PARIS (FRANCE)
La Croix International
February 8, 2019
By Anne-Bénédicte Hoffner and Céline Hoyeau
The first meeting of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into Sexual Abuse within the Church (CIASE) is being held on Feb. 8 in Paris.
Jean-Marc Sauvé, former Vice-President of the Council of State, explains the philosophy of the Commission, which he was appointed to lead by the bishops of France.
La Croix: You were appointed at the end of November 2018 to preside over the Commission, with the aim of “casting light on the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable persons” in the Church and in order to “study the manner in which these cases were handled.” How are you planning to proceed?
Jean-Marc Sauvé: The starting point of this work is the acknowledgment and understanding of the victims’ suffering. From now on, this must be taken into account and addressed. This will occur through attentive listening.
The sexual abuse of minors and of vulnerable persons constitutes a denial of the foundation of the Church: it is therefore particularly intolerable.
Responding to the suffering of the victims is what has motivated me. Listening to them will therefore be one of the core missions of the Commission
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