It happened during the opening ceremony of World Youth Day 2000 on August 15. And for those following the life of the Church in Europe, it came as a pleasant surprise.

As Pope John Paul II called out the names of countries which had sent youths to Rome, a deafening roar burst out the moment he said “France”. It was the strongest reaction all night. When television cameras panned the audience of 350,000 crammed into St. Peter’s Square and down the length of Via Della Conciliazione to the Tiber River, French flags seemed to be waving everywhere. In the following days, it became apparent that after the Italians, French youths were the second most numerous pilgrims in Rome, some 80,000 strong.

The French secular media, which frequently demonizes the Pope and the Church, were at a loss to explain this phenomenon. Though in past centuries the French Church had been known for her vigor, societal changes and political opposition during the last 30 years all but emptied church pews. Despite a heritage of powerful saints, exemplified by the Curé of Ars and St. Therese of Lisieux, and revered pilgrimage sites such as Lourdes, Mass attendance on Sunday has dropped to as low as 8% for the entire baptized-Catholic population. “For the last two centuries, atheism made a significant impact in France, “ said Lucy Nairac, 29, assistant to Pro-Life French Senator Cristine Boutin. “Christian references disappeared. Religion became something very private, despite our strong Christian history. People didn’t dare talk about religion. We had been afraid.”

“In France, Catholic people were hidden,” said Matthieu Grimpret, 23, author of a book on Catholicism among French youths. “This is because of a certain complex regarding religion. World Youth Day allowed French Catholics to show themselves.”

Indeed, the World Youth Day which took place in Paris 1997 seems to have been a notable turning point for the French Church, one which led directly to the success of WYD 2000.

“In the Pope’s first message in Paris, he said ‘Don’t be afraid.’ This was the first step, “ said Nairac. “People began to see the Pope in the media. They saw young people everywhere. Before 1997, I would never have said that I was going on a pilgrimage to others at my work, but at the World Youth Day, everything was in the open. There was nothing to hide. Now the climate has changed and people are more daring.”

Getting to know Pope John Paul II as a real person was a novelty for the majority of French youths who attended WYD ‘97. Prior to this event, many related to the Pope as someone living far away from their own realities. They marveled at the fact that the Pope really loved them, a fact that became abundantly clear during the many papal addresses of the week. His credibility and coherence as a leader answered their deeply-felt need for truth, particularly in an age of frequent political scandals and a soaring divorce rate. The mysterious link between the Holy Father and young people, which outside observers never fail to notice, formed once again.

Mobilizing for the next World Youth Day became a top priority among French bishops from the moment Rome was announced. Because the Paris WYD had been such a powerful experience, French dioceses began to work immediately on re-energizing, or in some cases creating, youth pastoral programs. No one wanted the momentum to die out.

“Many dioceses established councils to work on youth ministry,” said Bishop Georges Soubrier of Nantes, president of the French Bishop’s Committee on Youth. “A new dynamism was felt which enabled the councils to get well-organized for Rome. In my diocese, 40 young people from different movements and communities meet every two months. We discuss initiatives, the problems of young people and what can be done to help them.”

The “new communities”
The “new communities” of France, most of which were founded in the 1970s, have played an important role in the increased interest in Catholicism among French youths. These communities, or movements, combine charismatic spirituality with total loyalty to the Pope and Church doctrine. Among the better-known groups in France are Communauté de l’Emmanuel, Communauté des Béatitudes, Chemin Neuf, and Jeunesse Lumière.

“These movements have an important place in the French pastoral programs because they propose a specific support and evangelization of youths, “ said Bishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Montpellier, vice president of the French Episcopal Conference. “Parishes often find it difficult to open up space for young people. But these movements really take them in. During the first World Youth Days, it was these new communities above all who brought the young.”

