France: Cardinal cleared of shielding suspected pedophile
January 30, 2020
Last year Philippe Barbarin was convicted for failing to report alleged sex abuse by a priest in his diocese. However, the archbishop of Lyon has now been acquitted at appeal.
French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, center, arrives at the Lyon courtroom for his appeal trialImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Cipriani
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A French cardinal had his conviction overturned on Thursday for covering up alleged sex abuse of minors.
The archbishop of Lyon, Philippe Barbarin, was given a six-month suspended jail term in March of last year for not reporting a Catholic priest, who is suspected of having molested numerous boy scouts in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Barbarin was found guilty of twice failing to report the priest to the authorities. First in 2010 when he confessed to the archbishop that he had abused the children, and again four years later, when one of the alleged victims told the cardinal of the abuse he had received.
However, the appeals court in Lyon reasoned that it found no "intentional element" showing a cover-up.
Barbarin wants to step down 'to turn a new page'
Despite his acquittal, Barbarin said he would once again offer his resignation to the pope — after Pope Francis declined to accept it last year.
Thursday's ruling "allows me to turn a page and for the church of Lyon to open a new chapter,'' Barbarin said. He added that he would go to Rome to "renew my request."
The 69-year-old offered to stand down as archbishop of the southern French city after his initial conviction, but the pope rejected his resignation pending the outcome of an appeal.
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin with Pope Francis, who rejected his offer to resign after last March's convictionImage: Reuters/Vatican Media
"Cardinal Barbarin is innocent," Jean-Felix Luciani, an attorney for the cleric declared. "The court has recognized that the cardinal was telling the truth. He made mistakes. He admitted that. The Church certainly has made mistakes, but he is not the Church."
Vatican has yet to comment on the decision but another lawyer for the cardinal, Andre Soullier, said he was "more than satisfied" with the judgement.
German Catholics demand changes
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"I am going to end up believing in angels," he told reporters after the ruling was announced, adding that the cardinal was "a holy man."
Victims to contest decision
Nevertheless, plaintiffs in the case said they would be taking Thursday's acquittal of Barbarin to France's highest court of appeal.
In a similar case in Australia in 2018, the pope accepted the resignation of archbishop Philip Wilson after he was convicted of covering up abuse. Wilson later appealed successfully, but had already been replaced by the time the decision had been reversed.
8 films portraying Catholic Church sex abuse
"By the Grace of God," premiering in Berlin, depicts the Church's attempted cover-up of a sex abuse scandal. Such cases have long been explored by feature films. Here are a few memorable works.
Image: Jean-Claude Moireau
'By the Grace of God' (2019)
Francois Ozon's Berlinale entry focuses on the true story of a group of sex abuse victims who've formed an association to break the silence, years after they were molested by a priest in Lyon. The father's widespread abuse was known by his diocese's cardinal and even the Vatican. The actual Cardinal Barbarin, who attempted to cover up the case, is now on trial and could end up in prison.
Image: Jean-Claude Moireau
'Spotlight' (2016)
Based on a true story, this biographical drama directed by Tom McCarthy follows a team of reporters from "The Boston Globe" as they uncover systemic child sex abuse by Catholic priests in their city. "Spotlight" garnered six Oscar nominations and won for best picture and best screenplay. The actual investigation also earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2003.
Dark images, silhouetted actors shown out of focus: It's the cinematography of a horror film. Chilean director Pablo Larrain tackled an explosive topic in "The Club," in which four retired Catholic priests live in a secluded house and there "purge" horrible crimes, including child sex abuse. Larrain was inspired by true stories of high-level priests who live in hiding to avoid criminal charges.
Image: Fabula
'Verfehlung' (2015)
The German film "Verfehlung" (Misconduct) by Gerd Schneider depicts how the friendship of three priests is affected by a sex abuse scandal. One of them is accused of molesting teenage boys, and the two others react to their friend's situation in different ways. The way they deal with the truth could impact not only their relationship, but also their career in the ranks of the Church.
Image: Camino-Filmverleih
'Philomena' (2013)
With "Philomena," Stephen Frears deals with another aspect of the Church's institutional abuse: women who were forcibly separated from their children born out of wedlock. The film is based on the true story of Philomena Lee, whose son was taken away by the nuns at the convent where she was forced to work and sold to wealthy Americans. Actress Judi Dench portrayed the older Philomena.
Image: Imago/Zuma Press
'Bad Education' (2004)
While Pedro Almodovar's drama "Bad Education" is a stylized murder mystery playing on different levels of metafiction, it also tells the story of a young boy being molested by a Catholic priest in his boarding school. Ignacio, the abused child, is later a transgender woman who confronts the abusive father and blackmails him.
Image: Imago/United Archives
'The Magdalene Sisters' (2002)
The Magdalene Asylums, also known as Magdalene laundries, were Catholic Church institutions that served as a reformatory for women labelled as "fallen." Peter Mullan's 2002 drama portrays one such home, telling the story of four young women who were sent there by their families, or caretakers, and who faced extreme cruelty and abuse by nuns. The last such institution closed in 1996.
Image: picture-alliance/United Archives/Impress
'Primal Fear' (1996)
A 19-year-old altar boy (Edward Norton, in his Oscar-nominated film debut) is accused of brutally murdering an influential Catholic Archbishop. An ambitious defense lawyer (Richard Gere) takes on his case. In the course of the trial, it is revealed that the beloved archbishop had abusive tendencies and had forced altar boys into sex.
