New convert and author says French Catholics have learned from Islam to be proud of their faith

Joshua Colin, a recent Catholic convert and author, said that the public expression of faith by Muslim immigrants has encouraged French Catholics to be more assertive about their own religion. Speaking to Crux Now ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s scheduled visit to France this weekend, Colin noted that while many immigrants do not accept the country's official state secularism, their refusal to keep their religion private has provided an opportunity for the Church to reclaim its presence.

Colin, who converted to Catholicism last Easter, observed that some Catholics previously felt hesitant to express their faith openly. He stated that seeing others accept their right to practice religion has led many Catholics, particularly young people, to return to the faith. He also noted similar trends of increased religiosity among young Muslims and Jews.

Colin published his book, We, the newly baptized, in March through the Catholic publisher Éditions du Cerf. This year in France, 21,386 adults and teenagers aged between 11 to 17 were baptized during the Easter.