Since France definitively adopted a republican form of government in 1870, ardent Catholics have rarely occupied the Élysée Palace. It's arguable that only two such people have been president of France: Marshal Patrice de MacMahon (1873–1879) and General Charles de Gaulle (1959–1969). Now, in our supposed secular age, there is a strong possibility that France may elect another devout Catholic as its president: François Fillon.
The 2017 presidential candidate of France's mainstream center-right party Les Républicains, Fillon isn't shy about speaking publicly about his Catholic faith. That includes how it shapes his decidedly conservative views on issues like euthanasia and his personal opposition to abortion. Even more remarkable, however, is that many cathos (slang for practicing Catholics in France) worked openly to secure Fillon's victory over his rivals Nicolas Sarkozy and Alain Juppé during their party's primaries.
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