Bishop Barron reflects on restored Caravaggios and a Catholic revival in France
Bishop Robert Barron speaks from outside San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, sharing reflections on Caravaggio's paintings and signs of Catholic renewal in France and the West.
Summary
Bishop Barron delivers a short solo reflection filmed outside San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, where he has just viewed the three great Caravaggio paintings, including the Calling of Saint Matthew. He notes he lived and studied in France for three years at the Institut Catholique in Paris, giving him a personal connection to his next topic. He then pivots to discuss a papal visit to France he watched on YouTube, describing a large youth gathering that celebrated the full sweep of French Catholic history — from the legendary arrival of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary on French shores through to saints such as Joan of Arc and Thérèse of Lisieux. He argues that France, long described as hyper-secularized, may be experiencing a genuine Catholic awakening in response to aggressive secularism and a growing Islamic presence. He connects this to broader signs of Catholic revival in the West, including 70,000 people attending the Fulton Sheen beatification event in St. Louis, which he had just come from before arriving in Rome.
Key Takeaways
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Outside San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome
Bishop Barron: Hey everybody, it's Bishop Barron. I'm in Rome on this wonderful visit and I'm standing in front of one of my favorite churches in Rome — the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Saint Louis of the French. I just had a chance, right before the midday closing, to go in there and look at the three great Caravaggios — the Calling of Matthew — just wonderful, wonderful pictures.
Reflections on France and Catholic Revival
And I wanted to be here because I want to talk about France a little bit, where I had the privilege to live and study for three years at the Institut Catholique in Paris. I was returning from the Fulton events and then arriving here in Rome, and I was watching on YouTube the film of the Pope's visit to France, and I was so struck by it — the obvious enthusiasm of the people, the hundreds of thousands coming out for the big Mass.
The one that really struck me was the gathering with young people in some big arena, filled to the rafters. What they did was celebrate Catholic France, going all the way back to the very first people. The legend is that Lazarus, Martha, and Mary brought the faith to the shores of France. They went through all of French history, including the great martyrs and saints and founders of orders, the building of the cathedrals, saints such as Vincent de Paul, and of course St. Bernadette, and the Little Flower, and Joan of Arc. They had young people representing these great saints. I remember Joan of Arc coming in on horseback. The Little Flower — very charmingly — they had coming in on a bicycle. And as the saints came in, the cheers went up from these young people, all in the presence of the Pope.
Here's what struck me. We've been hearing so long about secularized France and the loss of the faith. And I think finally I was seeing signs there that, in the face of this very aggressive secularism, and in the face of — let's face it — a very confident Islam that's establishing itself in France, maybe they're realizing it's time to wake up and understand the cultural and religious power of the Catholic faith. And not to believe the lies of the Revolution — that it was all corruption and all cooperation with power. There is so much richness and spiritual depth within French culture. Indeed, France is the eldest daughter of the Church. I think they're taking great strength from remembering this cultural tradition.
Signs of a Broader Catholic Revival in the West
Look, I do think it's part of a more general revival of Catholicism in the West. We see it in our country for sure — we've been monitoring that now for years, and the numbers are unmistakable. And I think it's happening even here in what we always call hyper-secularized Europe.
Please God, this revival of the faith continues. I saw these videos just after coming from St. Louis and the 70,000 people at the Fulton Sheen beatification. Something's cooking. Something's happening. And it's all to the good — this revival of Catholicism. God bless you.