According to Bishop Ricard, the few French youths who attended the early World Youth Days (‘84 Rome, ‘87 Buenos Aires, ‘89 in Santiago de Compostela, ‘91 Czestochowa, ‘93 Denver, and ‘95 Manila) mostly came from Communauté de l’Emmanuel, Focolare, and Sacre-Cœur de Montmarte Basilica in Paris. “These communities really propose new things,” said Adrien Deambrosis, 25, of the Paris-based Catholic cultural association Edith Stein. “For example one of the great gifts of the new communities is their music, which is very expressive and joyful. Though all movements are different, many place a great emphasis on group prayer. Sometimes they even use music as an aid to prayer.”

“They are very much focused on evangelization,” said Grimpret, “while keeping with the essentials of the Gospel. Young people go because of their spiritual thirst. They aren’t interested in hearing about politics. Young people want to meet Jesus. And within these movements they find the spiritual support they need.”

The question of the spiritual needs of young people is crucial to understanding the success of these groups. The great secularization that exists in France has left many young French Catholics feeling alone. Compounded with societal changes during the last 25 years, these forces do much to make youths feel alienated.

“Young people find it difficult to find faithful love,” said Naraic. “They find themselves looking for something more stable. The impact of these new communities is that they speak about Christ’s love as being personal. And youths feel personally concerned about Christ’s love.”

A sign of the respect these new communities command is exemplified by the appointment of Emmanuel Community priest Dominique Rey as Bishop of Fréjus Toulon. Father Deboisredon, also of the Emmanuel Community, was placed in charge of student pastoral life for the Archdiocese of Paris. The fact that a growing number of all ordinations in France are coming from these new communities confirms their success in helping the young enter the Church and discern their vocation.

The Bishops
During the early years of the World Youth Day phenomenon, the bishops of France were not really convinced of their necessity. “France always had a very organized pastoral ministry for the youth,” said Father Joseph Vandrisse, Le Figaro’s Vatican correspondent. “This did not fit into their old structures.” This factor, coupled with the French Church’s traditional independence from Rome and a sometimes inward-looking culture, led to an unintended indifference.

“The Paris WYD led to a ‘de-blockage’ for everyone, for priests, bishops, and the young.” said Deambrosis. “Bishops were astonished by the response of the youth, especially by their attention. The young showed great respect, particularly during catechesis, and bishops began to develop relationships with them. They realized that young people really expected a great deal from them.”

The strength of the experience was cathartic for many bishops. In a country where most priests are middle-aged or older, the generation gap between the young and the clergy had finally been bridged. But the bishops realized more needed to be done.

“We saw that we had to have more meetings for the young, more catechesis,” said Bishop Soubrier. “Most of us realized that we had to be more accessible.”

The personal experience of many bishops with the young seems to be the fuel that energizes youth ministry. This ministry tries to capture the essence of the WYD structure: bishops catechizing the young, question and answer sessions, prayer and celebration. As the bishops minister to the young, they find themselves renewed.

“I was so moved by their climate of listening and their questions,” said Bishop Ricard. “They ask me ‘How can one live faith today?’, ‘How do you understand faith?’, ‘How do we keep hope?’, ‘Do you ever have doubts?’. Young people are really avid to clarify what the heart of faith is…. I saw kids who, despite difficulties, really want to do something with their lives.”

World Youth Day in Rome
When it came time to organize young pilgrims for Rome, both parts of France’s youth ministry came together; the dioceses and the new communities. Seventy-five French bishops went to Rome to participate in World Youth Day, of which 45 took part in catechetical sessions for French-speaking youths. Groups which had been absent in the past came forward in large numbers from parishes, universities, and dioceses. Many of the new communities joined the diocesan groups and traveled to Rome together.

The pride of being French was displayed all week through songs, colorful T-shirts, and flags, as was the pride of speaking French, exemplified by the mixing of pilgrims from Canada, Africa, Caribbean nations, Switzerland, and France.

But what emerged clearly by week’s end was that which was shared by all—a pride in being part of the universal Catholic Church.