Grace Thompson
France has a long history of Christianity and Catholicism, with the religion holding the role of state religion during the monarchy. The country has a notable Catholic presence, with several famous churches, including Notre Dame de Paris, Chartres Cathedral, and Dijon Cathedral. Despite this, France is known for its staunchly secular Republicanism, with self-declared atheists making up 30% of the population. In 2020, estimates of the proportion of Catholics in France ranged from 25% to 47%, with the higher figure including lapsed Catholics. The percentage of Catholics in France has been declining, with a rise in the non-religious, often referred to as nones, now making up the majority of the French population.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of Catholics in France | Estimates range between 25% and 88% of France's population. The higher figure includes lapsed Catholics and "Catholic atheists". |
| Percentage of non-religious people in France | 53% of the French population declared they had no religion in a 2020 survey. Another source states that 51% of the population aged 18 to 59 in metropolitan France said they had no religion in 2019-2020. |
| Percentage of Christians in France | 34% of the French population between the age of 18 and 49 adhered to Christianity, according to a 2020 survey. |
| Percentage of Muslims in France | 11% of the French population adhered to Islam, according to a 2020 survey. Another source states that Islam is the second religion in France, with 10% of the population identifying as Muslim. |
| Percentage of atheists in France | 30% of the French population identify as atheists, making France one of the top five most atheist countries in the world. |
| Separation of church and state | In 1905, a French law instituted the separation of church and state, ending the Catholic Church's status as the state religion. |
| History of Catholicism in France | Catholicism was the major religion in the French monarchy for over a millennium and France was known as the "eldest daughter of the Church". |
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What You'll Learn
France's history of Catholicism
As of 2022, approximately 50% of the French population identifies as Catholic. While this makes Catholicism the largest religious group in the country, it also indicates a significant decline from previous decades. In the past, France and the Catholic Church had a long and intertwined history, with the Church playing a significant role in shaping the nation's culture, politics, and social structures.
The history of Catholicism in France can be traced back to the early Middle Ages when the Frankish King Clovis I converted to the faith in the 5th century. This set the stage for a strong Catholic presence in the region, and for many centuries, the French monarchy and the Catholic Church were closely linked. The Middle Ages saw the construction of magnificent cathedrals and abbeys across the country, as well as the establishment of powerful monastic orders, such as the Benedictines and Cistercians.
The French Catholic Church played a significant role in the intellectual and cultural life of the Middle Ages, with scholars such as Thomas Aquinas and John Duns Scotus making important contributions to theology and philosophy. The University of Paris, founded in the 12th century, became a leading center for theological study and debate.
However, the close relationship between church and state began to change with the onset of the French Revolution in 1789. The Revolution saw a sharp decline in the influence of the Catholic Church, as the revolutionaries sought to secularize society and assert the power of the state over religious institutions. Many church properties were confiscated, and the civil constitution of the clergy, enacted in 1790, effectively made the Catholic Church a department of the state.
The revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic era significantly weakened the power of the Catholic Church in France. While the church regained some influence during the Bourbon Restoration (1814-1830), the Third Republic (1870-1940) saw a further decline in its role, with the state asserting control over education and implementing a strict separation of church and state.
In the 20th century, France maintained its tradition of laïcité, or secularism, which continues to shape the country's approach to religion in the public sphere. While the Catholic Church no longer holds the political power it once did, it remains a significant cultural force in France, with Catholic traditions and heritage continuing to influence the country's art, literature, and philosophy.
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Percentage of Catholics in France today
France has a long history of Christianity and Catholicism, with some of the earliest signs of Christianity in the country documented in the second century. Catholicism was the major religion in the realm of the French monarchy for over a millennium and was the state religion. The French king always maintained close ties with the Pope, and France was known as the "eldest daughter of the Church".
However, the country also has a long history of anticlericalism. During the French Revolution (1789-1799), there was heavy persecution of the Catholic Church. In the 19th century, anticlerical republicans pushed through laws that removed religious instruction from schools and forbade religious orders from teaching. In 1884, Pope Leo XIII tried to calm Church-State relations by advising French bishops not to act hostilely toward the State. In 1905, a law was passed that instituted the separation of church and state and prohibited the government from recognizing or subsidizing any religion. This removed the privileged status of Catholicism and three other state-recognized religions (Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Judaism).
Despite this, Catholicism remains the dominant religion in France today, with an estimated 25-29% of the population declaring themselves Catholic. However, this represents a decline from previous years, with some sources stating that the percentage of Catholics was as high as 43% in 2010. The decline in Catholicism has been accompanied by a rise in other Christian denominations and a growing percentage of people unaffiliated with any organized religion, particularly in the youngest demographics. The number of people declaring themselves atheist or non-religious in France is also significant, with self-declared atheists representing 30% of the population according to one source.
France is known for its staunchly secular Republicanism, and the country is often described as having a paradoxical relationship between its secular present and its historically Catholic past. Notable Catholic sites in France include Notre Dame de Paris, Chartres Cathedral, Reims Cathedral, and the national shrine at Lourdes, which attracts 5 million pilgrims annually.
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The decline of Catholicism in France
France, known as the "Eldest Daughter of the Church", has witnessed a decline in Catholicism over the centuries. While the trend has been a slow decline, there have been notable periods of acceleration, such as after the French Revolution (1789-1799) and a particularly steep drop in 1965. The most recent statistics from 2020 show that the percentage of Catholics in France ranges from 25% to 47% of the population, with the higher figure including lapsed Catholics. This represents a significant decrease from the country's almost entirely Catholic population of 28 million in 1789.
