VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Leo XIV asked the bishops of France to work more diligently to ensure that the Catholic faith continues to be alive and can thrive in their nation “despite the contrary and sometimes hostile winds of indifference, materialism and individualism.”

In a letter marking the 100th anniversary of the canonization of three French saints — John Eudes, John Vianney and Thérèse of Lisieux — Pope Leo prayed that the anniversary celebrations “will not merely evoke nostalgia for a past that might seem bygone, but that they will awaken hope and give rise to a new missionary impetus.”

The pope’s letter was released at the Vatican late May 28.

While most people in France have been baptized Catholic, Vatican statistics show a decline in the percentage of the population that is C

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