Famous French priest Abbé Pierre accused of sexual assault and harassment

Abbé Pierre died at the age of 94 in 2007. He is now accused of sexually assaulting and harassing numerous women. / Credit: Wim van Rossem for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 19, 2024 / 17:23 pm (CNA).

Emmaus Movement founder Abbé Pierre, a formerly beloved French priest who died in 2007, has been accused of sexual abuse and misconduct by at least seven victims — including one who was a minor at the time of her alleged assault.

A July 17 report released by the Emmaus Movement, an international solidarity movement that seeks to combat poverty and homelessness, details that these victims largely consisted of Emmaus employees and volunteers, and young women in Pierre’s social circle. According to these victims, incidents of unsolicited kissing and touching, as well as inappropriate sexual propositions and comments, took place between the end of the 1970s and 2005.

These allegations were first reported in 2023, when Emmaus France received a report from a woman accusing Pierre of sexual assault. An internal investigation led by Caroline De Haas of the Egaé group followed, in which the seven victims’ testimonies were gathered. Egaé, a firm that specializes in violence prevention, shared its beliefs that Pierre’s actions affected other victims dating back to the 1950s and 1960s, but the time elapse has made it difficult to obtain further accounts and testimonies.

In a recent statement, Emmaus commended the “courage of the people who have testified and made it possible, through their words, to bring these realities to light. We believe them, we know that these intolerable acts have left their mark, and we stand by them.”

The group then goes on to denounce the “unacceptable acts committed” by Pierre, who “played a major role in its history.”

“We owe it to the victims. We also owe it to all those who, for over 70 years, have carried out the movement’s actions on a daily basis,” the statement continued. “We share their grief and anger, but also their determination to continue working, every day, to build a fairer, more united world.”

The Emmaus Movement was founded in Paris in 1949 by Pierre. Prior to these recent allegations and findings, the Catholic priest and Capuchin friar was one of the Church of France’s most beloved and iconic figures.

After being part of the French Resistance in World War II, the priest took on the name “Abbé Pierre” as a cover for his work in manufacturing fake identity papers and helping Jews cross the French border into Switzerland.

Pierre was particularly applauded for his efforts to assist the homeless population in France, often raising money and persuading the French Parliament to pass laws acting on behalf of the homeless, including a 1950s law forbidding landlords from evicting tenants during the winter. This “Trêve Hivernale,” or “Winter Truce” law, still exists in France today.

Despite his popularity, Pierre faced other controversies before the most recent one of alleged sexual assault. The priest faced public scrutiny in 1996 after defending a friend’s book, “Founding Myths of Israeli Politics,” which questioned the number of Jewish people killed by the Nazis in World War II.

In a 2005 book of interviews by Frederic Lenoir titled “My God… Why?” Pierre suggested he had broken his vow of celibacy by having sex as a younger man. Among other comments made in this book, Pierre expressed his support for married clergy and the ordination of women.

In light of these allegations, the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF) shared a press release acknowledging Pierre’s past contributions in renewing “our society’s view of the poorest,” while also condemning his sexual assault against women.

“While awaiting the published report, the CEF wishes to assure the victims of its deep compassion and shame that such acts could be committed by a priest,” the release continued, “and reiterates its determination to mobilize to make the Church a safe house.”