Pope Says Abbé Pierre Was a ‘Terrible Sinner’

Pope Francis called Abbé Pierre a “true sinner” Friday at a news conference as he returned from a trip to Asia.

The Church leader said that “public sins are public. And they must be condemned. For example, Abbé Pierre: he is a man who has done so much good, but he is also a terrible sinner.”

According to the newspaper, “The World“, the Vatican had been aware of the actions of the founder of Emmaus for years, he who is today accused of sexual assault by several women. “I don’t know when the Vatican learned about it. I don’t know because I wasn’t here and it didn’t occur to me to research it. But certainly, after the death (editor’s note: from Abbé Pierre, in 2007)for sure. But before that, I don’t know,” he revealed on the plane taking him back to Rome after his marathon tour of Asia-Pacific.

The French media BFMTV also indicates that this is the first time that Pope Francis has spoken since Emmaus released its report in July, which revealed the testimonies of several victims.

Seventeen new testimonies

Seven weeks after initial revelations accusing him of sexual assault, Abbé Pierre, who died in 2007 at the age of 94, is the target of 17 new testimonies accusing him of sexual violence allegedly committed between the 1950s and the 2000s.

Pope Francis said it was a “very painful, very delicate” issue.

“Good people, people, people who do good – you quoted Abbé Pierre – later, despite all the good [qu’il a fait]”We discover that this person is a terrible sinner. This is our human condition,” the Argentine Pope said in response to a journalist’s question.

“We must not say: let’s cover it up, let’s cover it up so that it doesn’t show! Public sins are public. And they must be condemned. Abbé Pierre is a man who has done so much good, but he is also a sinner,” he added.

«A crime!»

“We must be clear about these things, not hide it, the work against aggression is something that we must all do. Not only against sexual aggression, but against all types of abuse: social abuse, educational abuse, changing people’s mentality, attacking freedom… Abuse is, in my eyes, a demonic thing!”

“Because any type of abuse destroys the dignity of the person. Any type of abuse seeks to destroy what we all are: the image of God. I am happy when these cases come out (editor’s note: are made public)“, continued the head of the Catholic Church.

“Sexual assault against children and minors is a crime! It is a shame!” he concluded.

Mathilde Schott is a freelancer in the digital unit of Tamedia. She has just obtained her Master’s degree from the Academy of Journalism and Media (AJM) at the University of Neuchâtel.More info

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