MONACO (RNS) – A highlight of Pope Leo XIV’s one-day trip to Monaco was his meeting with young Catholics in the country, including those who represent a surging number of catechumens, or people converting or returning to the faith and preparing to receive the sacraments.

While research points to skepticism regarding a possible Catholic “revival” — following years of steady decrease in the number of faithful as parents struggle to pass down the faith to the new generations — some recent data and reports from Catholic dioceses have suggested growth in some pockets of Catholicism worldwide.

But speaking at the Chapel of St. Dévote in Monaco on Saturday (March 28), Leo seemed to take notice of an increased interest in Catholicism among youth. He observed that if “today the faith faces challenges and obstacles, yet nothing can dim its beauty and truth.”

“We can see this in the growing number of men and women of all ages who desire to know the Lord and ask to be baptized,” he said.

Monaco, which is majority Catholic despite its tiny population and square footage, is welcoming 70 new catechumens this year, more than double those registered in 2025, and triple that of 2024. While many of them are young, they represent a variety of ages and backgrounds.

“As in other countries, we have the pleasure of welcoming many catechumens. Some will be baptized in a week. Others are beginning their journey of Christian initiation,” said Dominique-Marie David, archbishop of Monaco, in his remarks at the church.

“Their presence among us is a gift from God that fills us with joy, but also a challenge that calls us to responsibility,” he added.

A significant portion of the catechumens come from neighboring France, which has witnessed a surge in the number of young people converting or returning to the Catholic faith in recent years. According to an annual survey by the French bishops, over 20,000 catechumens will be baptized during the Easter Vigil this year, a 20% uptick compared to the already-record numbers of 2025.

Recent church data suggests similar trends in Belgium, Austria and even in the United States. A New York Times article this week reported that this Easter, many U.S. Catholic dioceses are likely to see their highest number of baptisms in recent years. 

But some scholars have raised doubts regarding some of the evidence of a “quiet revival.” A recent report on churchgoing in the United Kingdom was withdrawn this week, citing errors in the data collected.

Pope Leo’s first major public event as pontiff was the Jubilee of Youth, last summer in Rome, where he was greeted by 1 million people, according to Vatican estimates. Since then, he has spoken candidly and passionately to youth about faith and the challenge of modernity.

“We live in a world that always seems to be in a hurry, eager for novelty, obsessed with unfettered fluidity,” Pope Leo said in Monaco. “It is marked by an almost compulsive need for constant change, be it in fashions, appearances, relationships, ideas, or even the dimensions of the person that are essential to their very identity.

“However, it is love that gives stability to life. It is, first and foremost, the fundamental experience of God’s love, and then, by extension, the sacred and enlightening experience of mutual love,” he added.

Ethan, a 25-year-old catechumen in Monaco, whose last name was not given, said in his testimony before the pope that he gravitated toward the Catholic faith because of the “lack of substance and a solid foundation” in society. “In this time of Lent, tens of thousands of my brothers and sisters, catechumens in all the world, have decided to follow Christ and his Crucifixion in his resurrection,” he said.

In his speech, Leo drew on the example of the recently canonized Saint Carlo Acutis, known as the “patron of the internet” and the first millennial saint, and Saint Devota, the patron saint of Monaco, to inspire younger generations. He offered prayer and moments of silence and reflection “to quiet the frenzy of doing and saying, of messages, reels and chats.”

“Dear young people, do not be afraid to give everything — your time, your energy — to God and to your brothers and sisters, to pour yourselves out completely for the Lord and for others,” the pope concluded.