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Delayed proceedings, repeated hiccups, negligence… The cases of Santier and Ricard, the two bishops being investigated for sexual violence, reveal the serious shortcomings of the Church authorities in Rome and in France.
At the origin of a profound crisis in French Catholicism, the Santier and Ricard cases, the names of two retired bishops under investigation for sexual assaults, retain large areas of shade. The first recognized “strip confessions” with young people in the 90s. According to the authorities of the Catholic Church, about ten victims have come forward. After giving up, the institution opened an internal investigation, entrusted to the bishop of Arras, Olivier Leborgne. As for Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, former archbishop of Bordeaux, he confessed to a conduct”questionable“, about thirty years ago, with a 14-year-old girl, without anyone knowing more.
More and more clearly, the continuation of these two dossiers reveals serious shortcomings on the part of the authorities of the Catholic Church, in Rome and in France. Michel Santier, the former bishop of Créteil, took advantage of this. After acknowledging the facts of which he was accused in his letter of resignation to the pope, he was able to remain in office for six months, from June to December 2020, without anyone worrying about this anomalous situation.
As if nothing ever happened
According to the procedures of the Catholic Church, pending the appointment of a new bishop, a provisional administrator should have been appointed by the Vatican or elected by the council of consultors (internal body) of the diocese of Créteil. None of this has been done. Who should have called
