Does surge in adult baptisms reflect need for meaning?
The number of baptisms among adults and young people in France has doubled since 2023, and more than 21,000 people are due to be baptised during the upcoming Easter Vigil. Other countries such as Belgium are also seeing an increase in this rite of initiation into the Church. With Easter celebrations beginning tomorrow, commentators reflect on the fundamental significance of faith, religion and spirituality.
Tangible spiritual shift
Philosopher Povilas Aleksandravičius emphasises in LRT:
“Among certain sections of society, empathy, openness to the transcendent, psychological and spiritual processes of transformation, and a life guided by values are on the rise. At the same time, a move away from materialism and consumerism is becoming tangible. ... It is possible that Christianity's growing popularity can be explained by a general shift towards spirituality within modern humans. ... Throughout history, the Church has not grown by offering the world or individual nations something new and strange, but by infusing culture, customs and social processes with a fresh vitality, adapting to them, developing them and clarifying their purpose in the pursuit of human happiness. ... This is having an impact.”
Faith instead of miserabilist mantras
In the Catholic weekly magazine Gość Niedzielny, editor Marcin Jakimowicz points to a growing need for religion, also felt in the Czech Republic:
“There is a huge, unfulfilled longing for the spirituality within us. I see it at every turn. Even just across our southern border in Ostrava, or in the pretty town of Štramberk, when I pass little shops selling esoteric items. ... This is why the statistics from abroad come as no surprise to me: 'France: up to 21,000 catechumens [candidates for baptism] will be baptised on Holy Saturday'. ... If we give up and succumb to miserabilist mantras and whining, it means that the Gospel has lost its appeal. If, however, it retains its original freshness and vitality, it means that we can still expect surprises ahead.”