bishops’ Conference, has pointed out that the rising number of people joining the Church makes a new pastoral priority essential.

 

The Church in France and the conversion boom

Hence the growing concern to better accompany the journey of those coming to faith—a matter identified as of national importance for the French Church.

A conversion boom that has been underway for at least three years: while up to 2022 the number of adults requesting baptism was around 4,000 annually, this Easter saw 7,400 teenagers and 10,384 adults baptized, most of them young people.

The phenomenon is significant not only because of the number of new baptisms, but also because it demands a new approach to pastoral care: what was once seen as peripheral is now at the heart of the Church’s mission in France.

 

A renewed focus on the newly baptized

The daily La Croix highlights the numerous initiatives being launched in support of the newly baptized: Bible schools, catechism courses, and pilgrimages.

The Archdiocese of Lyon, for instance, has created small hybrid groups (8–10 people) including catechumens preparing for baptism, newly baptized adults, and long-time faithful.

The influx of new faithful—mostly young (42% are under 25)—is reshaping the face of the Church in France.

“Parish life will change under the influence of the newly baptized, who can become a driving force of commitment, witness, prayer, and revitalization of local communities,” says Msgr. Olivier de Cagny, head of sacramental initiation for the French Bishops’ Conference.

This is a call for mature accompaniment, with no room for superficiality. Adults who receive baptism often carry with them needs, questions, and expectations that cannot be ignored.

Otherwise, there is the risk that initial enthusiasm (as in any honeymoon phase) will gradually lose momentum. Instead, each convert’s path must become communal, supported by the community to ensure lasting growth.

This shift was clearly visible during the 2025 Youth Jubilee, when French teenagers gathered around the Holy Father in greater numbers than even their Polish counterparts.