Selam, the fund collecting contributions from bishops and dioceses, intended in particular to support victims of pedocrime in the Church making a request for financial compensation, "
has raised 20 million euros
", announced Tuesday, January 25 at the AFP the president of this fund.
Read alsoChild crime: the Church examines possible funding to compensate victims
"
It's the first act.
The Church is at the rendezvous of what it has announced,
"said Gilles Vermot-Desroches, president of the Fund for the relief and fight against abuse of minors (Selam), specifying that out of this sum, a first envelope of “
5 million euros
” would be allocated to “
financial support
” for victims and another of “
one million
” to “
prevention and remembrance initiatives
".
These two envelopes were decided at a board meeting held on Monday, said Gilles Vermot-Desroches.
The envelope of 5 million euros will be intended for victims making a request for compensation in the form of a financial sum from the Independent National Authority for Recognition and Reparation (Inirr), which is being set up.
“An overwhelming majority of dioceses” gave
Meeting in Lourdes in November, a month after the publication of the Sauvé report on the extent of the phenomenon of paedocriminality, the episcopate, recognizing the "
responsibility
" of the Church in these acts, had announced that it was going to join hands in the pocket. The president of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF) Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, had announced, “
to begin with
”, wanting to “
collect 20 million euros
”, by “
taking on the real estate heritage and the investments of the Church
".
Since then, the dioceses have made an inventory of their available resources (reserves, sale of a dwelling belonging to a bishop, legacies, etc.) and have gradually announced the amount of their contribution.
"
The decision of the bishops to endow Selam with 20 million has been held, and this in two months
", welcomed Gilles Vermot-Desroches.
Among the contributors, "
after the CEF, an overwhelming majority of bishops gave personally, each according to their means
" and an "
overwhelming majority of dioceses
" gave, he said.