French President Nicolas Sarkozy is drawing criticism from opponents for his frequent talk of God and faith.

Many French believe Sarkozy broke a taboo when he emphasized France's Christian roots at a speech in Rome.

Watch the CBN News report and Gordon Robertson's comments on Sarkozy's efforts to speak out about faith.

His critics say his speeches ignore a French law separating church and state, Reuters reports.

They say faith is a personal affair and speaking about it publicly is politically incorrect. But Sarkozy wants to change that.

He's even talking about providing state subsidies for faith-based groups.

The twice-divorced Sarkozy is an infrequent churchgoer and calls himself a "cultural catholic," but "someone who believes is someone who hopes."