at least “some bishops” knew this as early as the 1950s, says the president of the French Bishops’ Conference

“At least a few bishops” were aware “from 1955-1957” of “serious behavior” of Abbé Pierre “towards women”affirmed, Monday, September 16, the president of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF), Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, in a column in the newspaper The World. Abbé Pierre, who died in 2007, has been the target of accusations of sexual violence committed between the 1950s and 2000s since July 2024.

The CEF President recalls that “measures have been taken, including psychiatric treatment” followed by Abbé Pierre. Furthermore, “an assistant” had been imposed on him. “It seems that Abbé Pierre has managed to deceive this surveillance,” assures Eric de Moulins-Beaufort. He “reaffirms the work of the Church in France to ensure that the truth is known about the facts of sexual assault and violence, as well as about the facts of spiritual control, and to review its operations”.

Since the series of women’s testimonies about sexual violence committed by Abbé Pierre, Emmaüs has launched a commission of inquiry and the Church has opened its archives. Eric de Moulins-Beaufort emphasizes that “It was known, at least in certain circles of Emmaüs, that Abbé Pierre was still alive and had to be watched because he was dangerous for the women who approached him.”.

In his tribune, the Archbishop of Reims “also respectfully hopes that the Vatican will undertake a study of its archives and say what the Holy See knew and when it knew it”following comments by the Pope on Friday affirming that the Vatican was aware of the accusations of sexual violence against Abbé Pierre, at least since his death in 2007.