"We wish, Holy Father, that you can be a guiding light in our night and that you take the time to get to know us," read the letter, sent by three members of the Parole Libérée, a group set up to help members of the Scout group who suffered sexual abuse in the 1980s.

The group said it is not "motivated by any spirit of vengeance" and simply want to "understand" why the priest was able to remain in office until August 2015.

"By retreating into silence, our cardinal has lost all credibility," Bertrand Virieux, a cardiologist and one of the three signatories, told Le Parisien, referring to Lyon Archbishop Philippe Barbarin, who failed to report the priest despite saying earlier this year that he had been made aware of the priest's behavior "around 2007-8".

"We no longer have any confidence in our diocese which is judge and jury in this case," said Virieux. "We therefore appeal to the pope and we would like him to take firm action," he added.

Preynat was charged in January after victims came forward with claims he had sexually abused Scouts between 1986 and 1991. Prosecutors say he has admitted the charges.

Barbarin, who has been archbishop of Lyon since 2002, has argued that he did not have ultimate responsibility at the time and that it was not until 2007 that he first heard rumors of the abuse.

The diocese said it only received the first statement from a victim in 2014. On the advice of the Vatican, it removed all forms of ministry from Preynat in May 2015.

Sources

AP/The New York Times
AFP/NDTV
The Local
AFP/RTE
Image: RTE