More than twenty people have testified to having been victims of sexual violence committed by Abbé Pierre. Pope Francis considers the cleric to be a “terrible sinner”.
Abbé Pierre “did so much good, but he is also a terrible sinner,” acknowledged Pope Francis, returning from a trip to Asia. This is the first time that the pontiff has spoken out on the subject since Emmaus released its report, revealing the sexual violence committed by the cleric. The youngest of the victims was 8 years old at the time of the events. “The sexual abuse of children and minors is a crime! It is a shame!”, condemned the pope, reports The World.
The head of the Catholic Church goes so far as to call abuse a “demonic thing,” “because any type of abuse destroys the dignity of the person.” He says he is “satisfied to see all these cases come to light,” reports The Figaro. For him, it is time to speak. “We must not say, let’s cover because nothing is seen! Public sins are public! They must be condemned. We must speak clearly about these things and not hide them.”
Abuses known to the Vatican for years
A statement loaded with meaning, given that the Catholic Church has repeatedly been accused of covering up for its members when they have been implicated in cases of sexual violence. Was this the case for Abbé Pierre? One thing is certain: the Vatican had been aware of the abbé’s conduct for years. “I don’t know when the Vatican found out. I don’t know because I wasn’t here and it didn’t occur to me to research it. But certainly, after the death [de l’abbé Pierre, en 2007]that’s for sure. But before that, I don’t know,” said Pope Francis, elected in 2013.