Every September 8, the religious authorities bless the city of Lyon de Fourvière, thus perpetuating the tradition of the vows of the aldermen dated 1643. -

Konrad / Sipa

  • For the first time in decades, the mayor of Lyon will not participate in the religious ceremony of the vows of the Aldermen, scheduled for Tuesday, September 8.

  • Grégory Doucet invokes the principle of secularism.

  • He nevertheless planned to make a speech at the end of the ceremony which he is the first to boycott since Edouard Herriot.

Unlike his predecessors on the right and on the left, who religiously bent to tradition, the EELV mayor of Lyon Grégory Doucet announced that he would not participate on Tuesday in the religious ceremony for the renewal of the Vow of the Aldermen.

A custom that dates back to 1643.

"In my interpretation of the rules of secularism, I let the believers carry out this ceremony", he justified himself on Monday morning on BFM Lyon, on the eve of the event, specifying however that he would make a speech at the end .

"I wanted to be able to address myself to believers, to the Catholics who will be present, because it seems to me necessary, indispensable, that there be a dialogue", argues the elected official.

The tradition of the vow of the aldermen goes back to 1643. While the plague rages in Europe, the merchants who run the city then undertake to give an offering to the Church, each September 8, to place the city under the protection of the Virgin Mary.

Turnaround situation

The Freemason Gérard Collomb, before him Raymond Barre and Michel Noir, thus presented a symbolic shield to the Archbishop of Lyon during a ceremony at the Basilica of Fourvière, where many elected officials from all sides flock each year , much to the regret of local secular associations.

The day after his election two months ago at the head of the city, where the influence of the Catholic Church is important, Grégory Doucet had indicated to the monthly 

Lyon Capitale

that he would "probably" participate in the ceremony, while specifying by then wanting to “think about the symbol that we want to give to this presence”.

Pressure from the far left?

What offend its political partners the most left within the municipal majority.

Last week, the elected members of the group "Lyon en Commun", which includes the cultural assistant Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert who had run for office with the support of LFI, protested in a press release.

"The argument of tradition, often used by the elected participants, does not hold from the moment when certain mayors like (the radical) Édouard Herriot had refused to participate", had estimated the president of the group, Alexandre Chevalier.

Wish of the Aldermen: "I do not quite understand that someone comes to a party to talk, without participating in the party", reacts Monsignor Dubost after the decision of the mayor of Lyon not to attend the ceremony pic.twitter .com / qqW6wQB1yj

- BFM Lyon (@BFMLyon) September 7, 2020

Asked about the decision of the elected ecologist, Michel Dubost, apostolic administrator of the diocese of Lyon since the withdrawal of Cardinal Barbarin, replied that he was not making it “a disease”.

"I do not quite understand that someone comes to a party to talk, without participating in the party," he continues on BFM Lyon.

And to conclude: "I find it good that people give their opinion and I am happy that Mr. Doucet comes to speak" to the Catholic community.

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  • Society

  • Tradition

  • Secularism

  • EELV

  • Religion

  • Gregory Doucet

  • Lyon