Investigation uncovers thousands of paedophiles in the French Catholic Church

Investigation uncovers thousands of paedophiles in the French Catholic Church since 1950.

An independent commission in France has investigated the number of paedophiles in the church. The investigation has uncovered thousands of paedophiles in the French Catholic Church since 1950. Between 2,900 and 3,200 were identified. This includes priests and other members of the church.

As reported by La Sexta, the head of the commission has confirmed to AFP news that the figures are “a minimum estimate”. The report is expected to be released on Tuesday. The investigation has taken two and half years to complete.

During the investigation, a 2,500-page report has been put together. The report analyses “the mechanisms, especially institutional and cultural” within the church that permitted paedophiles to remain in place.

In 2018 the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF) created the independent commission. It was created to respond to several scandals which hit the Catholic Church both in France and across the world.

Before the commission was created Pope Francis had approved a landmark measure. The measure required anyone aware of sexual abuse in the church to report it.

The commission consists of 22 legal professionals, doctors, sociologists, theologians and historians. Priests and parishes have been warned by church officials that the report will be “a hard and serious moment”.  They also called for “an attitude of truth and compassion”.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.