(James Jeffrey. Catholic Herald).
The number of French priests being ordained in 2024 has exceeded 2023’s numbers as France continues to baffle when it comes to secular trends.
Ordinations in 2024 will see 105 new priests created in France, reports the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF), 17 more than in 2023, when 88 new priests were ordained. The uptick is all the more notable coming at a time when France often appears to be gripped by hardline secularism.
Social liberalism is increasingly dominant in French politics, resulting in policies spearheaded by French President Emmanuel Macron that are anathema to Catholic teaching, not to mention basic traditional morality.
As a result, the country increasingly appears representative of the clash in Europe between modern liberal progressivism and the Catholic Church as the guardian of tradition and Christian values.