The pope has defended the former Archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit, from whom he accepted his resignation for having maintained a “improper” relationship with a woman, although he said that did not commit “a grave sin”, and that he made that decision “not because of the truth”, but because “he was placed on the altar of hypocrisy.”
Francis accepted the resignation of Aupetit a few days ago, who announced this Friday that he had placed his position at the disposal of the pontiff after the French press revealed that had a relationship with a woman in 2012. However, the pontiff assured that it is not well known what they accuse him of. Thus, he has asked journalists “what had the archbishop done so gravely” and, upon receiving no response, he has expressed: “If we do not know the accusation, we cannot condemn.”
However, the pope has acknowledged that this relationship “was a mistake” and that there was “massages and caresses” by Aupetit to his secretary, but that “this is not a grave sin” because it is “a sin of the flesh”. In this sense, the pope has pointed out that more serious sins “are others, such as pride or hatred” and that the bishop is a sinner “as we all are.”
At that time, Francisco has criticized that it has come to this by “telling gossip that makes you lose your reputation”: “Because of gossip a man has had his reputation taken away and he cannot govern, and this is an injustice; I have accepted the resignation, but not on the altar of truth, but on the altar of hypocrisy, “he said.
Aupetit announced last Friday that he had placed his position at the disposal of Francisco, after denying the information published by the weekly ‘Le Point’, according to which, he would have had an affair with his secretary, but recognized an “ambiguous relationship”, according to the diocese, which led him to withdraw “so as not to harm” the institution.
“The painful events of the past week, which I have already spoken about, They led me to put my mission in the hands of Pope Francis to preserve the diocese of the division “, assured the ex-archbishop about the pontiff’s decision to accept his resignation.
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
