# France's Catholic Revival Powers Far Right

> Pope Leo XIV's Paris visit sparks French Catholic surge toward Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally.
- Title: France's Catholic Revival Powers Far Right · Foreign Policy
- Summary: Pope Leo XIV's Paris visit sparks French Catholic surge toward Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally. Pope Leo XIV's Paris visit shows French Catholics…
- Keywords: france, catholic, pope leon xiv, marine le pen, national rally, far right, catholic traditionalists, ifop survey, champs elysée, separating church and state, France's, Revival
- Source: Foreign Policy — https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/10/05/france-catholic-pope-le-pen-far-right
- Author: Robert Zaretsky
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: france, catholic, pope leon xiv, marine le pen, national rally, far right, catholic traditionalists, ifop survey, champs elysée, separating church and state
## Pope Leo XIV's Paris Visit
Pope Leo XIV waved to crowds lining Champs-Elysée during his Paris visit on Sept 26, 2026.

> La République est laïque, la France est chrétienne
## French Catholic Surge
French religiosity has surged alongside political extremism, with Catholics increasingly backing Marine Le Pen's National Rally.
## Marine Le Pen's Political Strategy
Le Pen has aligned National Rally with liberal policies like legalized abortion and euthanasia to attract Catholic traditionalists.
## Catholic Traditionalists' Shift
Catholic traditionalists, who previously supported center-right parties, now increasingly back Le Pen's National Rally.
## Ifop Survey Data
Ifop surveys show Catholic support for Le Pen's National Rally rose from 20% to 36% between 2012 and 2022.
## Economic Status Impact
Working-class Catholics increasingly lean toward the far right, while well-to-do Catholics remain center or left.
## Historical Context
The National Front, founded by Le Pen's father in 1972, had neo-Nazi and antisemitic elements that Le Pen purged.
## Catholic Integralists
The Society of Saint Pius X, with 30,000 members, glorifies Philippe Pétain and avoids Holocaust references.
## Le Pen's Political Shift
Le Pen's National Rally now supports liberal policies, alienating traditional Catholic voters.
## Pope Francis' Stance
Pope Francis criticized RN's Islamophobic language and xenophobic proposals, but Le Pen now aligns with Catholic traditionalists.
## Catholic Engagement
800,000 spectators attended Leo's Champs-Elysée drive, with 80,000 youths attending his prayer vigil.
## Historical Comparison
Pope John Paul II's 1997 Paris visit did not spark the same religious revival as Pope Leo XIV's current visit.
## Catholic Decline
Church marriages dropped from 124,000 to 40,000 annually, and priests fell from 25,000 to 11,000 since the Fifth Republic.
## Catholic Revival Question
It remains unclear whether Pope Leo XIV's visit will quench the 'thirst for meaning' among young French Catholics.
## Key takeaway

Pope Leo XIV's Paris visit shows French Catholics increasingly backing Marine Le Pen's National Rally, with support rising from 20% to 36% between 2012 and 2022.