How should the French Church respond to victims of pedophilia?

Audio 29:30

Child victim.

Getty Images / Imgorthand

By: Guillaume Naudin Follow

31 min

The conference of bishops of France is meeting from today (March 23, 2021) and until the end of the week, for its spring assembly.

On the program of discussions, ecological questions, but also and above all, the vote of resolutions to fight against pedocriminality in the French Church.

Subject very sensitive and painful for the victims, whose number promises to be frightening.

For years, associations have fought against silence, in the course of sometimes highly publicized cases.

After years of discretion and even denial, the Church now seems to want to react.

How should the French Church respond to victims of pedophilia?

This is the question of the day.

Publicity

To discuss it

:

- Sister Véronique Margron

, President of the

Conference of Religious

Men and Women

of France

(Corref) 

- Christine Pedotti

, director of the journal

Témoignage Chrétien

, author of numerous essays including "What did you do with Jesus", published by Albin Michel

- François Devaux

, president of the

Parole Libérée

association

, he directed with his Lyon association a white paper, “

Marianne, do you not hear your children crying

”, released on March 18, 2021, published by Cerf, a book information on the fight against sexual violence against minors.  

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Rights of the child

  • Religion

On the same subject

France / Preynat trial

France-pedophilia in the Church: a trial postponed by the lawyers' strike

France

Pedophilia in the Church: an independent commission created

Decryption

Catholic Church: how to act against pedophilia?