Paris, France, Mar 28, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Recent polls in two European countries now show that the Church is growing as a powerful social institution. In France, numbers of practicing Catholics remain strong while the German Church is benefiting from the election of Joseph Ratzinger as Pope last year.
In France the poll showed that the Catholic Church remains by far the most important institution. Figures coming from the French Bishops Conference, a recent poll from the CSA institute and the daily LeMonde newspaper, show that 62 % of the population considers itself Catholic, 12 % say they are somewhat practicing and 35% are non-practicing.
Half of French children are currently baptized, and about 18,826 adults and
children over 7 years old were baptized in 2001.
France has just over 100 bishops and 24 000 priests currently exercise their pastoral activity there.