He has “decided not to keep quiet” her “situation”. Bishop Jean-Pierre Ricard, former Archbishop of Bordeaux from 2001 to 2019admits to being “misconduct with a 14-year-old girl”. The facts happened “35 years ago, when I was a priest”. The President of the Conference of Bishops of France, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, read this November 7 in Lourdes a statement sent the day before by Jean-Pierre Ricard. Eric de Moulins-Beaufort also announced during this press briefing the “questioned” of ten other bishops or former bishops.
“This approach is difficult. But what is first is the suffering experienced by the victims and the recognition of the acts committed, without wanting to hide my responsibility”, writes Jean-Pierre Ricard. About his victim, he claims to have “explained with her” and have him “request forgiveness”. “I renew here my request for forgiveness as well as to all his family”he concludes, adding that he has decided to “take a time of retreat and prayer”. Today archbishop “emeritus” of the diocese of Bordeaux, Jean-Pierre Ricard also affirms “to make available to justice, both at the level of society and that of the Church”.
After reading the press release, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort said that “this confession of Cardinal Ricard, we bishops, received it as a shock”emphasizing “the esteem in which he is held by us who have twice elected him as our President”. Jean-Pierre Ricard indeed directed the Conference of Bishops of France
from 2001 to 2007. “We imagine the amazement of the diocesan and of all the Catholics of France”said Eric de Moulins-Beaufort again, specifying that “the facts of which he speaks, even old ones, are the subject of a report to the prosecutor”.
Born in Marseille, Jean-Pierre Ricard was ordained a priest in 1968. Bishop in 1993, he was created cardinal in 2006 before being appointed by Pope John Paul II Archbishop of diocese of Bordeaux
in 2001. Pope Francis had accepted his resignation in 2019, for “reasons of age” when he was 75 years old.