A document announced as an explosion. This Tuesday, the Independent Commission on Child Crime in the Catholic Church unveils its report. According to him, there have been “between 2,900 and 3,200 pedophiles”, priests or religious, within the Catholic Church in France since 1950. And this is a “minimum estimate”, according to the president of the Commission, Jean-Marc Sauvé.
Revelations that the majority of our Catholic readers welcome as a painful truth, certainly, but which must be faced. Following the example of Pierre-Loup, who answered our call for witnesses: “I await this report without fear, because I already know that the facts are horrible. I know the law of silence has prevailed. I know the victims have long been ignored. I believe that the Church has the human and intellectual means to take the measure of the violence of this report and to implement a policy of “never again” using effective tools. “
“Clear and hard justice”
Grégoire also considers this report to be saving: “We must carry this cross, this burden. These victims oblige us. We must dare to look at the truth. Jesus himself enjoins us not to hide ourselves, not to hide our face. The truth is hard, but so necessary ”. For Noémie, 25, the fact that precise data on these abuses in the Church are known will inevitably help to fight the evil at the root: “That the Sauvé report brings things out of the closet is a chance, because the risks abuse can only decrease if we understand what mechanisms have allowed these situations to take hold ”.
But for Adrien, we should not be content to open our eyes to these acts, but also to punish the perpetrators: “It is time for the Church to recognize that there are unworthy and repulsive men within it who do not have no place in our community. By dint of believing that we are all saints, she hides, she protects and does not manage this problem in any way. We need clear and tough justice for its criminals. “
“We must not see every priest as a potential aggressor”
It is first of all of the victims that our Catholic readers think of, and of the need to provide them with a form of reparation, even if the trauma they have suffered can never be erased. The episcopate has taken the lead by promising a system of financial “contributions”, paid to victims from 2022, which is not unanimous among the victims. “The Catholic Church must now support the victims and continue its work of transparency,” said Grégoire. In addition to the reparation that certain victims will be able to obtain thanks to justice, Magalie also thinks that she will pass by the recognition of the facts by the authors of these sexual abuses: “Many need, to move forward, that their torturer asks forgiveness and regrets his acts. . “
Everyone also fears the consequences of these revelations. And that they engender amalgamation and a systematic distrust vis-à-vis priests. “I fear the media reaction and that of public opinion: criticizing the Church on this point is necessary. But I fear amalgamations, errors, bad interpretations. That the Church and the Gospel be entirely reduced to this question of pedophilia while, moreover, the Church acts in a large number of areas, especially social ones, without the good that is done there being highlighted. », Pierre-Loup is alarmed. “We must not see each priest as a potential aggressor, while a very large number of them have nothing to reproach themselves with and are even men of great dedication”, also considers Noémie. Gregory plans to support “all these priests faithful to their ministry, who will be suspected and insulted by many bad tongues, either stupid or blind. “
“The Church must reform”
In addition to its diagnosis, the Sauvé Commission makes 45 proposals that touch on several areas: listening to victims, prevention, training of priests and religious, canon law, transformation of the governance of the Church … Our Catholic readers hope that they will be followed by effect, like Noémie: “I have confidence in the fact that the institution will know how to use it to reform the formation of priests and ensure the protection of the faithful”. Ditto for Pierre-Loup: “It seems necessary to me to think about training. Not to rethink, but to think quite simply. Priests come into contact with many people, in very different social and economic contexts. It is essential that they are psychologically trained for this ”. Myrtille also believes that there should be “better support for seminarians and priests and stronger communication between priests and their bishops. “For Vincent, a practicing Catholic of 25, we must go even further:” The Church must reform to meet the needs of society, without changing its initial message, and this should go through the ordination of women and marriage. priests. “
The fact remains that for many of our readers, this test of truth in the life of Catholics will not shake either their faith or their confidence in the Church, as Philippe affirms: “I am proud of my Church, which does what it does. ‘she says. It changes the lesson givers who never do anything. Vincent also promises that his spiritual life will not be upset: “This scandal does not affect my relationship to faith, because I believe in God and not in a priest. My relationship to the Church has not changed because of the many people who are involved in it are extraordinary ”.