Now is the time for meditation.
The funeral of Father Olivier Maire, found dead last Monday, took place this Friday from 2:30 p.m. in the basilica of Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, in Vendée.
The ceremony, chaired by the Archbishop of Reims, Monsignor of Moulins-Beaufort, is to last two hours.
Before that, at noon, the death knell rang in the Catholic parishes of Vendée, at the request of the Bishop of Luçon, Monsignor François Jacolin.
The first homage was paid by Brother Daniel Busnel, Provincial Councilor of the Montfort Missionaries. After recalling Father Olivier Maire's life course, from his birth to his training in theology and his mandate as a priest, he addressed him directly: “Now Olivier, I take the liberty of telling you in the language that we use every day: you have remained a simple man, very accessible, who does not make noise but who moves forward. Wherever you went, even quickly, you marked people, in your retreats and conferences, you did not use complicated words but words that everyone could understand ”. Before concluding: "And now, give us the strength to continue what you have done with gentleness, simplicity and humility".
To read also Priest killed in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre: the Vendée “little Lourdes” loses the “soul” of the town
The members of his family, his brothers Stéphane and Jérôme, then came to testify and “thank”, on behalf of the family, “the Montfortian family for their welcome, their support and the preparation of this ceremony”.
With great emotion, one of his brothers then added: "Olivier will be sorely missed by all of us, but true to his spirit, we will not judge and we are inspired by him to overcome this ordeal".
A tribute open to the public
Initially planned in private, the funeral was eventually opened to the public.
“Priority will be given to family members, religious and clergymen, and officials.
The public will then be able to enter within the limit of available places, ”explained the diocese of Luçon.
To follow the ceremony outside, the mayor of the town of Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, 3,600 inhabitants, installed a giant outdoor screen.
The family had given their prior consent for the funeral to be broadcast on KTO TV.
Several politicians attended the burial.
Responsible for representing the government, the Minister of Justice, Eric Dupont Moretti, was present.
This is also the case for the prefect of Vendée, the regional prefect of Pays de la Loire and several parliamentarians and local elected officials.
Pope Francis spoke Wednesday morning to pay homage to Olivier Maire.
"With great pain, I learned of the homicide of Father Maire," he said.
“I offer my condolences to the Montfortian religious community of Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, in Vendée.
To his family and to all Catholics in France, ”declared the Sovereign Pontiff.
VIDEO.
Murder of a priest in Vendée: "It's a friend I'm losing"
The priest died of "violent blows to the head"
The parquet floor of La Roche-sur-Yon indicates that he died of the consequences of “violent blows” to the head, in the night from Sunday to Monday.
The autopsy, carried out Tuesday at the forensic institute in Nantes, showed that "the victim presented six lesions, all located on the head, caused by violent blows".
But the examination did not "allow to determine the nature of the murder weapon", according to the press release of the prosecution.
Read also Murder of Father Olivier Maire in Vendée: a suspect with a chaotic course
The man responsible for this murder is said to be Emmanuel Abayisenga, who himself went to the gendarmerie on Monday morning and accused himself of the murder of the religious. This Rwandan refugee, who arrived in France in 2012, is also the alleged arsonist of Nantes cathedral in July 2020. He was hosted by the Montfortian fathers, as part of his judicial review, awaiting trial. His psychiatric examination on Monday concluded that his mental state was incompatible with a custody measure, including in a hospital environment, and the defendant is hospitalized in a psychiatric environment, the prosecution said.