The French Revolution marked a turning point for the Catholic Church in France. Before the Revolution, the Church was the official religion of the French state, with the King maintaining close ties to the Pope. However, the Revolution brought about a suppression of worship and heavy persecution of the Church. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, adopted in 1789, made no recognition of the special position of the Catholic Church, leaving it open and vulnerable to reform. The new National Assembly passed decrees that placed Church property under the control of the nation, targeting the Church in a way that cast doubt on the Revolution's motives.
In the 19th century, the rise of anticlericalism led to further separation between the Church and the state. The early anti-Catholic laws passed by republican Jules Ferry in 1882 pushed religious instruction out of schools and forbade religious orders from teaching. Later laws weakened the Church's position further, with the introduction of civil marriage and divorce, and the removal of chaplains from the army.
The 20th century saw the institutional separation of church and state in France. A 1905 law instituted the separation of church and state, prohibiting the government from recognising, salaried, or subsidising any religion. This removed the privileged status of the Catholic Church as the state religion. While there was a brief restoration of the state's role in appointing Catholic bishops with the 1926 Briand-Ceretti Agreement, the overall trend was towards increasing separation.
In recent decades, the decline of Catholicism in France has continued, with a rise in the number of people identifying as non-religious. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger demographics, with a growing percentage unaffiliated with any organized religion. While the report does not cite a single reason for the decline, it notes that the sexual abuse crisis within the Church has been a contributing factor. Additionally, the rise of science, the Age of Reason, and the Age of Revolution have contributed to a deterioration of belief in the supernatural, providing individuals with a more materialistic and secular worldview.
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Separation of church and state in France
France has a long history of Catholicism, which was the state religion for over a millennium. The French monarchy had close ties to the Roman papacy, and France was often referred to as the "eldest daughter of the Church". However, the French Revolution (1789-1799) marked a turning point, with heavy persecution of the Catholic Church. This sparked a progressive secularisation of institutions, and the idea of separating church and state gained momentum among intellectuals and politicians.
In the 19th century, France underwent a gradual national secularisation programme. This included removing priests from administrative committees, replacing nuns with laywomen in hospitals, and establishing secular education. The early anti-Catholic laws were largely the work of republican Jules Ferry, whose laws in 1881-1882 banned religious instruction in schools and forbade religious orders from teaching. Later laws further weakened the Church's position, legalising civil marriage, introducing divorce, and removing chaplains from the army.
The French law of 9 December 1905 formally established the separation of church and state, declaring state secularism and neutrality towards religious doctrine. It removed the privileged status of Catholicism and three other state-recognised religions (Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Judaism). The law prohibited the government from recognising, funding, or subsidising any religion and declared that places of worship became the property of the state or local municipalities. This law is seen as the foundation of France's principle of "laïcité" (secularism).
Despite this separation, the French state negotiated with the Catholic Church in 1926, resulting in the Briand-Ceretti Agreement, which temporarily restored a formal role for the state in appointing Catholic bishops. However, evidence of its implementation is scarce. The decline of Catholicism in France has continued, with a rise in the non-religious, or "nones", who now make up the majority of the French population at 53%. Various factors have contributed to this decline, including the sexual abuse crisis within the Church and a higher reproduction rate among Muslims.
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France's secular reputation and Catholic history
France has a reputation for being a secular country, with a long history of anti-clericalism and a strict separation of church and state. The country has a strong tradition of laïcité, or absolute neutrality of the state with respect to religious doctrine. This policy has its roots in the French Revolution of 1789, when revolutionaries violently overthrew the Ancien Régime, which included the Catholic Church. The term "laïcité" first emerged in the 19th century, during a period of gradual secularization that saw the state freed from its historical ties with the Catholic Church. This process was driven by Enlightenment thinkers who emphasized reason and self-direction, as well as by a broader movement associated with modernity.
Despite France's secular reputation, the country has a long and complex history with Catholicism, which was the major religion of the French monarchy for over a millennium. France was traditionally considered the "eldest daughter of the Church," and the King of France maintained close links to the Pope. However, the policy of "Gallicanism" asserted the superiority of royal power over the Papacy and limited papal intervention in the management of Catholic Church affairs. The French Revolution marked a period of heavy persecution of the Catholic Church, and the early 19th century saw the implementation of anti-Catholic laws that pushed religious instruction out of schools and weakened the Church's position in society.
In the 20th century, France solidified its secularization with the 1905 Law of Separation of Churches and State, which prohibited the state from recognizing, funding, or subsidizing any religion. This law removed the privileged status of Catholicism as the state religion. However, the French head of state still nominates Catholic bishops, a paradox that persists despite the country's secular leanings.
Today, France's religious landscape is diverse, with a growing percentage of people unaffiliated with any organized religion, particularly in the youngest demographics. While Christianity remains the most followed religion, the percentage of Catholics in France has been declining. Recent estimates range from 25% to 47% of the population, with the higher figure including lapsed Catholics and "Catholic atheists". The decline in Catholicism has been juxtaposed with a rise in other Christian denominations and a growing Muslim population, leading to debates about the integration of religious minorities into secular French society.
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Frequently asked questions
Estimates of the percentage of Catholics in France vary. In 2020, estimates ranged from 25% to 47% or even 88% if lapsed Catholics and "Catholic atheists" are included. A more recent survey from 2023 puts the percentage of Catholics at 29%.
France is known for its staunchly secular Republicanism. The country has a long history of anticlericalism and the state cut its institutional ties with the Catholic Church in 1905. The early 20th century also saw the passing of several anti-Catholic laws. The decline of Catholicism in France has been juxtaposed with a rise in other Christian denominations and a growing Muslim population.
The largest religion in France is Christianity, of which Catholicism is the largest denomination. However, the majority of the French population (53%) is non-religious.
