The French bishops will resort to the sale of movable and immovable property of the French Episcopal Conference and from the dioceses, as well as a loan, for pay compensation at victims of sexual abuse by members of the Church.
This was announced by the president of the French Episcopal Conference, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, after the meeting that the bishops held for a week in Lourdes.
Thus, the bishops have agreed do not use money from donations of French Catholics for the compensation fund for victims of sexual abuse. “The bishops of France have decided to endow this fund, as necessary, by disposing of the movable and immovable property of the Conference of Bishops or the dioceses. We will not use the donations of the faithful. All the bishops have agreed to identify in their dioceses the goods that can be disposed of. We have also decided, if necessary, to sign a loan to meet our obligations “, stressed Eric de Moulins-Beaufort.
They have also agreed create an independent national body recognition and repair, which examine complaints from victims of sexual violence and will be headed by the jurist Marie Derain de Vaucresson. Likewise, the French bishops they have asked Pope Francis to help them. “Since we are appointed by him, we ask him to come to our aid by sending someone he trusts to review with us how we have treated and treat victims and their aggressors,” said Eric de Moulins-Beaufort in his final speech.
This decision has been agreed by the French bishops as a result of the results of the report of the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the French Church (Ciase), published on October 5, which reveals that 330,000 minors have been abused by priests, religious or laity in the French Church since 1950.
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