


France’s improbable adult baptism boom
A secular country returns to the church
Among European countries with Catholic roots, France wears its religion lightly. A secular state by law since 1905, the country bans conspicuous religious symbols in state schools, town halls and other official buildings. Less than 5% of its people attend a religious service on a weekly basis, compared with 20% in Italy and 36% in devout Poland. Yet France, of all places, is now witnessing an unexpected surge in Catholic fervour.
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