Religious trends show growth in US and Europe

Religious practice in the United States is showing signs of increase after decades of decline. Approximately 86 per cent of Americans believe in a divine or supernatural intelligence, while the number of regular religious practitioners has begun to rise from previous lows.

A significant indicator of this trend was the recent visit of Pope Leo XIV to France. The Pope visited the pilgrimage center of Lourdes and the renovated Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. He also conducted a pan-European service in Metz, the birthplace of Robert Schuman.

The visit concluded with a massive turnout at an open-air service in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The attendance significantly exceeded the expectations of the archdiocese, which had anticipated tens of thousands rather than the colossal crowd that arrived.