the stained glass windows of Father Ribes taken down in Sainte-Catherine

In the Rhône, in Sainte-Catherine, a new church will remove its stained glass windows created by Father Louis Ribes. The latter, accused of acts of pedophilia against children, is said to have been active in the dioceses of Lyon, Saint-Etienne and Grenoble. Acts committed over 40 years, between the 1950s and 1990s. His victims are demanding the removal of the priest’s works.

Nicknamed for a long time the “Picasso of churches”, Father Louis Ribes, originally from Grammond in the Loire, was well known for its colorful stained glass windows. His works of art are scattered across the Loire, Rhône and Isère. The cleric is accused of raping and sexually assaulting dozens, perhaps hundreds, of children. Acts of pedophilia committed in particular during posing sessions and artistic workshops.

For almost two years, the alleged victims of the pedophile priest have been demanding the removal and even destruction of his works. Sainte-Catherine, a small town in the Monts du Lyonnais of less than a thousand inhabitants, granted this request.

In the church of Sainte-Catherine, these stained glass windows measure more than three meters high. And it’s a real explosion of colors that brings warmth to this religious building with white walls. These two large glass panels are in very good condition and yet they no longer have their place in this place of worship. “When we remove stained glass windows, it’s generally for restoration. It’s not because we don’t want to put them back afterwards. This is the first time I’ve seen that”explains Julien Pitrat, the master glassmaker working in the church of Sainte-Catherine to dismantle the stained glass windows designed by Louis Ribes.

This Tuesday, October 24, it is the turn of the commune of Sainte-Catherine to remove the last two controversial stained glass windows. The church had eight by the same artist. This project started a little over a week ago. Today, victims of the pedophile priest were invited there.

“There are almost always children in his productions and often the children are at the feet of the adults,” explains Luc Gemet. Children in suggestive poses. So seeing these works fall into disgrace is above all a satisfaction and a relief for the victims of the pedophile cleric who made the trip. Luc Gemet, member of the collective and one of the first declared victims, was among those present in the church this afternoon. Abused at a very young age until adolescence, the man says he is still haunted by what he suffered. His gaze does not let go of the large openings. Luc Gemet struggles to contain his emotion at the sight of the works.

Every time I see a Louis Ribes production, I relive my ordeal. There, seeing something completely white is perfect! For me, it’s perfect! It does me a lot of good. What makes me feel good is when I see that there is nothing left!

Luc Gemet

victim of Father Ribes

Luc Gemet doesn’t hide it either: he owned a few productions by Father Ribes. Gifts. “I destroyed them, it did me good. I would still like to destroy these stained glass windows!” In Sainte-Catherine, the stained glass windows will be replaced by others by the end of the year. New works on the theme of water and calming.

It was the town hall of Sainte-Catherine which gave its approval for this dismantling operation. It must be remembered that in France, religious heritage largely belongs to the municipalities. This is a specificity resulting from the French Revolution, 90% of Catholic churches are the property of the municipalities.

Although the cost of this project is approximately 36,000 euros, this sum will nevertheless be covered by the Diocese of Lyon. “There is a real desire from the diocese of Lyon to take 100% responsibility for replacing the stained glass windows. It is a priority,” explains Laurence Robert, general delegate of the diocese of Lyon who traveled to Sainte-Catherine today. The fragile stained glass windows of Father Ribes will be preserved in the Diocese.

In this scandal of the works of the pedophile priest, However, were the religious authorities slow to react? Why didn’t they act diligently? On the side of the diocese, we are defending ourselves. “The first testimony dates back to the summer of 2021, the second to November 2021. The decision to remove these stained glass windows was taken at the end of 2021, but the implementation of the removal of the stained glass windows took longer ” explains Laurence Robert. A question of technical deadlines. It was not only a matter of reaching an agreement with town halls, but also of finding craftsmen and master glassmakers. On the other hand, the removal of a painting by Ribes installed in the church took place in March 2022, underlines the representative of the diocese.

Sainte-Catherine is not the first municipality to ban religious works. In the Rhône, the municipalities of Dième, Charly, Caluire and Loire-sur-Rhône acceded to the request of the alleged victims of the “Picasso of the churches”.

The priest’s victims are demanding the blacklisting of all of Ribes’ works. They ask the mayor of Givors to do the same. “We thank Mayor Pierre Dussurgey for standing alongside the victims. We ask the mayor of Givors to follow the example by removing the stained glass windows from Ribes “, declare the two collectives in their press release dated October 9.

In this town in the Metropolis of Lyon, a small chapel that has been deconsecrated for 40 years has two religious stained glass windows. They represent local historical scenes. Works that would have almost gone unnoticed without the Ribes affair. Last April, the mayor of Givors, Mohamed Boudjellaba, had written a letter to Pope Francis asking him to take part in the debate concerning the fate of these works. The mayor of Givors should contact the diocese of Lyon again in the fall.

If the mayor of Givors intends to keep a cool head. This destruction is the wish of the priest’s victims and they explain it. “The destruction of Ribes’ productions allows us to put a definitive end, with no possible return, to this painful story. The simple thought that Ribes’ productions could one day be exhibited again revives the pain and trauma of the victims and their families “, indicate the collective of victims and Mouv’enfants.

For both associations, “victims must be invited to attend” to this destruction. Finally, they demand that the Catholic Church cover the costs of this work which, according to them, should not be carried out with public money.

Father Louis Ribes, who died in 1994 at the age of 74, was the subject, in the summer of 2021, of reports by alleged victims to the diocese of Lyon. His actions then come to light. But with this new scandal, it is in fact three dioceses which are splashed: the dioceses of Lyon, Grenoble-Vienne and Saint-Etienne. They recognized the existence of a new case of pedophilia within the Church.

In May 2022, the collective of victims of Father Ribes organized its first press conference to make his fight public. In the absence of a trial, the victims of Louis Ribes have been demanding for months the removal of the pedophile priest’s works. According to them, a guarantee of respect for the suffering endured by the victims and consideration of their words.