French press review

In the spotlight: Saint Charles de Foucauld, soldier who became a monk

Audio 04:20

Photo of Charles de Foucauld in the Hoggar around 1907. © Edsdet/wikimedia.org

By: Norbert Navarro

3 mins

Advertisement

It is tomorrow morning, place Saint-Pierre, that, among ten figures of the Catholic Church, the Frenchman Charles de Foucauld will be canonized.

If his state of health permits, Pope Francis will celebrate the canonization of “

 the hermit of Tamanrasset 

”.

France will be represented by Prime Minister Jean Castex.

Charles de Foucauld?

It was in the Sahara, where he lived for fifteen years among the Tuaregs, that the " 

incredible destiny

 " of this former cavalry officer who became a monk was forged, whom the daily

Liberation

does not hesitate to compare to Lawrence of Arabia or Arthur Rimbaud.

Murdered by looters in his fort in Tamanrasset, in 1916, this " 

poor among the poor

 " had developed " 

the first Tuareg-French dictionary 

", recalls

Libé

.

What a path traveled for the reveler lieutenant who made headlines in his time, and not by his military exploits 

", marvels

Le Figaro

, in a tribute from Front page, recalling that the explorer officer "

 discovered God while crossing Muslim Morocco disguised as a Jew.

His innumerable writings show it, he wanted to testify to the Tuareg of the love of Christ, to evangelize them by the sole example of his life

 ”.

Le Figaro

sees in him “ 

the precursor of the monks of Tibéhirine and the nineteen blessed martyrs of Algeria

 ”.

the miraculous

His name is also Charles (but without the "s" at the end of his first name).

His name, on the other hand, we will not know.

His family declined to disclose.

“ 

Unbaptized, non-believer, 28 years old, carpenter by profession, French (…) in 2016, he survived a fall of almost 16 meters high while restoring a church (…),

still tells

Le Figaro

.

Given the few injuries, his total recovery, without any sequelae, when he should have died there, and the incredible circumstances of the accident - which took place on the day of the hundredth anniversary of the death of Charles de Foucauld, while people of this parish were praying for a miracle to take place in view of his canonization - the Church retained this "protection" as a "miracle", attributed to the hermit of the Sahara and necessary for to pass from the status of beatified to that of canonized 

”.

Marine Le Pen breaks the silence

The ex-candidate of the National Rally in the recent presidential election – his ultimate “a priori” candidacy – is targeting around sixty deputies and poses as the first opponent to Emmanuel Macron.

"

 During this election, the French chose me as the first opposition to Emmanuel Macron 

," says Marine Le Pen to

Figaro

.

In this interview, the leader of the National Rally sets the objective of obtaining “

 at least 60 deputies 

” in the legislative elections of June 12 and 19, in particular in order to be able to have the means to “ 

seize the Constitutional Council

”.

Marine Le Pen assures that the union with Éric Zemmour in these legislative elections was “

 not possible.

Because we don't have the same strategic vision 

,” she told this newspaper.

Marine Le Pen reiterates that 2022 was her last presidential election, " 

barring exceptional events 

".

Suspect manipulation

A renowned osteopath indicted for rape?

It is

Le Parisien

who reveals it.

According to this newspaper, the osteopath Marc Bozzetto, 82, founder of a school of osteopathy in the south of France, already indicted last year for sexual assault, was again indicted last March for "

rape by a person using his authority

" on three of his former students.

This daily reports that " 

his students or employees accuse him of sexual assault and rape during osteopathy sessions 

"

Marc Bozzetto, who "

 finds himself more than ever in the crosshairs of justice

 ", underlines

Le Parisien

, denies any sexual assault and rape, crying out for defamation and denouncing " 

a conspiracy 

".

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_EN

  • Newspaper