Abbé Pierre, who until recently was one of the most adored public figures in France, has been targeted in recent days by new allegations of sexual assault. The French priest is said to have claimed victims in Quebec in particular. The Duty sheds light on these new developments in five questions.
Who is Abbé Pierre?
Abbé Pierre, whose real name was Henri Grouès, was a French Catholic priest, a member of the Resistance during the Second World War, and then a member of Parliament from 1945 to 1951. In 1949, he founded the Emmaüs movement, a now secular organization fighting against exclusion and precariousness. Among the many honors he received, Abbé Pierre was made a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec in 1995. He died in 2007 at the age of 94.
What is he accused of?
On July 17, the Emmaüs International group published a report, commissioned from the firm Egaé, supporting the allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault by seven women, including a minor at the time of the alleged events, targeting Abbé Pierre.
On September 6, a second report by the Egaé firm was published. It contained the testimonies of 17 other people, including a minor aged 8 or 9 at the time of the alleged acts. These testimonies, which span a period of 55 years, report, among other things, forced fellatio and sexual contact with women in a vulnerable state.
The Abbé Pierre Foundation, Emmaüs France and Emmaüs International – which launched the investigation – assured the victims of their “total support”, while mentioning that they expected to receive other testimonies.
Did Abbé Pierre cause victims in Quebec?
In an investigation published on Monday, France Inter disclosed handwritten letters written by Abbé Pierre in which he responds, on several occasions and in an often aggressive tone, to accusations of sexual assault against him. Some letters refer to events that allegedly took place in Quebec.
While staying at the Abbey of Oka on September 6, 1959, Abbé Pierre wrote to the Reverend Roy, presented by France Inter as being a Quebec cardinal aware of his actions: “Everything is false in these accusations. Nothing of this kind of misery has ever existed, it has never existed anywhere, none of these miserable police acts that you spoke of.”
France Inter also reports the testimony of André Paul, a French theologian now aged 94, who claims that a Quebec priest told him in 1963 that Abbé Pierre had committed sexual assaults on women in Montreal. “That’s why he had to leave the country [en 1960] with the express instruction not to return there,” he testifies. Mr. Paul adds that the police were notified of the matter and that “the cardinal of Montreal intervened so that Abbé Pierre would not be prosecuted, on condition that he never set foot there again.”
The Archbishop of Montreal at the time was Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger. The Archdiocese of Montreal did not immediately respond to questions from the Duty about this.
Was the Catholic Church aware of Abbé Pierre’s actions?
According to the France Inter investigation, members of the Catholic Church and managers at Emmaüs were aware of Abbé Pierre’s actions. Testimonies collected reveal that instructions were even given to ensure that Abbé Pierre was never alone in the company of women.
In 1957, the Catholic Church and Emmaus sent the priest to a psychiatric hospital in Switzerland, officially to treat physical health problems. But according to historian Axelle Brodiez-Dolino, author of the book Emmaus and Abbé Pierrequoted by France Inter: “The real reason for this distancing is the fear of a sexual scandal. The Church needed [que] Abbé Pierre was restoring his image and popularity and could not allow such a scandal to break out.
In Quebec at the same time, priests suspected of sexual assault were also sent to a mental health centre, as revealed by an investigation by the Duty.
In an open letter published in July in the daily newspaper The Worldfour researchers from the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church indicated that the archives of the Catholic Church in France contain documents dating from the 1950s and 1960s on the sexual compulsions of Abbé Pierre. [Son] “Charisma gave him protection,” they denounced.
How do these allegations impact his legacy?
The name of Abbé Pierre, once adored, is now associated with that of a sexual predator. The Abbé Pierre Foundation has indicated that it has taken steps to change its name. Emmaüs has announced the closure of a museum center dedicated to Abbé Pierre. Little by little, the name of the priest is disappearing from the public space in France.
In Quebec, Abbé Pierre is still a member of the National Order. The Ministry of the Executive Council indicated to the Duty that the Secretariat of the National Order of Quebec is “monitoring the situation closely.” A member of the Order can be struck off by the government on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. “The procedures to revoke a title begin with a judgment of guilt or undeniable proof that demonstrates unacceptable behavior incompatible with the values and principles of the Order,” the ministry specifies.
The cities of Quebec and Terrebonne both have a street named after Abbé Pierre. Quebec City told the Duty be “reflecting” on the criticized toponyms, including that of Abbé Pierre. In Terrebonne, the city’s toponymy advisory committee will debate the issue at a meeting in October, it was reported to the Duty.