Three personalities, including the co-founder of the victims’ association “The released word”, call for a “renewal”, six days after the publication of the work of the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church.
Le Monde with AFP
Three personalities, including the co-founder of the victims’ association “The released word” François Devaux, launched a call on Monday to the “collective resignation” of the bishops, after the conclusions of the commission saved on pedocinality in the Church Catholic.
This call entitled “Facing Bankruptcy, the resignation of the bishops is the only honorable outcome”, is also launched by theologian Anne Soupa and the director of the writing of Christian testimony Christine Pedotti.
He intervenes six days after the publication of the work of the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE), which estimated to 216,000 the number of persons victims of a priest or a religious in France in France Since the 1950s, even 330,000 if we add the laity aggressors in connection with the institutions of the Church.
“True bankruptcy”
“More than defaults, the report of the CIASE highlights a real bankruptcy”, believes Christine Pedotti, Anne Soupa and François Devaux. According to them, “any organization, association, enterprise would draw the necessary consequences: to get rid of its leaders”.
“We ask, as a sign of hope and renewal, the collective resignation of all the bishops in office”, they launch. France has a little less than 120 bishops.
In their view, the resignation “is the only gesture to the measure of the disaster and the loss of confidence in which we are. This is a first act of concrete repentance, expensive, with regard to the victims. c ‘Is the only attitude that can restore the Church house “.
“In addition, it is the only way to make the compensation of the victims possible because the bankruptcy of the institution is also material. The faithful do not want to contribute for mistakes that they have not committed. But in a restored church in which all will be represented, this new solidarity and fraternity will help find the necessary financial resources “, they detail.
from previous
All three argue that the resignation of bishops has already intervened after similar facts:
“In the Catholic Church, precedents exist: the bishops of Chile have given their collective resignation to Pope Francis after a gigantic case of pedocimate has been unveiled. In Germany, Cardinal Marx, Archbishop of Munich, a He also presented his resignation to the Pope in the name of the responsibility he considered to bear sexual abuse, although himself did not fail. “
And to continue: “No doubt, do not all French bishops have covered crimes, but the very structure of the Catholic hierarchy implies a continuity and solidarity between each bishop and his predecessor. As such, If all are not guilty, all are responsible “.
Finally, they suggest to Pope Francis, to name as “Legat” (Official Representative of the Pope) Véronique Margron, President of Corref (Institutes and Religious Congregations), while waiting to work at “the Church after” .
In 2020, the theologian Anne Soupa had applied to the Archbishopric of Lyon to succeed Msgr Philippe Barbarin, in order to question the place of women in the governance of the Church. “The released Word”, at the origin of the Preynat and Barbarin business, is now dissolved.