Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox officials in France are alerting this Wednesday in a joint text the executive and parliamentarians to the dangers of the “separatism” bill, which according to them “undermines” the freedom of worship and association.
"Today we are publicly expressing our concern about the bill 'consolidating the principles of the Republic'" (law against Islamist "separatism"), they write in a column published in
Le Figaro
.
This text is signed by Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, President of the Conference of Bishops of France, Pastor François Clavairoly, President of the Protestant Federation of France, and by Metropolitan (Orthodox) Emmanuel Adamakis.
The bill was adopted at first reading by deputies in February and will be considered by the Senate from March 30.
"Attack on fundamental freedoms"
“By its internal logic […] this bill risks undermining the fundamental freedoms of freedom of worship, association, education and even freedom of opinion which has already been abused by a police force of thought which is settling more and more in the common space ”, they estimate.
"Turning its back on the separation (of the Churches and the State operated by the law of 1905, editor's note), the State comes to interfere in the qualification of what is religious and in its functioning", judge the three officials.
The future law will be "a law of multiplied constraints and controls: systematic control by the prefect every five years of the quality of worship (of an association, editor's note), redoubled control of activities and comments made beyond that which is exercised in other sectors of community life, control of funding from abroad and the resources of religious associations, redoubling the republican commitment of anyone who wants to carry out an activity with the help of public subsidies ”.
Sanctions already exist
"What is the point of complicating the life of the religious associations provided for by the law of 1905?"
Do we seriously think that those who want to live apart in the Republic by contesting its foundations will join an official statute, perpetually subject to the gaze of the prefects?
They ask themselves.
They recall that “the law of 1905 […] provided for limits, controls and penalties.
We can reaffirm the first, implement the second, adapt the last ”.
The three officials however welcome "without reservation the provisions of the bill making it possible to fight more directly against forced marriages, sexual mutilation of young girls, inequality of inheritance, hate speech, multifaceted discrimination".
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20 Minutes with AFP