Flag of the Netherlands - wikipedia Flag of the Netherlands Jump to : navigation , search `` Dutch flag '' redirects here . For the computer science problem , see Dutch national flag problem . `` Flag of Holland '' redirects here . For the flags of the provinces called Holland , see Flag of North Holland and Flag of South Holland . Netherlands Name Flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Use National flag and ensign Proportion 2 : 3 Adopted Officially adopted on 19 February 1937 Design A horizontal triband of red ( Bright Vermilion ) , white , and Cobalt blue . Variant flag of Netherlands Name The `` Prinsengeus '' , the naval jack of the Netherlands . Use Naval jack Proportion 2 : 3 Variant flag of Netherlands Name Royal Standard of the Netherlands Proportion 1 : 1 Adopted 27 August 1908 . Design A square orange flag , divided in four quarters by a nassau - blue cross with the small coat of arms of the Kingdom , surmounted by a royal crown and surrounded by the insignia of the Grand Cross of the Order of Willem . Each quarter shows a bugle - horn which originates in arms of the Principality of Orange . The flag of the Netherlands ( Dutch : Vlag van Nederland ) is a horizontal tricolor of red , white , and blue . The tricolor flag is almost identical to that of Luxembourg , except that it is shorter and its blue stripe is a darker shade . It originates as a variant of the older orange - white - blue Prinsenvlag ( `` Prince 's Flag '' ) , introduced in the 17th century as the Statenvlag ( `` States Flag '' ) , the naval flag of the States - General of the Dutch Republic . Its official status as the national flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was formalized in 1937 . Contents ( hide ) 1 Description 2 History 2.1 Cross of Burgundy Flag 2.2 Prince 's Flag 2.3 Statenvlag 2.4 Flag of the Batavian Republic 2.5 Modern national flag 3 Display and use 4 Flags of current countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands 4.1 Flag of Aruba 4.2 Flag of Curaçao 4.3 Flag of Sint Maarten 5 Flags of former countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands 5.1 Suriname 5.2 Netherlands Antilles 6 Flags of former colonies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 6.1 New Holland ( Brazil ) 6.2 Netherlands East Indies 6.3 Netherlands New Guinea 7 Related flags 7.1 Flags influenced by the flag of the Netherlands 7.2 Pan-Slavic colors 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Description ( edit ) The national flag of the Netherlands is a tricolor flag . The horizontal fesses are bands of equal size in the colors from top to bottom , red ( officially described as a `` bright vermilion '' ) , white ( silver ) , and blue ( `` cobalt blue '' ) . The flag proportions ( width : length ) are 2 : 3 . The first stadtholder of the Dutch Republic was William I of Orange , who joined with Dutch nationalists and led the struggle for independence from Spain . Partly out of respect for him , the first flag adopted by the Dutch was a horizontal tricolor of orange , white , and blue . It became known as the Prinsenvlag ( `` Prince 's flag '' ) and was based on the livery of William of Orange . The orange dye was particularly unstable and tended to turn red after a while , so in the mid-17th century , red was made the official color . The flag has flown since then , but was confirmed by Royal Decree only in 1937 , at the same time the color parameters were exactly defined . As the first revolutionary flag , it has had a seminal influence throughout the world , particularly on the Pan-Slavic colors of Russia . Until about 1800 , in the case of both the orange - and the red - striped versions , the number of stripes and their order frequently varied . Scheme Bright Vermilion White Cobalt Blue Chromatic X = 17.2 Y = 9.0 Z = 2.6 N / A X = 7.8 Y = 6.8 Z = 26.7 CMYK 0.84. 77.32 0.0. 0.0 76.50. 0.46 RGB ( 174 , 28 , 40 ) ( 255,255,255 ) ( 33 , 70,139 ) Hexadecimal # AE1C28 # FFFFFF # 21468B History ( edit ) Cross of Burgundy flag ( edit ) The Cross of Burgundy Flag . At the end of the 15th century , when the majority of the Netherlands provinces were united under the Duke of Burgundy , the Cross of Burgundy Flag of the Duke of Burgundy was used for joint expeditions , which consisted of a red saltire resembling two crossed , roughly - pruned ( knotted ) branches , on a white field . Under the later House of Habsburg this flag remained in use . Prince 's flag ( edit ) Main article : Prince 's Flag The Prince 's Flag . Dutch ships ramming Spanish galleys off the English coast , 3 October 1602 ( Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom 1617 ) In 1572 provinces of the Low Countries rose in revolt against King Philip II of Spain , and William Prince of Orange ( 1533 -- 1584 ) placed himself at the head of the rebels . The colour `` orange '' is apparently in reference to the name of the House of Orange ; but it should be noted that `` orange '' is not a heraldic tincture , and the name of `` Orange '' is derived from Aurasio , unrelated to the name of the fruit or the color . The use of orange as a color adjective itself is an innovation of the 16th century . Usage of the color orange by William himself is recorded for 1577 , when in a reception at Ghent he was dressed as Judas Maccabeus and accompanied by a number of allegories , among these Paix de Gand , represented by a young girl wearing an orange , blue and white belt , and `` Faith '' , `` Truth '' and `` Perseverance '' dressed in white , blue and orange , respectively , besides 84 young girls representing the `` 84 industries of Ghent '' , dressed in white with orange and blue ornaments . Jacob Duym also reports that in the siege of Leiden in 1574 , the Dutch officers wore orange - white - blue brassards . From this , Rey ( 1837 ) concludes that the combination of orange - white - blue was certainly used by the Prince of Orange from the 1570s . The Watergeuzen ( Gueux de mer , `` Sea Beggars '' ) , the pro-Dutch privateers , flew an orange - white - blue ( Dutch : Oranje , Wit , Blauw or Oranje , Blanje , Bleu , from French Orange , Blanc , Bleu ) . tricolor ; the first explicit reference to naval flags in these colors is found in the ordonnances of the Admiralty of Zeeland , dated 1587 , i.e. shortly after William 's death . The orange - white - blue flag continued to be flown as well and in later times would serve as the basis for the former South African flag . It is also the basis for the flags of New York City and Albany , New York . The 400th anniversary of the introduction of the Prince 's Flag was commemorated in the Netherlands by the issue of a post stamp in 1972 . Statenvlag ( edit ) The Statenvlag . Further information : Statenvlag After about 1630 , the orange band tended to be replaced by a red one , as indicated by paintings of that time . The CIA Factbook suggests that this was merely due to the orange dye used tending to fade to red over time . Alternatively , it has been suggested that there is an older association of the colours red , white and blue with the Low Countries , going back even to the late medieval period . During the 15th century , the three colours were mentioned as the coastal signals for this area , with the 3 bands straight or diagonal , single or doubled . Muller ( 1862 ) suggested that the colours were taken from the coat of arms of the Bavarian house , the rulers of the county of Holland during 1354 -- 1433 , who used the Bavarian coat of arms quartered with the arms of the counts of Holland . It appears that prior to 1664 , the red - white - blue tricolor was commonly known as the `` Flag of Holland '' ( Hollandsche Vlag ) ; in 1664 , the States of Zeeland complained about