French Bishop Says Protecting Minors "Absolute Priority" After Confession Row
NDTV
Eric de Moulins-Beaufort sparked outrage among victims' groups last week after saying the secrecy of confession was "above the laws of the Republic".
Protecting children from sexual abuse is an "absolute priority" for the Catholic Church, a French archbishop said Tuesday, walking back previous comments suggesting priests should not violate the secrets of confession.
Eric de Moulins-Beaufort sparked outrage among victims' groups last week after saying the secrecy of confession was "above the laws of the Republic".
His comments came after an independent report revealed tens of thousands of cases of sexual abuse by priests over the past seven decades.
The archbishop met Tuesday with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin -- at the request of President Emmanuel Macron.
