By Jonathan Luxmoore Catholic News Service OXFORD, England — French parliamentarians warned that thousands of historic churches, many dating from the Middle Ages, will have to be sold or demolished unless government officials allocate resources to maintain them. “Like other Western countries, France faces questions over the future of its religious heritage given society’s growing […]
Report: 330,000 children abused in French church since 1950s
By Barb Fraze Catholic News Service An independent report on sexual abuse in the French Catholic Church estimates 330,000 children have been abused since the 1950s. Most of the victims were pre-adolescent boys of all social backgrounds, and more than a third of the assaults were committed by laypeople. The report did not attempt to […]
French bishops ‘cleanse’ basilica in Nice after attack
By Catholic News Service NICE, France — French bishops conducted a “penitential rite of reparation” inside a church in which three people were murdered in late October. The Nov. 1 Mass of reparation was celebrated in Notre Dame Basilica by Nice Bishop André Marceau, who was joined by Archbishop Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille and Archbishop […]