this , and a resolution of the States - General introduced the name `` States Flag '' ( Statenvlag ) . According to de Waard ( 1900 ) , the Dutch navy between 1588 and 1630 always displayed the Prince 's Flag , and after 1663 always the States Flag , with both flag variants being in use during the period of 1630 -- 1662 . The red - white - blue triband flag of the Netherlands as used in the 17th century is said to have influenced the Russian flag . Flag of the Batavian Republic ( edit ) Flag of the Batavian Republic . Flag and pennants of the Batavian Republic . With the revolution in the Netherlands in the last decade of the 18th century , and the conquest by the French , the name `` Prince 's Flag '' was forbidden . The orange - white - blue was changed into red - white - blue ( colours to which the French `` liberators '' were kindly disposed , analogous as they were to their own tricolour , chosen just a few months earlier ) and in 1796 the red division of the flag was embellished with the figure of a Netherlands maiden , with a lion at her feet , in the upper left corner . In one hand she bore a shield with the Roman fasces and in the other a lance crowned with the cap of liberty . This flag had a life as short as that of the Batavian Republic for which it was created . Louis Bonaparte , made king of Holland by his brother the Emperor Napoleon , wished to pursue a purely Dutch policy and to respect national sentiments as much as possible . He removed the maiden of freedom from the flag and restored the old tricolour . His pro-Dutch policies led to conflicts with his brother , however , and the Netherlands were incorporated into the French Empire . In 1810 its flag was replaced by the imperial emblems . Modern national flag ( edit ) Flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands This section needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . ( September 2013 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message ) In 1813 , the Netherlands regained its independence and the Prince of Orange returned from exile . In order to demonstrate the attachment of the people to the House of Orange , the orange - white - blue Prince 's Flag and the red - white - blue State Flag were flown alongside one another . Which of the two flags should be the national flag was left undecided . This is apparent from the fact that it was not only hoisted on public buildings but also chosen by the first King as his personal standard , showing the national coat of arms on the white stripes . From the same period dates the custom , prescribed spontaneously by popular will , to fly an orange pennant together with the national flag as a sign of allegiance of the people to the House of Orange . The pennant is added on King 's Day ( Dutch : Koningsdag , April 27 ) or other festive occasions related to the Royal Family . On February 19 , 1937 , a Royal Decree issued by Queen Wilhelmina finally laid down the red , white and blue colours as the national flag ( heraldic colours of bright vermilion , white and cobalt blue ) . The flag of Luxembourg , in use since 1830 , differs only in the shade of blue and the flag proportion . The similarity of the two flags has given rise to a national debate to change the flag of Luxembourg , initiated by Michel Wolter in 2006 . Display and use ( edit ) Added orange pennant on Koningsdag . The flag is customarily flown at government buildings and military bases in the Netherlands and abroad all year round . Private use is much rarer . Only on National Holidays such as Koningsdag ( King 's Day ) is there widespread private use . At the birthday of specific members of the Royal House , like the King or the Queen , an orange pennant might be added to the flag . There are special non-holiday festivities or remembrance occasions when the flag is flown , such as at the homes of students who have just graduated . The flag is then often accompanied by the graduate 's school bag hung from the tip of the flag pole . The flag can also be displayed at times of sadness at half - staff as a sign of respect or national mourning . The holidays on which flags are put out by the government are : January 31 : Princess Beatrix 's birthday ( with orange pennant ) April 27 : King 's Day ( with orange pennant ) May 4 : Remembrance of the Dead ( half - staff ) May 5 : Liberation Day May 17 : Queen Máxima 's birthday ( with orange pennant ) June 's last Saturday : Veterans Day August 15 : End of the Second World War September 's 3rd Tuesday : Prince 's Day ( only in The Hague ) December 7 : Princess Catharina - Amalia 's birthday ( with orange pennant ) December 15 : Kingdom Day The public does n't show the national flag that often , the holidays on which flags are put out by the public are : April 27 : King 's Day May 4 : Remembrance of the Dead ( half - staff ) May 5 : Liberation Day One sees the flag often without orange pennant , because not many people own one . Flags of current countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands ( edit ) Flag of Aruba ( edit ) Main article : Flag of Aruba Flag of Aruba The national flag of Aruba was officially adopted on March 18 , 1976 . The blue field represents the sky , the sea , peace , hope , Aruba 's future and its ties to the past . The two narrow stripes `` suggest the movement toward status aparte '' . One represents `` the flow of tourists to sun - drenched Aruba , enriching the island as well as vacationers '' , the other `` industry , all the minerals ( gold and phosphates in the past , petroleum in the early 20th century ) '' . In addition to sun , gold , and abundance , the yellow is also said to represent wanglo flowers . The star has particularly complex symbolism . It is vexillologically unusual in having four points , representing the four cardinal directions . These refer in turn to the many countries of origin of the people of Aruba . They also represent the four main languages of Aruba : Papiamento , Spanish , English , and Dutch . The star also represents the island itself : a land of often red soil bordered by white beaches in a blue sea . The red also represents blood shed by Arubans during war , past Indian inhabitants , patriotic love , and Brazil wood . The white also represents purity and honesty . Flag of Curaçao ( edit ) Flag of Curaçao Main article : Flag of Curaçao The flag of Curaçao is a blue field with a horizontal yellow stripe slightly below the midline and two white , five - pointed stars in the canton . The blue symbolises the sea and sky ( the bottom and top blue sections , respectively ) divided by a yellow stroke representing the bright sun which bathes the island . The two stars represent Curaçao and Klein Curaçao , but also ' Love & Happiness ' . The five points on each star symbolise the five continents from which Curaçao 's people come . Flag of Sint Maarten Flag of Sint Maarten ( edit ) Main article : Flag of Sint Maarten The Flag of Sint Maarten is the national flag of the Dutch part of Saint Martin island , which is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands . It was adopted 13 June 1985 . The design of Sint Maarten flag resembles the War Flag of the Philippines . Flags of former countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands ( edit ) Flag of Suriname until 1975 . Suriname ( edit ) Main article : Flag of Suriname The pre-independence flag of Suriname consisted of five coloured stars ( from top left clockwise : white , black , brown , yellow , and red ) connected by an ellipse . The coloured stars represented the major ethnic groups that comprise the Surinamese population : the original Amerindians , the colonizing Europeans , the Africans brought in as slaves to work in plantations