The Court of Cassation agreed with an appeals court that ruled the nine victims who filed suit against Barbarin some five years ago could have directly filed a complaint against the now-defrocked priest, Bernard Preynat.

The victims, all then adults who were abused as children, took their case to the highest court after losing their appeal in January 2020.

The appeals court in Lyon said it found no intent by Barbarin to cover up Preynat's abuse.

The charges against the cardinal put the Catholic Church's past responses to clergy abuse under scrutiny around the world.

Barbarin was initially convicted in March 2019 of failing to report the predator priest and handed a six-month suspended sentence.

The former cardinal of Lyon has faced years of accusations, convictions and overturned decisions.

He was first made aware of former French Catholic priest Bernard Preynat's predatory behaviour in 2010 after he summoned Preynat to explain years of rumours.

The cardinal testified at Preynat's trial that the priest told him he had not touched a child since 1990, but he himself "lacked the courage" to take action.

In 2014 one of the victims, by then an adult, met with Barbarin to divulge the abuse he and others had suffered with Preynat.

In 2019 the court ruled that from July 2014 to June 2015 Barbarin covered up allegations of the predator priest's sex abuse of boy scouts in the 1980s and early 1990s.

A subsequent court ruling found Lyon's former cardinal not guilty of failing to report clerical sexual abuse.

The former priest responsible for the crimes against the boys, Preynat, is now 75 years old and ailing. He has acknowledged abusing more than 75 boys for decades.

Preynat was removed from the priesthood in 2019.

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• AP News
• NCR
• Image: The Times

Anne Soupa, who is A 73-year-old journalist and biblical scholar, is one of France's best known activists for a greater role for women in the Catholic Church.

Her request to the pope included a detailed cover letter and her curriculum vitae.

Soupa's letter is being described as "a communication coup."

Her candidacy has already received support from France's most prominent advocacy group for clergy sex abuse victims, la Parole Libérée.

Although Soupa admits she will never be ordained a bishop, she says she wants it to be possible for us to imagine "a woman becoming an archbishop without it being a joke."

Soupa hopes her initiative will further help fight against "the way women are kept invisible within the Catholic Church."

The Archdiocese of Lyon is one of the most important sees in France. It is usually headed by a cardinal, but has been without a spiritual leader since Cardinal Philippe Barbarin resigned in March.

He had lost the confidence of many in the archdiocese and Pope Francis allowed him to step down.

Soupa says the "Lyon context" was not what prompted her to launch her candidacy to be archbishop.

"I see that we are continuing as before for this next appointment, following the same models."

Soupa says there is an "intellectual laziness" in the way bishops are chosen.

"As the pope invites us to do, it is appropriate to dissociate governance from ordained ministry," she says.

"Above all, I want to raise awareness."

Despite its "internal problems", Soupa says she's never been tempted to leave the Church. Her current goal is to address all Catholics.

She will meet the nuncio, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, "with pleasure" and explain her candidacy to him, if necessary.

"Some will tell me that I have a lot of nerve to do this," the theologian admitted.

"All right, but I feel like asking them, after this first reaction, what do they really think about it? In the end, I hope they say to themselves: a lay person at the head of a diocese, why not?" she said.

Officials in the Archdiocese of Lyon pointed out that the appointment of the next archbishop depends solely on the pope.

The archdiocese does not want to dismiss the "symbolic" character of Soupa's initiative, which is aimed at promoting the place of women in the Church, however.

Officials say the archdiocese is continuing to look for ways to do promote women's roles. In this respect, they pointed out that a woman has been the archdiocese's chief financial officer, its "number two" position, since November 2018.

Source

• La Xrpix
• Image: Archyde

Lyon Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, 69, had offered to resign when the Lyon court in March 2019 first convicted him and gave him a six-month suspended sentence for failing to report the predator priest to police.

