The president of Gaul admitted that he understood the difficulties faced by the government, which had to deal with the development of radical Islamic currents in France. But this problem cannot be solved by hiding religions and setting them aside.

The Archbishop of Lyon emphasized that atheism is a choice that must be respected, but not imposed on others, and that is precisely the removal of religion from the public sphere. The radical version of secularism pushed by the current government is in fact a denial of the human being, denying him the right to the spiritual dimension.

In hosting Radio Europe 1, the President of Gaul noted that the current time of the pandemic was for many French a time to discover spiritual life, and to return to the fundamental questions with which they address the Church.

These expectations of the church are independent of us. We didn’t wake them up. These expectations are simply in the human heart. Today, in a time of crisis, which is not just a health crisis, a strong desire for spiritual life appeared and made itself felt. We are amazed at how many people turn to church today. There is a big irony in this. Because on the one hand, we have had to reduce gatherings, and on the other hand, we see a renewed interest, people knock on the door of the church and admit that this crisis helped them realize that consumption is not only important in life, but what is material, but there is also something else there are more important things. In this way, we too, as a Church, realize that we have a very important message in this world today, ”said Archbishop Olivier de Germay.

In an interview with Radio Europe 1, the Gaulish president also referred to the process of church purges following abuse scandals. He emphasized that this was an expression of the responsibility of the Church, and should not be confused with the recognition of an individual’s moral responsibility for past events. In this spirit, the Church also wants to help the victims of transgressions. Archbishop de Germay added that this aid will not come from the sacrifices of the faithful, but from a separate fund created by all who share this sense of responsibility towards the Church.

Krzysztof Bronk – Vatican