Telegraph: France 'no longer a Catholic country - by Henri Samuel

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Barely half the French population describe themselves as Catholic, according to a recently released poll, sparking a leading religious publication to declare France "no longer a Catholic country".The number of atheists has risen sharply to 31 per cent from 23 per cent in 1994.

French Catholicism, while suffering during the Revolution, did not begin its real decline until 1905, experts say, when pre-war France was declared a secular state, all funding of religious groups was stopped and religious buildings were declared the property of the state. The poll showed that only 10 per cent go to church regularly — mainly to Sunday mass or christenings. Of the 51 per cent who still call themselves Catholics, only half said they believed in God. Many said they were Catholics because it was a family tradition.