This is information revealed this Tuesday, December 31 by BFM D’ICI. The funeral ofÉmile Soleil, the little boy who disappeared on July 8, 2023 and found dead on March 30, 2024 in the commune of Vernet (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), will be held in February 2025 in the Var department.
According to the local television channel, the family has set the date of Saturday February 8 for a two-part ceremony.
A mass, open to the public, will be celebrated at the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baumein the Var.
The religious ceremony will be followed by a burial in the Haut-Vernet cemeteryin the strictest privacy.
A mass in tribute to the life of Émile
“It is a ceremony of thanksgiving for the life of this child and of contemplation for his departure”explained Monsignor Dominique Rey, bishop of the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon.
“The child’s loved ones are in suffering but they are deeply Christian and believers. They are in Hope. It must be said, it must be expressed and that is the aim of this celebration”he added.
The Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine has particular importance for the family of the young victim. “This is where the relics of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine rest. One of the most prestigious churches in Provence”, explains on BFM FROM HERE Father Florian Racine, priest of Saint-Maximin.
“We know that this ceremony will be covered by the media and we expect a lot of people”he adds. However, the service will be celebrated by a priest close to the family.
“This little one must rest in peace”
The family hopes that this tribute will allow all those who followed this tragedy to gather and pray together. “It is also because it can accommodate many people that the family chose the basilica of Saint-Maximin”specifies Father Racine.
After mass, explains BFM D’ICI, Emile’s burial will take place in the cemetery of the hamlet of Haut-Vernet. Initially considered at La Bouilladisse, burial in this small Alpine cemetery was confirmed as the preferred option. “Émile’s parents contacted the municipal council to organize this step.“
“This little one must rest in peace. And if it’s in Haut-Vernet that this is done, he’s at home here.”confided a resident of the hamlet, informed of the steps taken by the family.
The mayor of Vernet, François Balique, did not wish to confirm this information, specifying that the subject would be discussed during the municipal council scheduled for the end of January.
