AFP: 11 former French bishops are accused of sexual harassment.
A senior French church official said 11 former French bishops, including the former bishop of Bordeaux, have been accused of sexual abuse during their tenure.
A senior French church official said Monday that 11 former French bishops, including the former bishop of Bordeaux, have been accused of sexual abuse during their tenures.
According to “Agence France-Presse”, the former bishop of Bordeaux has admitted that he raped a teenager 35 years ago. “Jean-Pierre Ricard”, the former bishop of Bordeaux, who was elected as a “cardinal” by Pope Francis in 2016, has admitted that he sexually abused a 14-year-old boy years ago.
Ricard retired as bishop of Bordeaux in 2019, but remains a cardinal, a position usually held for life. Cardinal is the official position of the Church and the highest position of Catholics after the Pope.
Research shows that 216,000 minors have been sexually abused by bishops and priests over the past 7 decades, a figure that rises to 330,000 when claims against lay members of the Church, such as Catholic school teachers, are included.
The commission that produced the report condemned efforts to protect bishops and priests from prosecution and called on the church to compensate the victims.
“De Moulins Beaufort”, the archbishop of the city of “Rence” in northeastern France, said that all the accused will face legal prosecution or disciplinary measures of the church.