and the Indians , Javanese and Chinese who came as indentured workers to replace the Africans who escaped slavery and settled in the hinterland . The ellipse represented the harmonious relationship amongst the groups . Netherlands Antilles ( edit ) Flag of the Netherlands Antilles Main article : Flag of the Netherlands Antilles Within the Flag of the Netherlands Antilles there were five stars that symbolise the five islands that made up the country . While the colours red , white and blue refer to the flag of the Netherlands . A six - star version was used until 1986 when Aruba became its own country within the Kingdom . This original version was adopted on 19 November 1959 . This flag fell into disuse when the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved on 10 October 2010 . The Islands of St. Maarten and Curaçao obtained their separate country status within the Kingdom and the islands Bonaire , St. Eustatius and Saba are now overseas entities of the Netherlands . Flags of former colonies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands ( edit ) Flag used by the Dutch West India Company in Dutch Brazil . Flag of the Dutch East India Company Flag of the Dutch West India Company Flag of Netherlands New Guinea . New Holland ( Brazil ) ( edit ) The Flag of New Holland , also known as the Flag of Dutch Brazil , was the flag used by the Dutch West India Company for the territories that were under its control in Brazil from 1630 until 1654 . The flag consists of three horizontal stripes in the colours of the flag of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands ( red , white and blue ) and it displays a monogram on the central stripe and a crown on the upper stripe , both gold - coloured . The origin of the monogram as well as its initials and its meaning is not known . Netherlands East Indies ( edit ) For the majority of the existence of the Netherlands East Indies the flag of the Vereenigde Oost - Indische Compagnie ( English : Dutch East India Company ) was used . When the VOC became bankrupt and was formally dissolved in 1800 . its possessions and debt were taken over by the government of the Batavian Republic . The VOC 's territories became the Netherlands East Indies and were expanded over the course of the 19th century to include the whole of the Indonesian archipelago . As such the flag of the Batavian Republic and Kingdom of the Netherlands were used . The flag of the Netherlands has been said to be the origin of the Indonesian flag . To symbolize the intention of forcing out the Dutch , the Indonesian nationalists would rip apart the Dutch flag . They tore off the bottom third of the flag , and separated the red and white colours from the blue colour . Netherlands New Guinea ( edit ) Main article : Flag of West Papua The Morning Star flag ( Indonesian : Bintang Kejora ) represented the Netherlands New Guinea from 1 December 1961 until 1 October 1962 when the territory came under administration of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority ( UNTEA ) . The flag is commonly used by the West Papuan population including OPM supporters to rally self - determination human rights support and is popularly flown on 1 December each year in defiance of Indonesian domestic laws . The flag consists of a red vertical band along the hoist side , with a white five - pointed star in the center . The flag was first raised on 1 December 1961 and used until the United Nations became the territory 's administrator on 1 October 1962 . Related flags ( edit ) Flags influenced by the flag of the Netherlands ( edit ) The flags underneath are influenced by the Dutch flag in color use and design as a result of a shared history ( as flags of former colonies ) or economic relations , which is the case for the Russian flag . Flag of Klein Vrystaat Flag of Griqualand East Flag of Nieuwe Republiek Flag of Transvaal or Flag of the South African Republic Flag of the Natalia Republic Republic of Klip River Flag of the Orange Free State Flag of South Africa ( 1928 -- 1994 ) Flag of Republic of Swellendam Republic of Graaff - Reinet Flag of Utrecht Republic Lydenburg Republic Flag of Hesse - Nassau Flag of The Bronx Flag of New York City Flag of Albany , New York Flag of the Mayor of New York City Flag of Westchester County , New York Flag of Ulster County , New York Flag of Dutchess County , New York Flag of Benelux Pan-Slavic colors ( edit ) The Russian flag in turn is believed to have influenced many flags of other Slavic countries , resulting in many red - white - blue styled tribands in other parts of Europe . Flag of Croatia Flag of Russia Flag of Slovakia Flag of Slovenia Flag of Serbia Flag of Yugoslavia ( 1918 - 1941 ) The flag of the Boer Republics , Transvaal , the Orange Free State and Natalia Republic and the flag of South Africa from 1928 to 1994 are all based on the flag of the Netherlands , or the predecessor Prince 's flag . These were in turn part of the inspiration for the present South African flag . The flag of Hesse - Nassau is identical to that of the Netherlands . The Dutch royal house originates from the Duchy of Nassau . The flag of New York City , originally New Amsterdam in the Dutch colony New Netherland , was designed after the Dutch flag . The flag of Albany originally Beverwijck in the Dutch colony New Netherland , was designed after the Dutch flag . The flag of Schenectady County , New York was designed after the Dutch flag . See also ( edit ) Flags of provinces of the Netherlands List of Dutch flags Flags of the Dutch royal family References ( edit ) Jump up ^ `` Maritieme kalender ( April 20 , 1931 ) '' ( in Dutch ) . Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum . Retrieved August 26 , 2010 . Jump up ^ The current Flag of New York City and the Flag of Albany , New York also each have an orange stripe to reflect the Dutch contribution to the history of those cities . ^ Jump up to : Jean Rey , Histoire du drapeau , des couleurs et des insignes de la Monarchie française vol. 2 , 1837 , p. 515 . Jump up ^ Jean Rey , Histoire du drapeau , des couleurs et des insignes de la Monarchie française vol. 2 , 1837 , p. 516 . Jump up ^ `` Symbolen '' ( in Dutch ) . Retrieved July 23 , 2015 . Jump up ^ The CIA World Factbook 2017 , Skyhorse Publishing ( 2016 ) : `` originally the upper band was orange , but because it tended to fade to red over time , the red shade was eventually made the permanent color ; the banner is perhaps the oldest tricolor in continuous use . '' Jump up ^ `` Mars et Historia , volume 29 , number 2 , p. 50 ff '' ( PDF ) ( in Dutch ) . Archived from the original ( PDF ) on April 8 , 2014 . Retrieved September 3 , 2012 . Jump up ^ D.G. Muller , De oorsprong der Nederlandsche vlag , op nieuw geschiedkundig onderzocht en nagespoord , Amsterdam , 1862 , p. 74 . Jump up ^ JC de Jonge , Geschiedenis van het Nederlandse zeewesen , deel 1 . ' s Gravenhage , 1833 , p. 75 . Jump up ^ C. de Waard , `` De Nederlandsche vlag '' in : Het Vaderland ( 1900 ) . Jump up ^ Hulme , Frederick Edward ( 1897 - 01 - 01 ) . The Flags of the World : Their History , Blazonry and Associations . Library of Alexandria . ISBN 9781465543110 . Greenway , H.D.S. ( 2014 - 08 - 19 ) . Foreign Correspondent : A Memoir . Simon and Schuster . p. 228 . ISBN 9781476761329 . Jump up ^ `` Flag Decree by Queen Wilhelmina '' . Flags of the World . 19 February 1937 . Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 03 . Jump up ^ Indonesian flags at Flags of the World Retrieved on 2011 - 05 - 27 . External links ( edit ) Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flags of the Netherlands . 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Question: what are the colors of the netherlands flag


