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Pope Francis invoked the " presumption of innocence ", refusing the resignation of Bishop Barbarin, said the latter in a statement. The archbishop of Lyon is now awaiting trial on appeal following his conviction in France to six months in prison suspended for not denouncing sexual abuse of a priest.
In the aftermath of Cardinal Barbarin's private audience at the Vatican, we learned on Tuesday, March 19th, the content of the meeting with Pope Francis.
"On Monday morning, I put my mission in the hands of the Holy Father. By invoking the presumption of innocence, he did not want to accept this resignation, "initially announced Philippe Barbarin in a statement, stating that he would take" some time "back in the diocese of Lyon.
Cardinal Barbarin was sentenced on March 7 to six months in prison suspended by the French justice for not denouncing sexual abuse of a priest.
In a statement, the Vatican confirmed Pope Francis' refusal of the resignation of the man who is considered the highest dignitary of the Church of France. " Aware, however, of the difficulties currently facing the archdiocese, the Holy Father has left Cardinal Barbarin free to make the most appropriate decision for his diocese, " says the text.
Bishop Barbarin, who remains archbishop of Lyon, decided to "go back for a while " and now leaves the conduct of current affairs to the current vicar general Yves Baumgarten.
A scenario that surprises
The president of the Conference of Bishops, Bishop Georges Pontier, was surprised: " I am surprised, I did not expect this scenario that is intermediate between the two predictable scenario, namely the acceptance of his resignation by the pope or his refusal, "he told AFP. A situation that he analyzes as a " conflict between two requirements ": that of " respect the path of justice " and that of " worry about the good of the diocese of Lyon ."
The association The liberated Word which gathers the victims of the father Preynat reacted strongly on this refusal of the pope and says that it was about the " error of too much ". " It seemed improbable to me that [the Pope] could make such a mistake. It's incredible, "says François Devaux, his co-founder.
In 2016, Cardinal Barbarin had already proposed his resignation to the pope who had dismissed pending a court decision, still on this case of pedophilia of Father Bernard Preynat.