See you at the next plenary assembly. Meeting in Lourdes from November 5 to 10, the bishops of France postponed until next March the task of deciding the issue of support for adult victims of diocesan priests. In his closing speech to all his counterparts, Monsignor Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, archbishop of Reims and president of the Conference of French Bishops (CEF), declared that “if the principle is acquired”he stays “There is still work before deciding on implementation modalities,” after two work sessions of the prelates this Thursday and Friday in their chamber.
Already in March 2023, during the previous plenary assembly, a working group chaired by Corinne Boilley, former deputy secretary general of the CEF, presented its recommendations to the bishops. The Conference then announced “an ad hoc device” that would be presented for this November meeting. We will therefore have to wait several more months for these victims, largely forgotten by the efforts of the Church in France (only minor victims of diocesan priests can receive reparation).
Restorative justice
“I feel that the victims will be disappointed and hurt by this delay and I assure them of our determination to move forward.”Eric de Moulins-Beaufort apologized. The president of the CEF assured that these five months will allow us to clarify certain points about “two paths (…) each with its advantages and disadvantages” that were presented during these fall meetings.
The Archbishop also raised the issue of restorative justice for these victims, in line with the conclusions of Ms. Boilley’s task force, while acknowledging that she “It is not exempt from criticism from the victims.” “We must be sure of the competence and capacity of the people to whom we could entrust this mission to do it in a clear and reassuring way for the victims”he added. In particular, the issue of financial compensation for adult victims will be raised. The working group report considered that it should not necessarily be systematic, but certain voices on the side of the victims and reparation bodies would not consider this system serious if this aspect were directly excluded.
However, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort reaffirmed in his speech the commitment “in a determined manner” of the Church of France against sexual violence within it. “We are progressively doing what we said, we are responding to the recommendations they made to us”he assured.
You have 27.55% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
