Hollande to visit Pope Francis as French Catholics grow more wary of Muslims

French Catholics are growing increasingly wary of Muslims following a wave of Islamist terrorist attacks that culminated in the murder of Fr Jacques Hamel in a church near Rouen last month, according to a new opinion poll, writes Tom Heneghan.

The poll comes amid signs of a thaw in French-Vatican relations, with French President François Hollande due to meet Pope Francis in Rome earlier this week.

The murder of Fr Hamel sealed the rapprochement. Mr Hollande promptly contacted the Pope to express his sadness and was touched by the fact the pontiff mentioned that the President himself had grown up in Rouen.

Mr Hollande, an atheist, attended Fr Hamel’s memorial Mass and later told Catholic journalists he was impressed by the way religious leaders were able to address the evil they saw and promote unity at such a tense time.

During his short visit, Mr Hollande was also expected to visit the French church in Rome where the Caravaggio masterpiece, The Calling of Saint Matthew, hangs. Pope Francis said recently how moved he is by the work.

While diplomatic relations have improved, the latest poll by IFOP said 45 per cent of practising Catholics, a group that has long shown more understanding towards Muslims than the public overall, now thought Islam posed a threat to France. That was a significant jump from the 33 per cent who said this in an IFOP poll last year, and the same number as that for the general public.

The survey also showed increasing opposition to the building of mosques (55 per cent of practising Catholics compared to 40 per cent in a 2012 poll) and the wearing of hijabs in state schools (67 per cent against 54 per cent in 2012).

“This stiffening attitude toward Islam is more pronounced among practising Catholics than the full population,” said IFOP.

The poll appeared just before the Feast of the Assumption, when the annual Marian pilgrimage to Lourdes was held under heavier security than had been arranged for recent papal visits. About 500 soldiers and police patrolled the sanctuary, where only three of the 12 entry gates were open.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Rouen, Dominique Lebrun, has said he plans to work for Fr Hamel to be recognised by the Vatican as a martyr. “The death of Fr Jacques Hamel is the ultimate witness to his faith in Jesus, which he affirmed to the end,” he told AFP.