Bishop Pierre-Yves Michel of Valence said the protesters were not sending the right signal on behalf of the Church.

"The health situation is serious," he said.

"I would prefer that Catholics show that they are taking their share of suffering in these difficult times and that they overcome this feeling of injustice," the bishop continued.

Several other bishops and heads of dioceses publicly disassociated themselves from last weekend's prayerful protests.

Catholics across France crowded in front of churches in cities demanding they be allowed to attend Mass during lockdown.

Under France's second lockdown, all public religious gatherings throughout the country, including public Masses, are suspended from Nov. 3 until at least Dec. 1.

The Catholic protesters argue that community celebrations and the Eucharist are vital needs for the faithful.

They say public authorities have no right to deny them spiritual nourishment by de facto classifying it as "non-essential".

"We just want to express that our faith makes us alive. But we call on everyone to be respectful of government regulations," said Jean-Benoît Harel, a 23-year-old law student who started the "For the Mass" petition.

The petition calls for the resumption of public celebrations. More than 100,000 people have signed the document.

Yann Raison du Cleuziou, a Catholic historian and sociologist said the controversy confronts what it is necessary to do as a Catholic.

On the one hand, some Catholics believe deprivation of the Eucharist to save lives, "constitutes a sacrifice".

He said they see it as "a communion even greater than the Eucharist, because there is no greater love than to give one's life for those one loves".

But, on the other hand, he said there are Christians who see fidelity to Mass as a reminder that the first and absolute goal of life is contemplation of God, salvation. Even if it means endangering the individual body.

"There are two relationships that oppose each other here. To one's neighbour and to the priority of service that must be rendered to God," the sociologist concluded.

Sources

• La Croix International
• Catholic Telegraph
• The Tablet

The portrait of the 18-30 age group that emerges from the exclusive survey on youth and religion carried out by OpinionWay for La Croix reveals a generation that is discernibly more religious than the generation of their parents.

Certainly, young people who say they believe in the existence of God (46%) still comprise a minority in the French community, which is mainly agnostic.

Yet when these figures are compared with earlier surveys, it appears that young people account for the largest number of believers in the French population as a whole.

Only 38% of the French population say that they believe in the existence of God, according to a survey conducted a year ago for the French Conference of Priests and Nuns (Corref).

Today's young French people also identify more strongly with religion than their peers of a decade ago. This is true among Catholics (42%), Muslims (4%) and Protestants (3%).

In 2008, only 34% of the 18-29 age group claimed to belong to a religion, according to a Europe-wide survey on values carried out the same year, compared with 53% today.

Sister Nathalie Becquart, who is in charge of pastoral outreach to youth in the French Bishop's Conference, views the difference as "a generational change."

"There has been a real break with the generation of 1968 when religious practice brutally dropped," she explains.

"However, the decline did not continue."

The religious renewal is more shifting and diffuse and it has led to other forms of spirituality besides the traditional practice of worship.

"40% pray, 30% say the spiritual dimension is important in their lives, one in five has already taken part in a religious gathering or a pilgrimage. That is much more than going to church on Sundays," notes Sister Nathalie Becquart. Continue reading

Sources

• Céline Hoyeau and Nicolas Senèze writing in Global Pulse
• Image: DICI