Religion in France - wikipedia Religion in France Jump to : navigation , search Religion in France ( 2016 ) Christianity ( 51.1 % ) No religion ( 39.6 % ) Islam ( 5.6 % ) Judaism ( 0.8 % ) Other religion ( 2.5 % ) Undecided ( 0.4 % ) Notre - Dame de la Garde in Marseille . Catholicism is the largest religion in France . Saint Hugon in Arvillard , Savoie , is a former charterhouse ( Carthusian monastery ) turned into a monastery of the Tibetan schools of Buddhism ( Karma Ling ) . Religion in France is diversified . 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 . 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 the various , non-republican regimes of the 19th century ( the Restoration , the July Monarchy and the Second French Empire ) . Major religions practised in France include the Catholic Church , Islam , various branches of Protestantism , Judaism , Buddhism , Hinduism , Russian Orthodoxy , Armenian Christianity , and Sikhism amongst others , making it a multiconfessional country . Sunday mass attendance has fallen to 5 % for the catholics , the overall level of observance is considerably lower than in the past . According to the Eurobarometer Poll 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 . Contents ( hide ) 1 Demographics 1.1 Chronological statistics 1.2 Statistical graphics 2 Historical developments and legal status 2.1 Catholicism as a state religion 2.1. 1 French Wars of Religion ( 1562 -- 1598 ) 2.1. 2 Post -- Edict of Nantes ( 1598 -- 1789 ) 2.2 French Revolution ( 1789 ) 2.3 Bourbon Restoration ( 1814 - 1830 ) 2.4 Third Republic ( 1870 -- 1940 ) 2.4. 1 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State 3 Religious denominations 3.1 Buddhism 3.2 Christianity 3.2. 1 Catholicism 3.2. 2 Protestantism 3.2. 3 Eastern Orthodoxy 3.2. 4 Oriental Orthodoxy 3.2. 5 Other Christians 3.3 Islam 3.4 Judaism 3.5 Paganism 3.6 Other groups 4 Controversies and incidents 4.1 Growing presence of Islam 4.2 Charlie Hebdo shooting 5 See also 5.1 Religions 6 References 7 External links Demographics ( edit ) Chronological statistics ( edit ) Religious group Population % 1986 Population % 1994 Population % 2007 Population % 2016 Christianity 82 % 69 % 59 % 51.1 % Catholicism 81 % 67 % 51 % - Protestantism 1 % 2 % 3 % - Other and unaffiliated Christians - - 5 % - Islam - - 4 % 5.6 % Judaism - - 1 % 0.8 % Other religions and unspecified 2.5 % 8 % 5 % 2.5 % Not religious 15.5 % 23 % 31 % 39.6 % Statistical graphics ( edit ) Demographics of major religious categories in France over the years according to CSA surveys . Major religious categories by age group according to CSA 2013 . Historical developments and legal status ( edit ) France guarantees freedom of religion as a constitutional right and the government generally respects this right in practice . A long history of violent conflict between groups led the state to break its ties to the Catholic Church early in the 1800s and to adopt a strong commitment to maintaining a totally secular public sector . Catholicism as a state religion ( edit ) Catholicism is the largest religion in France . During the pre-1789 Ancien Régime , France was traditionally considered the Church 's eldest daughter , and the King of France always maintained close links to the Pope . This led to various conflicts , in particular between Catholics and Huguenots ( French Calvinists ) during the Reformation . French wars of religion ( 1562 -- 1598 ) ( edit ) Main article : French Wars of Religion A strong Protestant population resided in France , primarily of Reformed confession . It was persecuted by the state for most of the time , with temporary periods of relative toleration . These wars continued throughout the 16th century , with the 1572 St. Bartholomew 's Day massacre as its apex , until the 1598 Edict of Nantes issued by Henry IV . For the first time , Huguenots were considered by the state as more than mere schismatics and heretics . The Edict of Nantes thus opened a path for secularism and tolerance . In offering general freedom of conscience to individuals , the edict offered many specific concessions to the Protestants , for instance , amnesty and the reinstatement of their civil rights , including the right to work in any field or for the State and to bring grievances directly to the king . Post -- Edict of Nantes ( 1598 -- 1789 ) ( edit ) Expanse of Protestantism in France during the 16th century . Purple : Huguenot - controlled domains ; purple - lavender : territories contested by Huguenot and Catholic factions ; blue - lavender : domains with a large Lutheran population , then in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation . The 1598 Edict also granted the Protestants fifty places of safety ( places de sûreté ) , which were military strongholds such as La Rochelle for which the king paid 180,000 écus a year , along with a further 150 emergency forts ( places de refuge ) , to be maintained at the Huguenots ' own expense . Such an innovative act of toleration stood virtually alone in a Europe ( except for the Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth ) where standard practice forced the subjects of a ruler to follow whatever religion that the ruler formally adopted -- the application of the principle of cuius regio , eius religio . Religious conflicts resumed in the end of the 17th century , when Louis XIV , the `` Sun King '' , initiated the persecution of Huguenots by introducing the dragonnades in 1681 . This wave of violence intimidated the Protestants into converting to Catholicism . He made the policy official with the 1685 revocation of the Edict of Nantes . As a result , a large number of Protestants -- estimates range from 200,000 to 500,000 -- left France during the following two decades , seeking asylum in England , the United Provinces , Denmark , in the Protestant states of the Holy Roman Empire ( Hesse , Brandenburg - Prussia , etc . ) , and European colonies in North America and South Africa . On 17 January 1686 , Louis XIV himself claimed that out of a Huguenot population of 800,000 to 900,000 , only 1,000 to 1,500 had remained in France . A Camisard ( Huguenot ) rebellion broke out in 1702 in the Cevennes mountains . The 1685 revocation of the Edict of Nantes created a state of affairs in France similar to that of virtually every other European country of the period , where only the majority state religion was tolerated . The experiment of religious toleration in Europe was effectively ended for the time being . In practice , the revocation caused France to suffer a brain drain , as it lost a large number of skilled craftsmen , including key designers such as Daniel Marot . Upon leaving France , Huguenots took with them knowledge of important techniques and production . This had a significant effect in those regions to which they relocated , on the quality of the silk , plate glass , cabinet making , and silversmithing for which the Huguenots were renowned . Some rulers , such as Frederick Wilhelm of Brandenburg who issued the Edict of Potsdam , encouraged the Protestants to flee and settle in their countries . French Revolution ( 1789 ) ( edit ) Standard of the Cult of the Supreme Being , one of the proposed state religions to replace Christianity in revolutionary France . Further information : Dechristianisation of France during the French Revolution During the French Revolution , the Catholic Church lost much of its power and influence . The Civil Constitution of the Clergy , passed in 1790 , put the Catholic Church under state control . While the clergy was persecuted by the commune of Paris and by some of the representatives on mission , new religions and philosophies were allowed to compete with