The rise of France’s “Zombie Catholics”

French prime minister Francois Fillon (C) and his wife Penelope wait for Pope Benedict XVI 's arrival during the canonisation ceremony of the blesseds, Ukrainian Zygmunt Szczesny Felinski , Spanish Francisco Coll y Guitart, Belgian Josef, Daamian de Veuster, Spanish Rafael Arnaiz Bar?n, French Marie de la Croix (Jeanne) Juganon In St. Peters's basilica at the Vatican on October 11, 2009. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI (Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)

The standard bearer of Les Républicains and likely the next president of France, François Fillon, is devoutly Catholic and has the support of his newly awakened co-religionists, who are tired of the nation’s long slide into secularism and socialism.