“Inappropriate behavior”

adminonDecember 24, 2021January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

French flag in front of the Eiffel Tower © Peter Kneffel

Pope Francis on Thursday accepted the resignation of Herve Gaschignard, bishop of Aire and Dax, in southern France. Two anonymous people accuse Gaschignard of "inappropriate" behavior toward young people.

This is reported by the French newspaper "La Croix". According to the report, the families asked the church leadership to punish the bishop. So far, no charges have been filed, reports "La Croix". According to a source quoted anonymously by the newspaper, who is involved in the case, it is not a matter of sexual abuse. The press spokesman for the diocese, Paul Perromat, expressed his "shock".

The information about the resignation had come completely unexpectedly and had left many "speechless," he said in response to a question from the Catholic News Agency (KNA).

Upset and "disorder"

According to the "La Croix" report, the Archbishop of Bordeaux, Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, was arrested on 21. March by two youth ministry officials from the diocese of Aire and Dax that they felt "unease" about the bishop's attitudes and words toward young people. His "inappropriate" behavior had led to agitation and "disorder" among some young people, reports "La Croix".

In 2011, there had already been an investigation against Gaschignard (57) because a family had become aware of "inappropriate" behavior. Four supervisors of a youth pilgrimage addressed the Archbishop of Toulouse, Robert Le Gall, at the time. The latter had then sent a report to the Toulouse prosecutor's office as a "precautionary measure". However, according to the newspaper, the latter stopped the investigation without taking further action.

The French Bishops' Conference had announced Gaschignard's resignation at noon on Thursday. There had been rumors for several weeks about an "inappropriate pastoral attitude of the bishop". The papal nuncio in France, Archbishop Luigi Ventura, had also been informed of the rumors, he said.

Bishop's retraction

A week ago, Gaschignard had withdrawn "indefinitely" following the plenary meeting of French bishops. He justified his withdrawal with a "fatigue due to various causes". The nuncio had finally suggested to Gaschignard a few days ago that he resign from his post with Pope Francis.

Gaschignard was in 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. Had been appointed auxiliary bishop in Toulouse. Among his responsibilities there was youth ministry. In 2012, he became bishop of Aire and Dax in the south of France. Before that, he served in the seminary of Nantes. Bernard Charrier (78), bishop emeritus of Tulle, is now expected to take charge of the diocese of Aire and Dax for the time being.

Joachim Cardinal Meisner has revoked the theologian David Berger's license to teach Catholic religion in schools. The Archdiocese of Cologne on Thursday confirmed a report in the "Frankfurter Rundschau" newspaper. The reason is "publications and statements in the media".

The Cologne archbishop felt compelled to withdraw the so-called "missio canonica," the archdiocese said, because Berger's publications and statements in the media had themselves given the unchallenged appearance of "not conforming in doctrine and conduct of life to the moral and legal norms of the church," according to the archdiocese's statement.

Berger has thus "destroyed the bishop's trust, which is indispensable for the mission of proclamation" and can no longer credibly give religious instruction in the name of the church, the statement continues. The theologian, he said, had been given the opportunity to respond in accordance with canon law and had not contradicted his comments in the media. Berger, for his part, expressed anger in the "Frankfurter Rundschau" that Cardinal Meisner had not given him the opportunity to comment personally on the accusations.

According to the newspaper, the 43-year-old was released from his duties as a religion teacher at the municipal Ville-Gymnasium in Erftstadt (Rhine-Erft district) as of this Thursday. The theologian spoke of a "heavy blow" to peace within the archdiocese.
Archdiocese spokesman Christoph Heckeley stressed to the Catholic News Agency (KNA) that Berger's sexual predisposition as such had been irrelevant in the proceedings.

The theologian had publicly admitted his homosexuality in a guest article for the "Frankfurter Rundschau" at the end of April 2010. The Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome then expelled Berger because his attitudes contradicted "church teaching on some points". In November 2010 he published the book "Der heilige Schein" about his experiences as a gay man in the church.

The diocese Fulda wants to finance payments for victims of sexual abuse further not with church tax means. Instead, the money should come from the episcopal chair, as before, or – if possible – from perpetrators who are still alive.

The church tax council, as the responsible body, has confirmed that in the future, too, church taxes will generally not be used for payments to compensate or recognize the suffering of victims of sexual abuse, the diocese reported.

In addition, according to its own information, the diocese of Fulda has now appointed two independent contact persons for victims of sexual abuse. The social worker Ute Sander and the psychotherapist Stefan Zierau would be available to those affected for discussions and mediate further offers of help if desired. Accordingly, they are also responsible for proceedings concerning recognition payments.

New trial in the works

Catholic bishops in Germany are currently discussing a new procedure for compensation payments to victims of clergy sexual abuse. A working group proposed two models in September: a flat rate of about 300.000 euros per victim, or a graduated process in which, depending on the severity of the case, between 40.000 and 400.000 euros could be paid.

Funding is unclear. Most recently, several dioceses had opposed recourse to church tax funds, including Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Freiburg, Mainz and Limburg. Further steps for a nationwide regulation to be presented at the end of January.

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