Church: those priests who have a family life

Clarisse Giniès goes to mass every Sunday and claims a sincere bond of love with God, but also with a man of the church. “I am a practitioner, I am a believer and besides that, I have a love relationship with a priest. (…) I do not feel like a sinner, I am in agreement with myself and with God”she says. Their relationship began seven years ago in a clandestine way, because forbidden by the Catholic Church. “We live a sincere relationship where there is love (…) how can the Church condemn that?“asks Clarisse.

His case is not isolated. Married Laurens Chalmel runs an association of priests’ wives, helped by a psychiatrist. She leads discussion groups for these women “who feel helpless and can’t talk to anyone”she argues. Married Laurens herself fell into depression and was hospitalized following a suicide attempt. Today, Bernard, a former priest, has become her husband. A few years ago, a petition was circulated against him, to forbid him to return as believing because he had children. Bernard was sanctioned by his hierarchy. Many children thus grew up in secrecy, some priests agreeing to see their children only in secret. This is the case of Isabelle Ballesterosrevolted against the Church, because she reproaches him for having grown up far from his father, who was a priest.