Roman Catholicism in France

The Catholic Church in France is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Established in the 2nd century in unbroken communion with the bishop of Rome, it is sometimes called the "eldest daughter of the church".

The first written records of Christians in France date from the 2nd century when Irenaeus detailed the deaths of ninety-year-old bishop Pothinus of Lugdunum (Lyon) and other martyrs of the 177 persecution in Lyon. In 496 Remigius baptized Clovis I, who was converted from paganism to Catholicism. In 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, forming the political and religious foundations of Christendom and establishing in earnest the French government's longstanding historical association with the Catholic Church. The French Revolution (1789-1790) was followed by heavy persecution of the Catholic Church, which wasn't but gradually restored during the 19th century. Ever since, the policy of laïcité still marks the official policy of the Republic of France until this day.

Today, it is estimated that between 41% and 88% of France's population is Catholic, with the higher figure including lapsed Catholics and "Catholic atheists". The Catholic Church in France is organised into 98 dioceses, which in 2012 were served by 7,000 sub-75 priests. 80 to 90 priests are ordained every year, when the church would need eight times as many to compensate the number of priest deaths.

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