France: Episcopal Leadership Received at Matignon

On March 25, 2025, when the Church celebrated the Annunciation made to Mary, a more political message emanated from 57 rue de Varennes, where the "annual dialogue meeting"—known as the "Matignon Council"—between the government and the Catholic Church of France was convened. It is a body established in 2002 to address institutional issues of common interest, as well as key current affairs.

Around the table, on the government side, Prime Minister François Bayrou was flanked by three of his colleagues: Bruno Retailleau (Interior), Catherine Vautrin (Labor, Health, Solidarity and Families), and Rachida Dati (Culture).

The Catholic delegation included Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort of Reims—then President of the French Bishops' Conference (CEF). He has since been replaced by Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline. Also attending were his two Vice-Presidents, Dominique Blanchet, Archbishop of Créteil, and Vincent Jordy, Archbishop of Tours, along with Laurent Ulrich, Archbishop of Paris. This meeting, which did not take place in 2024, was intended to signal the return to a "structured and long-awaited" dialogue between the two parties.

The first item on the menu for the Prime Minister's office was "secularism," one of the last dogmas to which the Republic clings, as best it can. 2025 marks the 120th anniversary of the law on the separation of Church and State, promulgated in 1905. Representatives of the CEF saw fit to reaffirm their commitment to the principle of secularism, while highlighting certain perceived "drifts" in recent years.

Jordy notably pointed to a "shift" in the application of secularism, particularly since the adoption of the law strengthening respect for the principles of the Republic (CRPR), nicknamed the "separatism law," in 2021. According to him, this legislation has complicated the presence of chaplaincies in public places such as hospitals and universities, making their operation more difficult. 

The second major topic addressed was the management of religious heritage: the CEF prelates questioned the government about the use of religious buildings deserted by the faithful for activities beyond the strictly religious framework, such as the organization of concerts or exhibitions. This question reflects a growing concern: how can we preserve the original purpose of these places, and the respect due to them, while opening them to a largely secularized public in order to preserve them?

The discussion also focused on the financial resources needed to maintain this heritage. Funding for the restoration of religious buildings, which are often old and costly to maintain, remains a recurring issue. To address this, the government announced the creation of an inter-ministerial coordination body for religious heritage.

According to the Prime Minister's office, this body will be tasked with defining, in partnership with religious groups, new funding tools, particularly through the development of religious tourism. Furthermore, the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, announced an increase in the number of architects of French buildings, a reinforcement intended to support conservation projects.

The third major focus of the meeting was demographics and the alarming decline in the birth rate in France. According to a January 2025 INSEE report, the country recorded its lowest birth rate since 1945 in 2024, a statistic that worries both the government and the Church. The French bishops had this opportunity to discuss measures that could improve the financial well-being of families, a lever considered crucial to encouraging the birth rate.

The issue of euthanasia was not on the agenda, but nonetheless emerged. "We reiterated our commitment to life, to supporting life, and our satisfaction that there are now two bills concerning the end of life, with our support for the first, on palliative care," explained Bishop Jordy in remarks reported by La Croix.

This "satisfaction" should not obscure the fact that, ultimately, the pill may be bitter to swallow for French Catholics committed to the fight for life. For his part, Archbishop de Moulins-Beaufort was able to take his final leave of the government: having completed his term as head of the CEF, the prelate participated in his final meeting as president of the French bishops.