Francis declined to accept it then, saying he wanted to wait for the outcome of the appeal. He allowed Barbarin to step aside and turn the day-to-day running of the archdiocese over to his deputy. Read more

A week after the Court of Appeal in Lyon acquitted him Barbarin spoke of his "errors of governance" and discussed the "media tsunami" that has surrounded him in the past four years.

"This case will always be linked to me," he said.

"The one who failed to denounce heinous acts. And, yet, justice has just said that it wasn't up to me".

"The act of judging is really a delicate task," he said.

Barbarin said the last few years have changed him in relation to his understanding of the extent of damage sexual abuse causes.

"It was only at the end of 2014 that I suddenly became aware of the reality of the acts that were committed, of what they meant in concrete terms, of the suffering of the victims..." he said.

He also spoke of his "slip of the tongue" during a 2016 press conference in Lourdes when he said that "most of the facts, thank God" were outside the statute of limitations.

He called it a regretful remark that prevented any further explanation.

"I was dragged through the mud... Having said that, these attacks against me were beneficial. They've led to a general awakening (in the Church)," said the cardinal.

He also expressed surprise that the same thing has not happened in the world of culture, sports or education.

Even though he was not judged guilty of concealing sex abuse, Barbarin admitted his initial response to it was inadequate.

"I lacked courage and determination (...) I should have demanded, insisted; and I regret not having done so," he said.

But he said it was not clear at the time what action he could have taken.

"For these old allegations, I knocked on all the doors of the institution and nobody was able to answer me," he said.

The Court of Appeal acknowledged that, by stating it had found no evidence that Barbarin deliberately tried to obstruct justice.

The scourge of sexual abuse must be eradicated, Barbarin says and he thinks it's surprising that the Church is getting hammered over it.

Speaking of the publicity over the scandal, Barbarin commented: "When there's a media tsunami, there's nothing more one can say. There's only one solution: disappear."

During the next week or so Barbarin is planning to resubmit his resignation as Archbishop of Lyon to Pope Francis.

Source

• La Croix
• Image: The Church Times

Barbarin's troubles began in 2017 when he was charged and later convicted for not reporting the abuse of a minor. He received a six-month prison sentence for this.

His was the most high-profile case of a senior Catholic cleric being tried and sentenced for sexual abuse coverup.

Although he has been acquitted, Barbarin may still face many years of legal action against him.

The victims who accused Barbarin of covering up Preynat's abuse are planning to appeal to France's highest court, the Court de Cassation.

They may also take the case to the European Court of Human Rights. In either case, a final decision over Barbarin's guilt or innocence may not be made for several years.

Lyon is an important diocese in France, overseeing more than 1.2 million Catholics.

At the time of his conviction, Barbarin presented his resignation to Pope Francis.

Francis refused his resignation due to the "presumption of innocence,". However last June he appointed Bishop Emeritus Michel Dubost of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes to oversee the diocese while Barbarin maintained the title of Archbishop of Lyon.

Despite being acquitted, Barbarin has again presented his resignation to the pope.

"For the Church in Lyon, it's time to open a new chapter," he said after his court hearing.

"Once again I will present my resignation as archbishop of Lyon in the hands of Pope Francis."

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the Vatican and the French bishops "reaffirm their closeness to all the victims of abuse, in their suffering, and to their families and communities."

"The Holy Father, who continues to follow closely the unfolding of these painful events, will communicate his decision at the appropriate time."

Source

• Religion News Service
• Vatican News

In March this year the Lyon court ruled that Barbarin, "in wanting to avoid scandal caused by the facts of multiple sexual abuses committed by a priest ... preferred to take the risk of preventing the discovery of many victims of sexual abuse by the justice system, and to prohibit the expression of their pain."

Barbarin, who is the archbishop of Lyon, was given a six-month suspended sentence for "non-denunciation of sexual violence against minors."

He then offered his resignation to Pope Francis, but Francis refused to accept his resignation until the appeals process is completed.

