At Maison Saint-Julien, around 200 people gathered to a public meeting on sexual abuse in the Church organized by the diocese of Le Mans this Wednesday, November 17. Participants were invited to share their feelings after the publication of the Sauvé report in early October, but also to make proposals to improve the situation. The meeting began with a reminder of the conclusions of this independent commission. “But we already know that!” and “we read this report“burst into the room.
“I told myself that my word had been for nothing”
For about twenty minutes, groups were formed around tables for a time of discussion. In these discussions: many testimonies of sexual abuse denounced, but remained unanswered. “Twenty years ago, I went to see the bishop of the time in relation to a diocesan priest of whom I had been alerted by the school medicine“, explains a retiree.”I left this bishop’s office with a more than unpleasant feeling: I was the liar in this matter. I told myself that my word had been for nothing.”
A little further on, on another table, a similar story. “I have a friend who was abused as a teenager by a priest. He went to see his bishop, who received him very badly, saying ‘thank God, it is prescribed’“, says one of the participants, provoking frustrated smiles around him. But the conversations were also centered around proposals to reform the Church. Reflections in particular on the place of women, the training and the supervision of priests.
More checks and balances in the Church
When summarizing their ideas in front of the rest of the assembly, several participants called for more checks and balances, denouncing for example “the concentration of power in the hands of the clergy” Where the sacralization of the image of the priest. “We idolize priests, young men, as if they were footballers, we make gods of them. This raises the question of our functioning, of our organization“, specifies a man at the microphone.
– Raphael Cann
The Bishop of Le Mans, Monsignor Yves Le Saux, also took the floor to answer certain questions and in particular recall the latest decisions and positions taken by the Bishops’ Conference. “We recognize the institutional responsibility, the operating system has spawned things like this“, he explains.”Today there is a step going on, we have to go to the end. “An idea recalled several times by the members of the diocese: the process is in progress.
“Finally the word is freed”
But at the end of the meeting, the participants are mixed. “For years, I have felt a Church with a leaden cover, as soon as we dared to say something or make a remark on the functioning, we were naughty because we did not believe in the holy spirit“, says Véronique.”I tell myself that finally the word is freed.“Others, on the other hand, are more critical. “It has the merit of existing“coward, Renaud, priest in the diocese of Le Mans.
“But it is not two hours that should be devoted to this subject, it is a whole day, to see a diocesan synod around this question.“, he continues.”The assembly tonight still seemed to me to bring together a large number of Catholics who wish to see the institution evolve and a certain number of Catholics that I would qualify as more conservative were not there, but they are the most active and the most present today in the Catholic Church in France. ”
For this priest, the main conclusion of the commission of inquiry into sexual abuse “is that today the Church continues, after the family, to be the institution where in French society there are the most abused children. “before adding that”if we do nothing, we will all be accomplices, if this does not change, I will have to question my presence as a priest.“
A play
The diocese of Le Mans also called for sending contributions in writing. 85 letters have already been received and can still be sent to [email protected] or by post to Maison Saint-Julien, 26 rue Albert Maignan in Le Mans. The play “Pardon?” by Laurent Martinez, evoking the theme of sexual abuse in the church, will also be presented on Tuesday 23 November at Sablé-sur-Sarthe, Wednesday 24 at Le Mans and Thursday 25 at La Flèche.