God Has Not Abandoned Europe

For decades, we have heard the same story about Europe: Christianity is fading, secularization is inevitable, and the magnificent cathedrals that once stood at the center of European life will eventually become little more than monuments for tourists.

But God has a way of surprising us.

Something remarkable is stirring across parts of Europe. It would be premature to declare that the continent has returned to Christianity. But the signs are increasingly difficult to ignore—especially among the young.

Even Evangelical communities are experiencing growth in places long considered deeply secular. But within the Catholic Church, recent events in France and Spain have offered particularly striking glimpses of something many thought Europe had left behind.

800,000 People Gather for Mass in Paris

During Pope Leo XIV's September visit to France, one of Europe's most secular nations gave him an extraordinary welcome.

Around 80,000 young people gathered at the Stade de France for a prayer vigil.

Then came Paris.

An estimated 800,000 people filled the Champs-Élysées and surrounding streets for an open-air Mass with Pope Leo.

Think about that for a moment.

Hundreds of thousands gathered in the heart of secular Paris—not for a concert, sporting event, or political rally, but for the Holy Mass.

Priests even heard Confessions in the streets as crowds waited.

At Lourdes, another 150,000 pilgrims gathered for Mass, many carrying sickness and suffering with them. There Pope Leo defended the dignity of human life and reminded the world that the suffering deserve our love and care.