Barbarin told the appeals court hearing last Thursday that he filed his appeal because he "cannot see clearly what [he is] guilty of."

First of all, he told the court that when he arrived as Archbishop in 2002, he considered that his predecessors had done whatever was necessary.

Barbarin admitted he knew of the rumours and said that no one disputed them.

"Everyone knew, nobody moved. Why am I expected to file a complaint 20 years later, when parishioners and parents had not done so at the time?" he told the Lyon court.

The outcome of the hearing of the appeal will help determine his future within the Catholic Church.

The case against Barbarin

The charges against Barbarin stem from complaints about French priest Bernard Preynat, who has admitted to abusing numerous Boy Scouts from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Barbarin is one of several church officials who were accused of covering up for Preynat over many years.

However, some of the accusations were outside the French statute of limitations. Of all those named, only Barbarin was convicted.

Barbarin's lawyer told the appeals court there is no legal basis for the court's decision to convict his client in March.

The case hinges on a discussion he had in 2014 with Alexandre Hezez, who was one of Preynat's 85 victims.

Hezez says he told Barbarin about Preynat's sexual violence during scout camps in the 1980's. He also says he told Barbarin he thought Preynat should no longer lead a parish.

At last Thursday's abuse hearing, Hezez told the court "I was certain that an investigation would begin. I was naive."

In response, Barbarin told the appeal hearing that after the discussion he followed Vatican instructions about what to do in such situations. He could not have done more than that, he explained.

He moved Preynat to another parish. Preynat then continued to work with children for another year until he retired.

The case against Preynat

Preynat will be tried in Lyon this coming January on charges of sexual assault of minors.

Although the civil case is still pending, Preynat has already been tried by France's Catholic Church.

In July this year, the Church found him guilty of sexually abusing numerous Boy Scouts. He was subsequently defrocked.

France's bishops voted this month for financial compensation to sexual abuse victims.

Source

• AP
• la-Croix International
• Image: BBC.com

Bishop Michel Dubost, 77, now has executive responsibility for governing Lyon, whose archbishop is traditionally known as the "Primate of the Gauls".

He has been appointed as administrator "sede plena et ad nutum Sanctæ Sedis": this means he has full authority and will report directly to the pope.

Barbarin, 68, was given a six-month suspended sentence in March after he was found guilty of covering up sexual abuse by a priest.

The case against him involved abuse committed by Father Bernard Preynat at Lyon's Saint-Luc Parish, where he ran a large Catholic Scout group in the 1970s and 1980s.

Although Barbarin did not become head of the Lyon archdiocese until 2002, it was alleged that he had known of the abuse at least since 2010.

He suspended Preynat in 2015. In 2016, Preynat was charged with abuse and rape and is currently awaiting trial.

After meeting Francis in March to offer his resignation, Barbarin said Francis invoked "the presumption of innocence," and refused to accept his resignation before his appeal against his conviction is heard.

However, he said, the pope did respect his decision "to step away for a while and leave the leadership of the diocese to the vicar general," Father Yves Baumgarten.

Source

• The Tablet
• The Boston Pilot
• Image: Vatican News

His comment was made in response to questions from French media about the Cardinal of Lyon during an in-flight press conference after his visit to Morocco last weekend.

Last month Barbarin was found guilty on one count of failure to report a charge of sexual abuse against one of his priests, for which he received a six-month suspended sentence.

Although Barbarin said he will appeal the decision, he submitted his resignation to the pope on 18 March.

Francis refused it, saying in international law, as long as the judicial cause is open, the accused is presumed innocent.

After the appeal process ends with a definitive ruling "we'll see what happens," he said.

Despite Francis's stance, a special meeting of Lyon priests, deacons and lay people on 26 March voted that Barbarin should resubmit his resignation to Pope Francis within three months to end the uncertainty hanging over the archdiocese.

