Pope Sacks French Bishop for "Inappropriate" Behavior with Young People
By Celine Hoyeau and Nicolas Seneze
This is a bold move by Pope Francis. While the French bishops themselves were still pondering this thorny dossier, on Thursday the pope accepted the resignation of Bishop Herve Gaschignard of Aire and Dax in France’s southern Landes region.“The French bishops welcome this decision in faith and confidence in the successor of Peter and are conscious of its gravity," French Bishops Conference president, Archbishop Georges Pontier said in a statement.“For several weeks, there have been persistent rumors in the Diocese of Dax concerning inappropriate pastoral attitudes by the bishop." A report to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the FaithAccording to information received by La Croix, a family in Landes made a report to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in the Vatican.The CDF, which deals with offenses against the faith as well as “delicta graviora” or “very grave offenses", particularly sexual abuse, asked the nuncio in France to investigate the issue.The task of gathering the testimony from the family involved on January 14, 2017, fell to Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, metropolitan archbishop of Bordeaux, who is also a member of the CDF.At the time, Cardinal Ricard did not find sufficient evidence to make a report to judicial authorities but he did send a deposition on the issue to Rome.Meanwhile, on March 21, by chance, the very day that TV channel France 2 broadcast an expose of clerical abuse cases on its “Cash investigation” program, Cardinal Ricard received “two people from the Diocese of Dax, who are in contact with young people", according to an April 6 statement from the Bordeaux Diocese.“They shared their questions as well as the unease they felt concerning Bishop Gaschignard’s words and attitudes with respect to several young people, who informed their families.”It was this meeting that led Bishop Gaschignard, who had been informed about it, to make contact himself with the Republican procurator, even before Cardinal Ricard did so several days after meeting him at Lourdes on March 28, the statement added.Cardinal Ricard “remains at the disposal of the authorities for any information that he may have regarding these events", it continued.“In these conditions, the Holy See concluded that the exercise of the episcopal ministry in the Diocese of Aire and Dax by Bishop Gaschignard had become difficult and asked him to present his resignation,” the statement added. Inappropriate words and behavior allegedFor the time being, no official complaint has been lodged. None of the families who signaled the matter to the Church (and who have requested absolute anonymity and confidentiality) have wished to make a complaint to state authorities.“They expected that sanctions would be taken by the Church directly,” according to a person with knowledge of the case, who added that “there is no suggestion of any assault or sexual act but of inappropriate words and behavior, something which in any case hurt the young adolescents".Similar behavior six years ago had already resulted in a warning to Bishop Gaschignard, who was then auxiliary bishop in Toulouse from 2007, responsible for training priests and laity, young people and their families.Four leaders of a pilgrimage for young people had sent a letter to Archbishop Robert Le Gall of Toulouse concerning the proximity of the bishop with the young people concerned.“As a matter of prudence,” the latter had reported it to the procurator who filed it without any further action.Another family reportedly expressed similar unease concerning behavior they regarded as inappropriate in Nantes, when Bishop Gaschignard, who is originally from a Brittany family with seven children, was working as a priest in his home diocese.While there, he acted as a leader and later as adjunct director of the seminary from 1995 to 2006. In addition, he was a spiritual adviser to the Scouts of Europe.Last week, Bishop Gaschignard withdrew from his role, indicating in a statement that he “needed to rest for some time away from the diocese” because of “fatigue related to various causes".Interviewed by La Croix, Vincent Neymon, adjunct spokesperson for the CEF, said that “there are perhaps elements are still not available".“But in any case at this point, the issues are not so simple or clear cut. To deduce serious things from this…. It would be incorrect to speak of pedophilia at this stage,” he warned.“People should not jump to conclusions and should respect the presumption of innocence,” he added. “In any case, governing a diocese is no longer possible in such a case as there is a break of confidence.” A strong signal from Pope FrancisPope Francis’s decision sends a strong signal since he had demanded that bishops should be irreproachable. Moreover, he had threatened to remove any bishop “only... if he is objectively lacking in a very grave manner the diligence that his pastoral office demands of him, even without serious moral fault on his part".However, the Motu Proprio As a loving mother also added that “in the case of the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults it is enough that the lack of diligence be grave".In the present circumstances, Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Bernard Charrier, emeritus bishop of Tulle as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Dax.
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