Catholicism . Following the Thermidorian Reaction the persecutions ceased , but the schism between the French government and the Catholic Church continued until the Concordat of 1801 by Napoleon restored some of the privileges of the church . Bourbon Restoration ( 1814 - 1830 ) ( edit ) After the Bourbon Restoration and the coming to power of the Ultra-royalists in the Chambre introuvable , Catholic Church again became the state religion of France . Under Villèle 's ultra-royalist government , the Chamber voted the extreme 1830 Anti-Sacrilege Act . Third Republic ( 1870 -- 1940 ) ( edit ) Further information : French Third Republic 1905 French law on the separation of the churches and the state ( edit ) Main article : 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State Alfred Dreyfus , a French - Jewish officer , and his false conviction of treason in 1894 revealed the intrinsic anti-Semitism of the French military brass to the public . A 1905 law instituted the separation of Church and State and prohibited the government from recognising , salarying , or subsidising any religion . The 1926 Briand - Ceretti Agreement subsequently restored for a while a formal role for the state in the appointment of Catholic bishops , but evidence for its exercise is not easily obtained . Prior to 1905 , the 1801 -- 1808 Concordat compelled the State to support the Catholic Church , the Lutheran Church , the Calvinist Church , and the Jewish religion , and to fund public religious education in those established religions . For historical reasons , this situation is still current in Alsace - Moselle , which was a German region in 1905 and only joined France again in 1918 . Alsace - Moselle maintains a local law of pre-1918 statutes which include the Concordat : the national government salaries as state civil servants the clergy of the Catholic diocese of Metz and of Strasbourg , of the Lutheran Protestant Church of Augsburg Confession of Alsace and Lorraine , of the Protestant Reformed Church of Alsace and Lorraine , and of the three regional Israelite consistories , and it provides for now non-compulsory religious education in those religions in public schools and universities . For also historical reasons , Catholic priests in French Guiana are civil servants of the local government . Religious buildings built prior to 1905 at taxpayers ' expense are retained by the local or national government , and may be used at no expense by religious organizations . As a consequence , most Catholic churches , Protestant temples , and Jewish synagogues are owned by the government . The government , since 1905 , has been prohibited from funding any post-1905 religious edifice , and thus religions must build and support all newer religious buildings at their own expense . Some local governments de facto subsidize prayer rooms as part of greater `` cultural associations '' . An ongoing topic of controversy is whether the separation of Church and State should be weakened so that the government would be able to subsidize Muslim prayer rooms and the formation of imams . Advocates of such measures , such as Nicolas Sarkozy at times , declare that they would encourage the Muslim population to better integrate into the fabric of French society . Opponents contend that the state should not fund religions . Furthermore , the state ban on wearing conspicuous religious symbols , such as the Islamic female headscarf , in public schools has alienated some French Muslims , provoked minor street protests and drawn some international criticism . Religious organizations are not required to register , but may if they wish to apply for tax - exempt status or to gain official recognition . The 1901 and 1905 laws define two categories under which religious groups may register : `` associations cultuelles '' ( associations of worship , which are exempt from certain taxes ) and `` associations culturelles '' ( cultural associations , which are not exempt from these taxes ) . Associations in these two categories are subject to certain management and financial disclosure requirements . An association of worship may organize only religious activities , loosely defined as liturgical services and practices , but no social or diaconal ones . A cultural association may engage in social as well as in profit - making activity . Although a cultural association is not exempt from taxes , it may receive government subsidies for its cultural and educational operations , such as schools . Religious groups normally register entities under both of these categories ; churches run strictly religious activities through associations of worship and operate schools and social activities under cultural associations . In accordance with the provisions of Title IV , Art . 19 of the Law of 9 December 1905 , these associations of worship must be exclusively for the purpose of religious ministries , i.e. : the performance of religious ceremonies and services , the acquisition and maintenance of buildings of worship , the wages and the theological education of their ministers of religion . Under the 1905 statute , religious groups must apply with the local prefecture to be recognized as an association of worship and receive tax - exempt status . The prefecture reviews the submitted documentation regarding the association 's purpose for existence . To qualify , the group 's purpose must be solely the practice of some form of religious ministries . While according to the 1905 law associations of worship are not taxed on the donations that they receive , the prefecture may decide to review a group 's status if the association receives a large donation or legacy that comes to the attention of the tax authorities . If the prefecture determines that the association is not in fact in conformity with the 1905 law , its status may be changed , and it may be required to pay taxes at a rate of 70 percent on the present and past donations that fall within a legal category close to that of inheritance . Religious denominations ( edit ) Buddhism ( edit ) Main article : Buddhism in France As of the 2000s Buddhism in France was estimated to have between 1 million ( Ministry of the Interior ) strict adherents and 5 million people influenced by Buddhist doctrines ( survey published on the journal Psychologies , 64 ) , very large numbers for a Western country . According to scholar Dennis Gira , who was the director of the Institute of Science and Theology of Religions of Paris , Buddhism in France has a missionary nature and is undergoing a process of `` inculturation '' that may represent a new turning of the `` Wheel of the Dharma '' , similar to those that it underwent in China and Japan , from which a new incarnation of the doctrine -- a `` French Buddhism '' -- will possibly arise . About 2 % of the working - age , internet connected population of France declared they were Buddhists as of 2016 . In 2012 , the European headquarters of the Fo Guang Shan monastic order opened in France , near Paris . It was the largest Buddhist temple in Europe at that time . Christianity ( edit ) According to a survey held by Institut Montaigne and Institut français d'opinion publique ( Ifop ) , 51.1 % of the total population of France was Christian in 2016 . The following year , a Ipsos survey focused on Protestants and based on 31,155 interviews found that 57.5 % of the total population of France declared to be Catholic and 3.1 % declared to be Protestant . In 2016 , `` Ipsos Global Trends '' , a multi-nation survey held by Ipsos and based on approximately 1,000 interviews , found that Christianity is the religion of 45 % of the working - age , internet connected population of France , 42 % stated they were Catholic