The French bishops indicated on Wednesday, December 14 in Rome that they had reported to Pope Francis and to various officials of the Holy See of
internal "
dysfunctions " in the management of cases of pedocrime in the Church of France.
"
We were listened to very well, our interlocutors were (...) completely ready to recognize that everything had not been done perfectly
", declared to the press Mgr Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the conference of bishops of France (CEF).
New revelations of sexual violence
During this three-day visit, the CEF delegation reported to the Curia - the "
government
" of the Holy See - on the work carried out during the Plenary Assembly of Lourdes in November, marked by new revelations on cases of sexual violence committed by clerics.
These concerned in particular Michel Santier, former bishop of Créteil, sanctioned in 2021 by the Vatican for voyeurism on two adult men in the 1990s, and Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, former archbishop of Bordeaux, who admitted having behaved "
reprehensible
" with a teenager 35 years ago.
Read alsoSauvé report: the pope calls the bishops of France to account
These revelations have rekindled anger among Catholics and victims' groups, who have questioned the delays and the lack of transparency of the sanctions taken by the Church.
The CEF indicated that it had “
constructively
” pointed out “
dysfunctions at all levels
” in the management of pedocrime cases, including “
issues of delay
” and “
insufficient transmissions from one department to another
”.
During an audience with Pope Francis on Monday, the latter expressed his “
strong encouragement
” and “
a certain confidence in the dynamism of the Church of France
”, declared Bishop de Moulins-Beaufort.
The Archbishop of Reims also mentioned "
a habit that is a little too strong for everything to be done in confidentiality or secrecy when it is not always what is most appropriate and adjusted
".
"
On that, we feel that there is a whole culture that is progressing (...)
", he confided.
Asked about the case of Bishop Ricard, still a member of the dicastery for the doctrine of the faith - the "
ministry
" competent in cases of pedocrime - the president of the CEF confirmed that the sovereign pontiff was already informed at the time of the Consistory, at the end August in Rome, in which Bishop Ricard took part.
The bishops of France must go to the Vatican in three groups between February and July 2023 in order to address these subjects again.
