In November, one month after the publication of the report saved on the extent of the phenomenon of pedocinality, the episcopate had recognized the “responsibility” of the Church in these acts and announced that it would get the hand to the pocket.
Le Monde with AFP
The twenty million euros announced were harvested: the Relief and Combat Fund on Miners (SELAM) brought together the first amount to compensate the victims of pedocinality in the Church wishing financial reparation.
“This is the first act. The Church is at the rendezvous of what it has announced,” said January 25, to the France-Presse agency (AFP) Gilles Vermot-Desroches, President of Selam. This structure responsible for collecting the contributions of bishops and dioceses, desired in 2021 by the Church, is managed by a board of directors of about twenty members and presided over by that layman, former President of Scouts and Guides of France (SGDF ).
At a board of directors on Monday, two first envelopes were decided: a first, “five million euros”, will be allocated to the “financial support” of the victims, according to Mr. Vermot-Desroches. In concrete terms, victims claiming financial reparation to the independent national proceeding of recognition and reparation (INIRR) will be compensated by the SELAM, after transferring the request from the INIRR to the SELAM and its approval by the latter.
Another envelope of “one million” euros was also decided, which will be allocated to “prevention and memory approaches” (plate, place of memory, for example), in the “six months” , said Vermot-Desroches.
In November, one month after the publication of the report saved on the extent of the phenomenon of pedocinality, the episcopate had recognized the “responsibility” of the Church in these acts and announced that it would get the hand to the pocket.
“Fill the boxes”
The President of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF), Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, “said” to begin “, want to” gather twenty million euros “,” taking on the real estate heritage and the investments from the church “. Since then, the savings of the 100 dioceses of France have made the inventory of their available resources – real estate and movable – and have little by little, paid their contribution.
For example, the diocese of Créteil made the decision to sell the house of the bishop. Those of Lyon and Rennes announced, respectively, a payment up to 750,000 and 500,000 euros. The diocese of Paris had promised an amount of about two million euros. Finally, “The decision of the bishops to endow the seam of twenty million was held, and this in two months”, welcomed Mr. Vermot-Desroches. Among the contributors, “after the CEF, an overwhelming majority of the bishops gave personal capacity, each according to his means”, and a “overwhelming majority of dioceses made this gesture,” he said.
If the dioceses are the main contributors, personal donations are also possible, even if the Church has resolved, on the recommendations of the Independent Commission chaired by Jean-Marc saved, not to make a public appeal. to the generosity of the faithful.
“Twenty million means that the Church can mobilize to fill the caisses,” reacted Olivier Savignac, the collective of victims speak and relive. And that, “whereas before the report saved, she said she could not be able to fill this fund, that it was to the faithful to do it!” He recalled. “It goes in the sense of what is expected in terms of repair process,” he added, stressing, however, that twenty million would be “not sufficient”.
Posted in early October, the report saved had shaken the entire institution by estimating 330,000 the number of people who have been the subject of sexual violence since 1950, when they were minor, on the part of religious or laity. in connection with the Church.