and 2 % stated that they were Protestants . A further 1 % declared to belong to an Orthodox church . Catholicism ( edit ) Main article : Catholic Church in France Early Christianity was already present among the Gauls by the 2nd century ; Irenaeus , bishop of Lugdunum ( Lyon ) , detailed the deaths of ninety - year - old bishop Pothinus and other martyrs during the persecution in Lyon which took place in 177 . The Gaulish church was soon established in communion with the bishop of Rome . With the Migration Period of the Germanic peoples , the Gauls were invaded by the Franks , who at first practised Frankish paganism . Their tribes were unified into a kingdom , which came to be called France , by Clovis I. He was proclaimed the king of the Franks in 509 , after having been baptised in 496 by Remigius , bishop of Reims . Roman Catholicism was made the state religion of France . This made the Franks the only Germanic people who directly converted from their paganism to Roman Catholicism without first embracing Arianism , which was the first religion of choice among Germanic peoples in the Migration Period . In 800 , Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire , forming the unified political and religious foundation of Christendom , medieval European Christian civilisation , and establishing in earnest France 's long historical association with the Catholic Church , for which it was known as the `` eldest daughter of the church '' throughout the Middle Ages . The French Revolution ( 1789 -- 1790 ) , which resulted in the establishment of the French First Republic ( 1892 -- 1904 ) , involved a heavy persecution of the Catholic Church , within a policy of dechristianisation , which led to the destruction of many churches , religious orders and artworks , including the very influential Cluny Abbey . During the First French Empire ( 1804 -- 1814 ) , the Bourbon Restoration ( 1814 -- 1830 ) and the following July Monarchy ( 1830 -- 1848 ) , Roman Catholicism was made again the state religion , and maintained its role as the de facto majority religion during the French Second Republic ( 1848 -- 1852 ) and the Second French Empire ( 1852 -- 1870 ) . Laïcité ( secularism ) , absolute neutrality of the state with respect to religious doctrines , was first established during the Third French Republic ( 1870 -- 1940 ) and remains the official policy of the contemporary French republic . In 2016 , relying upon Ipsos data , scholars Cleuziou and Cibois estimated that Catholics represented 53.8 % of the French population . According to the same study , 23.5 % were engaged Catholics and 17 % were practising Catholics . The following year , in a survey focused on Protestantism by Ipsos , 57.5 % of a sample of 31,155 people declared to be Catholic . Protestantism ( edit ) Temple Saint - Étienne , a Calvinist Protestant church in Mulhouse , Alsace . Main article : Protestantism in France According a survey by Ifop in 2012 , 770 people out of the 37,743 interviewed ( or 2.1 % ) declared to be Protestants of various types . About 42 % of them were Calvinists ( Huguenots ) , 21 % were evangelical Protestants , 17 % were Lutherans and another 20 % were affiliated with other Protestant churches . The percentage rose to 3.1 % in 2017 , mainly due to recent conversions . Out of 100 % of people that have become Protestants , 67 % were Catholic and 27 % were of no religion . In a study regarding the various religions of France , based on 51 surveys held by the Ifop in the period 2011 - 2014 , so based on a sample of 51.770 interviewed , there were 17.4 % of Protestants in the Bas - Rhin , 7.3 % in the Haut - Rhin , 7.2 % in the Gard , 6.8 % in the Drôme and 4.2 % in the Ardèche . In the other departments this presence is residual , with , for example , only 0.5 % in Côte - d'Or and in the Côtes - d'Armor . Eastern Orthodoxy ( edit ) Main article : Eastern Orthodoxy in France The Eastern Orthodox Christianity in France is represented by several communities and ecclesiastical jurisdictions . Traditionally , Eastern Orthodox Christians in France are mainly ethnic Greeks , Russians , Rumanians , Bulgarians , Serbs and Georgians , but also there are some ethnic French who converted to Eastern Orthodoxy . Different Eastern Orthodox Churches have separate jurisdictions and organizations in France , the senior of them being the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France inder the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople . Oriental Orthodoxy ( edit ) Main article : Coptic Orthodox Church of France The Oriental Orthodox Christianity in France is represented by several communities and ecclesiastical jurisdictions . Traditionally , Oriental Orthodox Christians in France are mainly ethnic Armenians , Copts , Ethiopians and Syriacs , but also there are some ethnic French who converted to Oriental Orthodoxy . Different Oriental Orthodox Churches have separate jurisdictions and organizations in France , the largest of them being the Coptic Orthodox Church of France . Other Christians ( edit ) Other Christian groups in France include the Jehovah 's Witnesses , the Orthodox Christians , and other small sects . The European Court on Human Rights reckoned 249,918 `` regular and occasional '' Jehovah 's Witnesses and according to their official website , there are 128,759 ministers who teach the Bible in France . Islam ( edit ) Main article : Islam in France Mosque of Massy , Essonne . A 2016 survey held by Institut Montaigne and Ifop found that 6.6 % of the French population had an Islamic background , while 5.6 % declared they were Muslims by faith . According to the same survey , 84.9 % of people who have an Islamic background in France are still Muslims , 3.4 % are Christians , 10.0 % are not religious and 1.3 % belong to other religions . In the same year , Ipsos found that just 2 % of the working - age , internet connected French declared they were Muslims in the Ipsos survey . This gap is most likely due to the difference of the samples , since the survey held by the Institut Montaigne and the Institut français d'opinion publique has a total sample of 15,459 people , while the Ipsos Global Trends survey has a sample of only about 1,000 , so the margin of error is bigger . Judaism ( edit ) Main article : History of the Jews in France Heightening of the Torah in front of the centre of the Liberal Jewish Movement of France in Paris . There has been a Jewish presence in France since at least the early Middle Ages . France was a center of Jewish learning in the Middle Ages , but persecution increased as the Middle Ages wore on , including multiple expulsions and returns . During the late 18th century French Revolution , France was the first country in Europe to emancipate its Jewish population . Antisemitism has persisted despite legal equality , as expressed in the Dreyfus affair of the late 19th century . During World War II , the Vichy government collaborated with Nazi occupiers to deport numerous French and foreign Jewish refugees to concentration camps . 