The Church opens its archives on Abbé Pierre to shed light on the facts

Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, President of the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF), announced on Thursday 12 September on RCF and Radio Notre-Dame that the Church will immediately open its archives to researchers, without waiting for the statutory 30-year period. The aim of this initiative, which is exceptional in terms of its speed, is to enable an in-depth investigation into Abbé Pierre, particularly for researchers commissioned by Emmaus.

‘The archives are now accessible to researchers, whereas normally a 30-year period is required before they can be consulted. We have decided to open them immediately, in particular for the commission of enquiry set up by Emmaus’, he said. These archives, kept at Issy-les-Moulineaux, concern those of the Church of France and are separate from those of the dioceses.

Limited but revealing archives

With regard to Abbé Pierre, the Church archives contain a ‘fairly thin file’ consisting of ‘a few letters’ which show that the Central Office of Cardinals was aware of some of the priest’s behaviour. ‘There are references to his departure for Switzerland in the 1950s, but no precise details of the events that took place there’, explained Eric de Moulins-Beaufort.

As for knowledge of these acts within the Church, he admitted that he was ‘unable to say exactly who knew what’. However, he indicated that ‘certain bishops were probably aware of certain facts’, while strongly encouraging the historic enquiry initiated by Emmaus to shed light on these events.

An independent commission to clarify the malfunctions

Following the new testimonies accusing Abbé Pierre of sexual assaults, revealed on 6 September, Emmaus announced the creation of an independent commission tasked with ‘understanding the dysfunctions’ that allowed Abbé Pierre ‘to act in this way for more than 50 years’.

Mgr de Moulins-Beaufort pointed out that Abbé Pierre ‘did not live in an ecclesiastical setting, but within Emmaus’, and that it is on this side that the most relevant archives for understanding the facts are to be found. In the 1950s, Abbé Pierre’s behaviour caused great concern, which led the Church to try to help him by forcing him to stay in a psychiatric hospital in Switzerland. ‘Apparently, Abbé Pierre was always able to get round these measures. But I wouldn’t say that the Church did nothing,’ he concluded.