“There is a deep difficulty on the part of the bishops to see that they need women”, estimates Monday, November 8 on franceinfo the theologian Anne Soupa. The former candidate for the archdiocese of Lyon regrets that there is no question of women in the response given by the conference of bishops of France to the Sauvé commission on sexual abuse. “It is between oneself that is detrimental, she believes. If we stay in a male world, the abuse will continue. “
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franceinfo: Does the response given by the bishops’ conference of France appear to you to be up to the task?
Anne Soupa: It is half-hearted. The bishops did seem to actually land and make some important decisions which I welcome, but I am compelled to raise issues that I feel are still unresolved. With regard to the victims, there is the issue of vulnerable adults, in particular women and nuns, which is not addressed at all. There is a lot of sexual abuse and sway that has yet to come to light. I also note that we remain on a very clerical system. More than half of the working groups are focused on questions related to priests and the laity are not much involved in the reflection on their integration into important responsibilities. And above all, it is not about women.
For what reason do you think?
I think that there is a deep difficulty on the part of the bishops to see that they need women, and that without women they will not be able to rebuild a living Church. You know, the major problem of the Church of France is the lack of new blood. Women are half of humanity. It is time to actively integrate them into decision-making processes. The absence of women has been pointed out as a cause of abuse.
“It is the inter-self that is detrimental because it promotes secrecy and the internal resolution of problems without appealing to third parties. If we stay in a male world, the abuses will continue.”
Anne Soupa, theologianto franceinfo
Can the bishops who have had strong words in recent weeks be heard?
I think we also need the support of the Pope. It is Rome that holds the key to all major reform decisions, in particular the end of clerical culture and the association of lay people with general and important decisions of the universal Church. It is a global problem. I would like the Vatican to realize that an institution like the Church cannot be allowed to cultivate a culture of death and allow abuses to take place within it. There are many countries that have not yet opened their archives to account for potential victims. It would be better for the Vatican to anticipate damaging discoveries and for the Vatican to openly immerse itself in these questions.