The Church’s hierarchy on trial in France

 well as three years probation with compulsory care for Father Pierre de Castelet.

Father de Castelet, a priest from Loiret, which corresponds to the Diocese of Orléans, was on trial for the sexual abuse of minors. This abuse of young boys occurred during a summer camp of the Eucharistic Youth Movement in 1993.

André Fort, the former bishop of Orléans from 2002 to 2010, should have been beside him in the dock as he is accused of not having denounced Father de Castelet, even though he had been informed of the abuse.

However, he was not in court. He was represented by his lawyer, after having presented a medical certificate the previous evening.

Even though Bishop Fort is 83 and in very bad health, his absence was an obvious source of annoyance in the trial. The prosecutor did not hesitate to speak of “cowardice,” openly suspicious that the medical certificate was one of convenience.

“I thought about sending a doctor to check on him. I have done so before, for Corsican Mafia members and for criminals from Marseilles but, in the end, I did not dare to do so for a bishop,” said Bessone, before speaking in severe terms about Bishop Fort, and others.

On several occasions, the prosecutor very clearly stated that Bishop Fort is the only bishop on trial because, of his two predecessors, only one is still alive and he is protected by the statute of limitations.

While Edmond-Claude Frety, the lawyer representing the three civil parties, insisted in his argument that “the Church is not on trial,” Bessone made a point of expanding on his accusations.

He made a comparison to the film, Spotlight, referred to cases in Australia and the United States, and criticized Orléans, “a very Catholic city where it is difficult to call a bishop into question.”

He pointed out that, for 20 years, “this has ensured that the victims have had to bear the burden of all the suffering resulting from having been sexually abused.”

The two men of the Church who were called as witnesses hardly exemplified a Church determined to fight against the sexual abuse within it.

The Jesuit, François-Xavier Boca, national chaplain of the Eucharist Youth Movement at the time of the abuse, defended not having reported Father de Castelet by saying “society has changed since then” and asked for “the Church not to be overly involved in the issue because, in the education sector, it was also happening.”

As for Archbishop Bernard-Nicolas Aubertin of Tours, he seemed reluctant to reiterate the statement he had made during the investigation.

He had stated that he had alerted Bishop Fort to the necessity of sanctioning Father de Castelet, and was “shrugged off” by his colleague.

However, when questioned by the judge, he had to admit that there is hardly any recourse within the Church when a bishop fails in his duty.

The prosecutor ruthlessly pointed out that these two witnesses slipped away as soon as they had given their testimonies, without waiting for the end of the hearing.

Father de Castelet himself seemed to play only a minor role in the proceedings. Dressed in civilian clothes, pale, almost bald, the 69-year-old priest calmly responded to questions, admitting to all of the acts he was accused of committing.

He recounted that, in the summer of 1993, he was “very depressed” and suffering from “loneliness.” Nonetheless, he denied that his assaults were premeditated. These took place in the guise of medical examinations. As camp director, he had assumed the role of medic.

“It was when I saw the boys, like that, that I wanted to get close to them,” he said. He insisted that he was not aware that he was doing them harm.

“At the time, I assumed it meant nothing to them.”

With much dignity, Olivier Savignac, whose perseverance led to this trial after seven years of investigation, described his psychological and spiritual suffering.

“The weight of silence in the Catholic Church is terrible. I am not afraid. And I want people to speak up when they know things.”

Father de Castelet’s lawyer, Agnès Bonardi, described a man “walled up within himself,” who had a harsh upbringing and who was apparently inhibited in his emotional and sexual development as a child.

Even one of his victims, Philippe Cottin, stated during the trial: “I do not condemn Father de Castelet, because I feel that he has experienced a lot of emotional suffering in his life.”

Judgement of the case will be delivered on Nov. 22.