Gérald Darmanin summoned Bishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort after his remarks on the secrecy of confession – franceinfo

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The day after the delivery of the Sauvé report, the president of the French Bishops’ Conference declared that “the secrecy of confession is stronger than the laws of the Republic”.

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The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin summoned the president of the Conference of Bishops of France Monsignor Eric de Moulins-Beaufort at the beginning of next week, probably Tuesday, to explain his remarks on the secrecy of the confession held on franceinfo, learned franceinfo to the minister’s entourage on Thursday, October 7.

“The President of the Republic asked the Minister of the Interior to receive the President of the Conference of Bishops of France so that things are clear“, recalled Gabriel Attal, the spokesperson for the government at the exit of the Council of Ministers. “There is nothing stronger than the laws of the Republic”, did he declare.

“If the great rector of the Paris mosque had made these remarks, what would we have said!”

A government source

at franceinfo.

While he was interviewed on sexual violence in the Church, the day after the submission of the report of the Independent Commission on Abuse in the Church (Ciase), known as the Sauvé Commission, the president of the CEF said Wednesday on franceinfo that “the secrecy of confession is imposed on us and in this, it is stronger than the laws of the Republic”. He explained that the role of priests is not to denounce the crimes reported to them but to listen to people who confess, whether they are perpetrators or victims of these crimes.

These comments aroused many responses and anger, the co-founder of the Vigie de la laïcité association Nicolas Cadène recalling a little later on franceinfo that “the law of the Republic always prevails in the secular framework”.

Article 434-3 of the Penal Code also indicates that “the fact, for anyone with knowledge of assault or sexual abuse inflicted on a minor not to inform the judicial or administrative authorities (…) is punished by three years’ imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros”. The penalties rise to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros when the offenses which are not denounced are made on a minor under 15 years of age.