We need to tread carefully when it comes to the Catholic version of stardom – very carefully, indeed

French Catholic paper La Croix has just reported on investigations into Jean Vanier and his sidekick Dominican priest Fr Thomas Philippe.

In 1946, Fr Thomas Philippe set up a ‘formation community’ called Living Water (L’Eau Vive). He sexually abused several women, who complained, and he was dismissed from the clerical state in 1956.

But because the details of his case were kept secret, he and his brother (also a priest) managed to convince people that Fr Thomas was an innocent victim of Vatican intrigues.

Then Fr Thomas met the young Jean Vanier, groomed him, and founded L’Arche with him in 1964. What followed was a horrible mess of sexual abuse fuelled by private revelations and bogus mysticism – all hidden behind excellent public relations.

Jean Vanier was venerated as a living saint,…