75 % of the Jewish population in France survived the Holocaust . As for 2016 , 0.8 % of the total population of France was Jewish , or about 535.000 people . Paganism ( edit ) Paganism , in the sense of contemporary Neopaganism , in France has been described as twofold , on one side represented by ethnically identitary religious movements and on the other side by a variety of witchcraft and shamanic traditions without ethnic connotations . According to the French historian of ideas and far - right ideologies Stéphane François , the term `` pagan '' ( Latin paganus ) , used by Christians to define those who maintained polytheistic religions , originally meant `` countryman '' in the sense of `` citizen '' , the `` insiders '' ( inside the cultural tradition or citizenry ) , and its opposite term was `` alien '' ( Latin alienus ) , the `` others '' , the `` outsiders '' , which defined Christians . Modern French Pagans of the identitary movements hearken back to this meaning . Identitary Pagan movements are the majority and are represented by Celtic Druidry and Germanic Heathenry , many of whom uphold the idea of a superiority of the white race and of the Indo - Europeans . They are aligned with the Nouvelle Droite political movement , espousing the idea that each ethnically - defined folk has its own natural land and natural religion . The identitary Pagan movement carries within itself a warrior ethic which is concerned with the erosion of French and European culture under growing immigration and Islamisation , so that Jean Haudry , longtime identitary Pagan and professor of linguistics at Lyon III , in a 2001 article entitled Païens ! for the journal of the organisation Terre et Peuple says that `` Pagans will be at the forefront of the reconquest ( of Europe ) '' . Dominique Venner , who committed suicide in 2013 inside Notre - Dame de Paris in protest against the erosion of French culture , was a Pagan close to the Groupement de recherche et d'études pour la civilisation européenne ( GRECE ) , an identitary Pagan think - tank founded by the Nouvelle Droite ideologist Alain de Benoist . Other politically - engaged Pagans include Pierre Vial , who with other members of the National Front was among the founders of Terre et Peuple . Other groups ( edit ) Procession of a goddess in Paris for the Chinese New Year . France created in 1995 the first French parliamentary commission on cult activities which led to a report registering a number of religious groups considered as socially disruptive and / or dangerous . According to French sociologist Régis Dericquebourg , in 2003 the main small religious minorities were the Jehovah 's Witnesses ( 130,000 , though the European Court on Human Rights reckoned the number as 249,918 `` regular and occasional '' Jehovah 's Witnesses ) , Adventists , Evangelicals ( Assemblies of God , Christian Open Door ... ) , Mormons ( 31,000 ) , Scientologists ( 4,000 ) , and Soka Gakkai . According to the 2005 Association of Religion Data Archives data there are close to 4,400 Bahá'ís in France and the French government is among those who have been alarmed at the treatment of Bahá'ís in modern Iran . Many groups have around 1,000 members ( including Antoinism , Christian Science , Invitation to Life , Raelians , Mandarom , Hare Krishna ) and Unification Church has 400 . There are no longer members of the Family ( formerly Children of God ) . According to the 2007 edition of the Quid , other notable religious minorities include New Apostolic Church ( 20,000 ) , Universal White Brotherhood ( 20,000 ) , Sukyo Mahikari ( 15,000 -- 20,000 ) , New Acropolis ( 10,000 ) , Universal Alliance ( 1,000 ) , and Grail Movement ( 950 ) . Controversies and incidents ( edit ) Growing presence of Islam ( edit ) Grand Mosque of Reims . In Paris and the surrounding Île - de-France region where French Muslims tend to be more educated and religious , the vast majority rejects violence and say they are loyal to France according to studies by Euro - Islam , a comparative research network on Islam and Muslims in the West sponsored by GSRL Paris / CNRS France and Harvard University . 77 % of Muslims in Paris have chosen a low rating when asked whether or not violence is an acceptable moral response for a noble cause ( 1 or 2 on a scale of 5 ) 73 % of Muslims in Paris said that Muslims are loyal to France 18 % of Muslims in Paris believe that homosexuality is acceptable In France in 2011 , 150 new mosques were under construction . There are 2500 mosques in France ( as of 2015 ; in 2011 there were 2000 ) . Dalil Boubakeur said the number should be doubled . The financing of mosque construction was a problematic subject for a long time ; French authorities were concerned that foreign capital could be used to acquire influence in France and so in the late 80s decided to simulate the emergence of a `` French Islam '' . The 1905 law forbids funding of religious groups by the state . According to Salah Bariki , Advisor to the Mayor of Marseille in 2001 : `` At the Koran training institute in Nièvre 3 % of the books are written in French and everything has been paid for from abroad '' . She supported the public participation in financing an Islamic cultural centre in Marseille to encourage Muslims to develop and use French learning materials , as an obstacle to foreign indoctrination . Also `` secular Muslims '' and `` actors of civil society '' should be represented , not just religious officials . Local authorities have financed the construction of mosques , sometimes without minarets and calling them Islamic `` cultural centres '' or municipal halls rented to `` civil associations '' . In one case , due to FN , NRM , and MPF protests and tribunal decision , the rent for a 8,000 m ( 86,111 sq ft ) terrain to be used for the construction of the Mosque of Marseilles was increased from € 300 / year to € 24,000 / year and the period reduced from 99 to 50 years . Charlie Hebdo shooting ( edit ) After the shooting at the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper by Al - Qaeda 's followers , 2 million people in Paris including President Hollande and more than 40 world leaders led a rally of national unity . One teacher in Clichy - sous - Bois , a suburb with many immigrants , reported that three quarters of the students had refused to observe the minute of silence in memory of the victims of Charlie Hebdo shooting . There have been about 200 incidents in schools after the attack , some of them `` glorifying terrorism '' . In Bobigny , a suburb of Paris , a couple of students grunted `` Allahu Akbar '' during the minute of silence -- the words that were shouted by the terrorists during the attack . See also ( edit ) European Union portal Religion portal 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State Anti-clericalism Dechristianization of France during the French Revolution Jules Ferry laws Laïcité , French concept of a secular society Religious freedom in France Religions ( edit ) Bahá'í Faith in France Buddhism in France Hinduism in France Irreligion in France Islam in France Judaism in France Protestantism in France Catholic Church in France Scientology in France Sikhism in France References ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : `` A French Islam is possible '' ( PDF ) . Institut Montaigne. 2016 . Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 15 September 2017 . p. 13 Jump up ^ Knox , Noelle ( 11 August 2005 ) . `` Religion takes a back seat in Western Europe '' . USA Today . Retrieved 23 February 2012 . Jump up ^ `` France -- church attendance '' . Church attendance stats . Via Integra . Retrieved 23 February 2012 . Jump up ^ `` Eurobarometer on Biotechnology '' ( PDF ) . p. 381 . Retrieved 2013 - 02 - 01 . ^ Jump up to : `` Catholicisme et protestantisme en France -- Analyses sociologiques et données de l'Institut CSA pour La Croix '' ( Catholicism and Protestantism in France -- Sociological analysis and data from the CSA Institute for La Croix ) ( PDF ) ( in French ) . CSA. 2010 . Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 6 September 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Les Français et la critique à l'égard des religions '' ( The French and the criticism of religions ) . CSA. 28 September 2006 . Archived from the original on 2010 - 01 - 05 . Jump up ^ `` Pie chart '' . 