Secret of confession: Gérald Darmanin will receive Bishop de Moulins-Beaufort

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The president of the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF), Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, is “invited” by Gérald Darmanin at the beginning of next week to “explain” his remarks concerning “the secrecy of confession”. On Wednesday, the Bishop of Reims declared that “the secrecy of confession” was “stronger than the laws of the Republic”.

The president of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF) is “invited” to the Ministry of the Interior at the beginning of next week “to explain his remarks” on the secrecy of confession, learned Thursday, October 7. ‘AFP with the entourage of the minister.

Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, who is also Archbishop of Reims, said on Wednesday, the day after the publication of the Sauvé report on child crime within the Catholic Church, that the secrecy of confession was “stronger than the laws of the Republic”.

“The minister will receive at the beginning of next week Mgr de Moulins-Beaufort to ask him to explain his remarks”, specifies one of the same source. “He is not summoned, but invited,” it was later clarified.

Government: a “clear” reaction

Asked about the words of Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, government spokesman Gabriel Attal hammered: “There is nothing stronger than the laws of the Republic in our country, (…) c ‘ is very clear “.

“The President of the Republic has asked the Minister of the Interior to receive the president of the Conference of Bishops of France so that things are clear,” said Gabriel Attal.

Eric de Moulins-Beaufort also assured that he was looking for an alternative to lifting this secret.

“We must find a way to do it differently”, he explained, specifying that the CEF would look “very closely at the recommendation of the Ciase”.

The latter recommended Tuesday to the Church authorities to relay a clear message to confessors and the faithful, on the confessor’s obligation to report to judicial and administrative authorities cases of sexual violence inflicted on a minor or a vulnerable person.

“We must not oppose the secrecy of confession to the laws of the Republic since these do not impose its lifting, considers the president of the CEF. Canon law which imposes on priests the secrecy of confession as absolute and inviolable (. ..) is therefore not contrary to French criminal law, “he said in a statement released Wednesday evening.

With AFP