Report of the Sauvé Commission: the Church of France, between shame and astonishment
The president of the French Bishops' Conference, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, during the presentation of the report of the Sauvé Commission, on October 4.
AP - Thomas Coex
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
The Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (Ciase) released its report on Tuesday, October 5.
Within the Church, this figure was like an explosion.
Advertising
Read more
The president of the Conference of Bishops Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, expressed to the press "
his shame
", "
his dread
" and asked for "
forgiveness
" from the victims of
child
crime after the publication of the report of the
Commission Sauvé on sexual abuse in the Church of France
. “
We have heard the voices of the victims, heard their numbers. Their voice overwhelms us, their number overwhelms us. It exceeds what we could suppose
”, he again underlined.
This report estimates that 216,000 people over the age of 18 have been subjected to violence or sexual assault during their minority by clerics or Catholic religious in France, from 1950 to 2020. This number of victims climbs to 330,000 if we add lay aggressors working in institutions of the Catholic Church.
The question of reparation
Asked about the repair policy advocated by Ciase, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort said he was in favor of the issue being re-examined. In March, the French Bishops' Conference announced the payment, from 2022 of a "
financial contribution
" to the victims, which could be either "
individualized
" while not exceeding a ceiling, or "
lump sum
".
The episcopate also voted to create an “
ad hoc
endowment fund
”, open to donations from bishops, priests and the faithful. This device has been criticized by some of the victims and the faithful, some asking that only the dioceses put their hands in their pockets. The Sauvé report, for its part, recommends individualizing the calculation of the compensation owed to each victim according to the damage and proposes to finance the compensation “
from the assets of the aggressors and the Church of France
”.
The Church must recognize its responsibility, and do so unanimously so that this translates into action, insisted the Archbishop of Strasbourg, Mgr Luc Ravel, who also expressed his "
bewilderment
" in front of the figures revealed by Ciase and its “
shame
” on the way in which the Church managed the question. “
The future of the Church in France is being played out today,
” he warned during a press conference. “
If we minimize this report from Ciase, then the Church of Christ in France no longer has a future, except in the form of a small moralizing sect.
"
►
Also to listen: Sexual abuse: "the Church must take legal and moral responsibility"
Since taking over as head of the diocese in 2017, he has tried to step up the fight against sexual abuse.
A listening cell has been created, a conduct guide for priests has been published.
The diocese even signed a protocol with the four Alsatian prosecutors to facilitate the seizure of justice.
With this work, Bishop Luc Ravel thought that his diocese was halfway there.
“
We're only just getting started,
” he admits.
In three years, his diocese has identified 169 victims, far from the thousands that the figures of Ciase suggest.
The "pain" of the Pope
Pope Francis is expected to speak this Wednesday in person on the subject.
But before its traditional general audience, the Holy See reacted to the publication of the Ciase report with a press release published in the early afternoon.
"
It is with sorrow
" that the Pope took note of the contents of the report, explains his spokesperson.
It is written there that the thoughts of the Pope turn first and foremost to the victims.
The words chosen do not hide the distress of the sovereign pontiff, reports our correspondent at the Vatican,
Eric Sénanque
.
Pope Francis evokes "his immense sorrow" for their injuries and also expresses his gratitude to these victims for their courage in having denounced their predators.
Pope Francis is also turning to the Church of France so that "
having become aware of this appalling reality", she can undertake the path of redemption
".
By his prayers, the Pope entrusts to the Lord the People of God who are in France, concludes the press release of the Holy See, especially the victims, so that He may grant them comfort and consolation and so that , with righteousness, may the miracle of healing be accomplished.
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
France
Social issues
Criminality
On the same subject
Guest France
Sexual abuse: "the Church must take legal and moral responsibility"