The meeting was called by Fr Yves Baumgarten, the vicar general appointed after Barbarin stepped aside following his conviction.

Participants at the meeting said 48 of the 50 people present supported the call for Barbarin to resubmit his resignation.

Afterwards, Baumgarten said it was "necessary to find a quick solution to the current crisis of governance so we can take a just and authentic look at these recent years." He was due to contact the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops to discuss the situation.

Source

• Crux Now
• Zenit
• The Tablet
• Image: Le Progrés

Barbarin (68) offered his resignation as the archbishop of Lyon after receiving a six-month suspended prison sentence for the non-disclosure of sexual abuse against minors.

He is appealing the sentence.

He immediately offered his resignation for the good of the archdiocese. This was partly because he doesn't think he ought to govern any more and also because of his recent conviction.

On Tuesday the archdiocese of Lyon said Francis had declined Barbarin's resignation "on presumption of his innocence" until the appeals process is completed.

Alessandro Gisotti from the Holy See Press Office says the Holy Father left Cardinal Barbarin free to make the most appropriate decision for his diocese.

As a result, Barbarin has temporarily stepped aside in favour of the Vicar General Moderator, Father Yves Baumgarten.

"At his suggestion and because the Church of Lyon has been suffering for three years, I decided to step away for a while and leave the leadership of the diocese to the vicar general," Barbarin said.

Given that the Vatican meeting in February on the protection of minors insisted on the accountability of bishops, it was thought Francis would accept the cardinal's resignation.

This was because Barbarin knew of the relevant offences and did not denounce the grave sexual abuse of minors committed by one of the priests in his diocese, Father Bernard Preynat.

Barbarin's lawyers were concerned that had Francis accepted his resignation, it would give the impression that Francis had acknowledged the cardinal's guilt before any definitive decision by the French judicial system.

Furthermore, Barbarin's lawyers are said to have sent the pope a note to this effect explaining that, according to them, there will no doubt be an acquittal before the court of appeal.

Neither do they think Barbarin should pay for the more serious errors made by his predecessors.

Source

• Zenit
• La Croix
• Image: France 24

Even if he were not found guilty of failing to report clerical sex abuse, he had decided to resign.

Gobilliard said Barbarin had confided that "Victims have suffered too much, the diocese has suffered too much. It is time for change." Read more

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, who was convicted by the Lyon Correction Court, received a suspended sentence of six months for not denouncing the sexually abusive acts of Father Bernard Preynat when he was told of them in 2014 and 2015.

Preynat had already been accused of sexually abusing about 70 scouts in the 1970s and 1980s.

Barbarin was also blamed for allowing Preynat to continue to have contact with children while carrying out his work until September 2015.

Five other aides were tried with Barbarin. They were found not guilty due to a lack of evidence, or because of the historic nature of the offences.

At the sentencing, Judge Brigitte Vernay said Barbarin was "guilty of non-denunciation of mistreatment" of a minor between 2014 and 2015, the period in which he received the testimony of Alexandre Hezez who was the first victim to contact him about Preynat's abuse.

"The responsibility and guilt of the cardinal have been confirmed by this judgment. It's an extraordinary symbol, a moment of huge emotion," says Yves Sauvayre, a lawyer for the victims.

Francois Devaux, the spokesman for the victim support group La Parole Libérée, described the outcome as "historic" and as a "major victory for child protection".

He noted that such a prominent individual had never been prosecuted for these crimes in France, and he hailed the "pugnacity" of the victims.

Another organisation that supported Preynat's alleged victims says the outcome of the trial was "very important". It also called on individuals to report all cases of abuse.

Barbarin's defence lawyers say they will appeal the court's ruling.

"The reasoning of the court is not convincing," Jean-Felix Luciani says.

"We will contest this decision by all means possible. See you here in a few months for an appeal."

Source

• CNN
• La Croix
• Image: Vatican News

The court says the trial will take place without the presence of co-defendant Vatican Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). Read more