Message from EOF Jesuits after the publication of the report on sexual abuse in the Church in France.  

Paris, 5 October 2021. The Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE) has submitted its report to the representatives of the French Bishops' Conference and the Conference of Religious of France. The Jesuits of the EOF (Western Europe French speaking) Province expressed themselves on this occasion.

It is difficult to find words in the face of what the report reveals: the extent of the abuses committed by priests and religious; the suffering of many victims to which has been added the suffering of not being welcomed, heard, recognised; their overwhelming testimonies of often shattered and impeded lives....

We know that Jesuits have been guilty of abuse. We want to express our shame and sadness that people have been hurt by some of us. We ask for forgiveness for all the times we have not adopted the right way of handling these cases, giving the impression of putting the defence of the institution before the concern of the people who have been victims.

Having read the Commission report, we express to all those who have testified our distress at the facts, and our gratitude for the courage they have shown in speaking out. They are the ones who allow us to move forward in the recognition of the abuses suffered and in the prevention to be put in place so that this does not happen again.

We would like to thank the members of the Commission for the work they have done over the past three years to uncover the truth about abuse in the Church. This work, which has been carried out with great rigour and profound humanity, is at the service of the whole Church and society.

We will implement the forthcoming recommendations and continue the work we have been doing for several years in welcoming and listening to victims, in the formation of Jesuits and in the implementation of our prevention protocols.

We call on all Jesuits and our various institutions (schools, places of formation, magazines, spiritual centres, churches...) to undertake actions to accompany the reception of the report. We must take the time to hear the words of the victims. Together, as a Church, we must draw all the lessons from this report, however difficult it may be to receive. We know that it is the truth that will enable us to move forward.