6 September 2017 . Jump up ^ Baubérot , Jean ( 15 March 2001 ) . `` The Secular Principle '' . Embassy of France in the US . Archived from the original on 22 February 2008 . Jump up ^ Spielvogel , Western Civilization -- Volume II : Since 1500 ( 5th Edition , 2003 ) . p. 410 Jump up ^ Gira , Dennis ( 2011 -- 2012 ) . `` The `` Inculturation '' of Buddhism in France `` . Études. 415 . S.E.R. pp. 641 -- 652 . ISSN 0014 - 1941 . ^ Jump up to : `` Religion , Ipsos Global Trends '' . Ipsos. 2017 . Archived from the original on 5 September 2017 . About Ipsos Global Trends survey Jump up ^ `` Europe 's largest Buddhist temple to open '' . BBC News . Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 05 . ^ Jump up to : `` Sondage `` Les protestants en France en 2017 '' ( 1 ) : qui sont les protestants ? '' ( Survey `` Protestants in France in 2017 '' ( 1 ) : who are the Protestants ? ) . Reforme.net ( in French ) . 2017 - 10 - 26 . Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 01 . Jump up ^ `` France '' . Berkley Center for Religion , Peace , and World Affairs . Archived from the original on 6 February 2011 . Retrieved 14 December 2011 . See drop - down essay on `` Religion and Politics until the French Revolution '' Jump up ^ Cécile Chambraud ( 12 January 2017 ) . `` Une enquête inédite dresse le portrait des catholiques de France , loin des clichés '' ( An unprecedented survey portrays Catholics in France , far from clichés ) ( in French ) . Le Monde . Retrieved 15 September 2017 . The researchers are Yann Raison du Cleuziou , senior lecturer in political science at the University of Bordeaux , and Philippe Cibois , professor emeritus of sociology . Their research was unpublished as of the time of the article . Jump up ^ Institut Français d'opinion publique ( July 2012 ) . `` Enquête auprès des protestants '' ( Survey of Protestants ) ( PDF ) . Association des Familles Protestantes ( in French ) : 37 . Jump up ^ Jérôme Fourquet , Hervé Le Bras ( 2014 ) . `` La religion dévoilée '' ( PDF ) . Jean Jaurès Fondation : 71 . Archived from the original on 2017 - 04 - 11 . CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ) Jump up ^ Assembly of Eastern Orthodox Bishops of France Jump up ^ Coptic Orthodox Church of France ^ Jump up to : `` HUDOC - European Court of Human Rights '' . cmiskp.echr.coe.int . Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 13 . Jump up ^ `` France : How Many Jehovah 's Witnesses Are There ? '' . JW.ORG . Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 01 . Jump up ^ `` France '' . Holocaust Encyclopedia . United States Holocaust Memorial Museum . Jump up ^ `` Le Bilan de la Shoah en France ( Le régime de Vichy ) '' ( The Report of the Holocaust in France ( The Vichy regime ) ) . BS Encyclopédie . Jump up ^ Marnix Croes . `` The Holocaust in the Netherlands and the Rate of Jewish Survival '' ( PDF ) . Yad Vashem ^ Jump up to : Léa Ducré ( 26 March 2014 ) . `` Les deux visages du néopaganisme français '' ( The two faces of French Neopaganism ) . Le Monde des Religions ( in French ) . Le Monde . Jump up ^ `` Most Bahá'í Nations ( 2005 ) '' . The Association of Religion Data Archives . 2005 . Retrieved 2010 - 05 - 03 . Jump up ^ `` Bahai News - UN COMMISSION EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN IRAN '' . bahai-library.com . Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 13 . Jump up ^ Régis Dericquebourg ( 2003 ) . De la MILS à La MIVILUDES , La politique envers les sectes en France après la chute du governement socialiste ( Politics towards sects in France after the fall of the socialist government ) . The CENSUR International Conference April 9 -- 12 , 2003 ( in French ) . Vilnius ( Lithuanie ) : CESNUR . Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 13 . Jump up ^ `` Les sectes en France : Nombre d'adeptes ou sympathisants '' ( Sects in France : Number of followers or sympathizers ) ( in French ) . quid.fr . Archived from the original on 6 August 2009 . Retrieved 17 July 2009 . ^ Jump up to : `` Islam in Paris - Euro - Islam : News and Analysis on Islam in Europe and North America '' . www.euro-islam.info . Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 13 . Jump up ^ `` Sharpening Contradictions : Why al - Qaeda attacked Satirists in Paris '' . Informed Comment . Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 13 . Jump up ^ French Muslim leader Dalil Boubaker calls for empty Catholic churches to be turned into mosques . Retrieved 30 August 2015 ^ Jump up to : Constructing Mosques - The governance of Islam in France and the Netherlands , Amsterdam School for Social Sciences Research 2009 ( retrieved 4 March 2013 ) . pp. 155 , 186 , 172 ^ Jump up to : New York Times : Charlie Hebdo attack leads to change in French schools Retrieved 30 Aug 2015 Jump up ^ `` Teachers face difficult test in wake of Charlie Hebdo tragedy - France 24 '' . France 24 . 2015 - 01 - 12 . Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 13 . External links ( edit ) International Religious Freedom Report 2015 : France , most recent International Religious Freedom Report by the United States Department of State 's Bureau of Democracy , Human Rights , and Labor Eurel : sociological and legal data on religions in Europe France topics History Periods Timeline Prehistory Celtic Gaul Roman Gaul Kingdom of the Visigoths Francia West Francia Middle Ages Early modern era Long nineteenth century Revolutionary era Napoleonic era Belle Époque Twentieth century Regimes Absolute monarchy Ancien Régime First Republic First Empire Constitutional monarchy Bourbon Restoration July Monarchy Second Republic Second Empire Government of National Defense Third Republic France during the Second World War Free France Vichy France Provisional Government of the French Republic Fourth Republic Fifth Republic Geography Administrative divisions Cities Islands Lakes Mountains Rivers Politics Constitution Elections presidential Foreign relations Government Human rights Intersex LGBT Judiciary Law enforcement Military Parliament Political parties Economy Agriculture Banking Central bank Economic history Energy Euro Exports Franc ( former currency ) French subdivisions by GDP Stock exchange Taxation Telecommunications Tourism Trade unions Transport Society Crime Demographics Education Health care People Poverty Religion Social class Welfare Culture Architecture Art Cinema ( comedy ) Cuisine Fashion Gardens Language Literature Media Music Philosophy Public holidays Sport Symbols Theatre Outline Book Portal WikiProject Religion in France Abrahamic Evangelical Lutheran Church - Synod of France and Belgium Islam in France Holy Church of Jesus Christ Old Catholic Mariavite Church Old Catholic Mission in France Orthodox Church of France Reformed Church of France Roman Catholicism in France Dharmic / Indian Hinduism in France Buddhism in France Sikhism in France Others Scientology in France Irreligion in France Religion in Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City States with limited recognition Abkhazia Artsakh Kosovo Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other entities Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Svalbard Other entities European Union Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religion_in_France&oldid=838295317 '' Categories : Religion in France Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2018 CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown Articles needing more detailed references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Euskara Français Hrvatski Italiano Македонски Nederlands Polski Português Română Русский Türkçe 4 more Edit links This page was last edited on 26 April 2018 , at 03 : 41 . 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