How has Wikipedia's Religion in France article changed?

Wikipedia's first sentence called it "preserved". Today it says "diverse". We saved the article's opening at 5 moments between 2015 and 2025, and every claim links the exact revision.

How can I verify what Wikipedia's Religion in France article used to say?

Each snapshot on this page links the Wikipedia revision it came from, so you can open their own history and compare. We also keep our own copy of the text, which stays readable if the article changes again.

How Wikipedia rewrote the Religion in France article

The opening as it read in 2015

Catholic denomination of Christianity is the largest religion in France . Central Mosque in Fréjus . Sunni denomination of Islam is the largest minority religion in France .¹ France is a country where freedom of religion and freedom of thought are guaranteed by virtue of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen . The Republic is based on the principle of laïcité (or "freedom of conscience") enforced by the 1880s Jules Ferry laws and the 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State .² Roman Catholicism , the religion of a majority of French people, is no longer the state religion that it was before the 1789 Revolution and throughout the various, non-republican regimes of the 19th century (the Restoration , the July Monarchy and the Second French Empire ).³ Major religions in France include Catholicism , Islam , Judaism , various branches of Protestantism , Hinduism , Russian Orthodoxy , Armenian Christianity , and Sikhism amongst others, making it a multi confessional country. While millions in France continue to attend religious services regularly, the overall level of observance is considerably lower than in the past.⁴ According to the Eurobarometer Poll conducted in 2010, 27% of French citizens responded that "they believe there is a God", 33% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force", and 40% answered that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force". This makes France one of the more secular countries in the world.⁵

This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 660775691.

The opening as it stood in 2010

France is a country where freedom of thought and of religion are preserved, in virtue of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen . The Republic is based on the principle of laïcité (or "freedom of conscience") enforced by the 1880s Jules Ferry laws and the 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State . Roman Catholicism , the religion of a majority of French people, is no longer considered a state religion , as it was before the 1789 Revolution and throughout the various, non-republican regimes of the 19th century (the Restoration , the July Monarchy and the Second French Empire ). Major religions in France include Islam , Russian Orthodoxy , Armenian Christianity and Judaism amongst others, making it a multiconfessional country.

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 369366843.

The opening as it stood in 2020 5 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

Religion in France in 2017 (age 15+) by Ipsos (Ipsos Group) Catholic Church (57.5%) No religion (35.0%) Other religion (3.50%) Protestant (3.00%) Unanswered (1.00%) Religion in France is diverse under secular principles. It can attribute its diversity to the country's adherence to freedom of religion and freedom of thought, as guaranteed by the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen . The Republic is based on the principle of laïcité (or "freedom of conscience") enforced by the 1880s Jules Ferry laws and the 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State . Catholicism , the religion of a now small majority of French people, is no longer the state religion that it was before the French Revolution , as well as throughout several non-republican regimes of the 19th century (the Restoration , the July Monarchy and the Second French Empire ). Major religions practised in France include Christianity ( Catholicism , various branches of Protestantism , Eastern Orthodoxy , Armenian Orthodoxy ), Islam , Judaism , Buddhism , Hinduism , and Sikhism amongst others, making it a multiconfessional country. Sunday mass attendance has fallen to 5% for the Catholics, and the overall level of observance is considerably lower than was the past. According to a Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2010, 27% of French citizens responded that they "believe there is a God", 27% answered that they "believe there is some sort of spirit or life force", and 40% answered that they "do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force". This makes France one of the most irreligious countries in the world. "Sondage "Les protestants en France en 2017" (1) : qui sont les protestants ?" .

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 964446969.

The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 5 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

Religion in France (2023) Roman Catholicism (25.0%) Protestantism (2.00%) Orthodox Christianity (1.00%) No religion (53.0%) Islam (11.0%) Buddhism (0.50%) Judaism (0.50%) Other religions and christan branches (6.00%) St. Gatianus' Cathedral in Tours . A sculpture depicting the judgement of sinners by Jesus at Amiens Cathedral ; a World Heritage Site . The most represented religious group in France identifies as Christian . Catholicism is the most prominent denomination in France, but lost its state religion status following the 1789 French Revolution and various non-republican regimes of the 19th century, including the Restoration , the July Monarchy and the Second French Empire . Religion in France is diverse, which could be attributed to the country's adherence to secularism , freedom of religion and freedom of thought , as guaranteed by the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen . The Republic is based on the principle of laïcité (or "freedom of conscience") established by the 1880s Jules Ferry laws and the 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State . The most largest religions practiced in France include Christianity (about 34% overall, with denominations including Catholicism , various branches of Protestantism , Eastern Orthodoxy , Armenian Orthodoxy ), Islam , Judaism , Buddhism , Hinduism , and Sikhism among others, making it a multiconfessional country. Sunday Mass attendance has fallen to 5% for Catholics, and the overall level of religious observance is generally lower than in the past.

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1178896215.

The opening as it stood in 2025 5 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

Gatianus' Cathedral in Tours A relief depicting the final judgement of sinners by Jesus at Amiens Cathedral , a World Heritage Site Religion in France is diverse, with the largest religious group being Christianity . A very significant part of the population is not religious , and significant minorities profess Islam and other religions. Freedom of religion and freedom of thought are warranted by the legacy of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen , and by the principle of laïcité (or "freedom of conscience") enforced by the 1880s Jules Ferry laws and the 1905 law on the Separation of the Churches and the State . Catholicism was the major religion in the realm of the French monarchy for more than a millennium, and it also held the role of state religion ; the monarchy had such close ties to the Roman papacy that France was called the "eldest daughter of the Church" ( French : fille aînée de l'Église ).

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1292117530. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.

What Wikipedia says this is