On the podcast One Nation Under God, Susie Pinto interviews EWTN Europe’s Solène Tadié about Pope Leo’s four-day visit to France and the unexpectedly warm reception along the Champs-Élysées. Tadié says younger Catholics, including Gen Z, are more willing to express their faith openly. She links the shift to COVID’s reckoning with mortality and to the influence of devout Muslim peers, and the discussion touches on data, the pope’s positions on assisted suicide and abortion, and gestures toward people with disabilities.
Pope Leo’s Visit Sparks Surprising Catholic Revival in France
Susie Pinto, host of the podcast One Nation Under God, spoke with EWTN Europe correspondent Solène Tadié about Pope Leo’s four-day visit to France and what Tadié describes as a stirring Catholic revival in one of the world’s most secular nations.
Joyful Reception on the Champs-Élysées
Tadié recounts scenes of joyful crowds greeting the pope along the Champs-Élysées, noting an energy and openness that surprised many observers. Young people, including members of Gen Z, were among those more visibly expressing their Catholic faith.
What’s Driving the Shift?
Tadié links the revival to several social factors: COVID’s confrontation with mortality, the example of openly devout Muslim peers, and a broader cultural willingness among younger generations to wear faith more visibly. She also references emerging data that point to a modest uptick in religious identification in some French cohorts.
Topics Raised During the Interview
The conversation covers a range of substantive issues raised by the papal visit: Pope Leo’s stance on assisted suicide and abortion, pastoral gestures toward people with disabilities that moved even some critics, and the statistical evidence cited by commentators tracking religious trends.
“The mood on the streets reflected something deeper than a papal visit — a renewed confidence among Catholics, especially younger believers, to practice faith openly,” Tadié observed.
Why It Matters
France has long been a symbol of European secularism, so renewed public displays of faith and growing openness among younger people could signal notable cultural shifts. The interview underscores how personal crisis, community examples, and public leadership can combine to change social norms.
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