“A demonic thing!”: Pope Francis reacts for the first time to accusations of sexual assault against Abbé Pierre

The Vatican was informed of the accusations of sexual violence against Abbé Pierre , at least “after (his) death” in 2007, assured Pope Francis this Friday, September 13, 2024 during a press conference, calling the founder of Emmaus a “terrible sinner”.

“What did the Vatican know about Abbé Pierre? I don't know when the Vatican learned about it (…). “I don't know because I wasn't here (as pope), and it didn't occur to me to research that,” Francis said on board the plane returning to Rome from his Asia-Pacific tour.

“Certainly, after (his) death, that's for sure. But before that, I don't know", he told the journalists accompanying him, calling the priest a "terrible sinner".

Seven weeks after initial revelations accusing him of sexual assault, Father Pierre, who died in 2007 at the age of 94, is the target of 17 new testimonies accusing him of sexual violence allegedly committed between the 1950s and the 2000s.

“Very painful”

Pope Francis considered it to be a “very painful, very delicate” issue.

“Good people, people, people who do good – you quoted Abbé Pierre – later, despite all the good (that he has done), we discover that this person is a terrible sinner. This is our human condition”, said the Argentine Pope in response to a journalist's question.

“Terrible sinner”

“We must not say: let's cover it up, let's cover it up so that it doesn't show! Public sins are public. And they must be condemned. Abbé Pierre is a man who has done so much good, but he is also a sinner", he added.

"We must be clear about these things, not hide, the work against aggression is something that we must all do. Not only against sexual aggression, but against all types of abuse: social abuse, educational abuse, changing people's mentalities, attacks on freedom…

"It's a shame!"

"Because any type of abuse destroys the dignity of the person. Any type of abuse seeks to destroy what we all are: the image of God. I am happy when these cases come out (are made public)", the head of the Catholic Church continued.

"Sexual assault against children and minors is a crime! “It's a shame!”, he concluded.

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