This year, about 7,135 adults have requested the Sacrament of Baptism in France. This is a 31% increase compared to 2023, and almost double compared to 2021.
Editorial (03/27/2024 15:35, Gaudium Press) According to a survey by the Episcopal Conference of France, published this Wednesday, March 27, there has been a significant increase in the number of people requesting the Sacrament of Baptism, especially among adults from “non-religious” families.
Indeed, in this year’s Easter celebration, there will be the Baptism of 7,135 adults (a 31% increase) and 5,025 teenagers (an estimated increase of 50%). The figures show that this increase is particularly sharp among young people aged 18 to 25, who before the pandemic represented only 23% and this year will be 36% of the catechumens. A growth of about 150% in 5 years.
The number of baptisms of teenagers (11 to 17 years old) will explode, going from 2,861 in 2023 to 5,025 baptisms in 68 dioceses; an increase of almost 50%, reflecting a “real spiritual thirst among young people,” already illustrated by the presence of 45,000 French youths at the last World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon, “in a society where 80% of young people have not received religious education.”
Regardless of the increase in the number of baptisms, women are generally more likely to request the Sacraments of Christian Initiation than men. The proportion has not changed in recent years: 62% women and 38% men. The situation is the same among teenagers, with 66% of girls requesting baptism, compared to 34% of boys.
Compiled by Gustavo kralj
