Bishop of Nanterre Expresses Deep Shame Over Abuse in the Church

Nanterre – 08.08.2026: The Bishop of Nanterre, Matthieu Rougé, has spoken of deep shame in view of sexual violence in the Catholic Church. In a recent interview, he said the Church must be a safe place. His words are addressed to survivors, whose experiences were ignored, suppressed or inappropriately handled within Church structures for decades.

Rougé has led the Diocese of Nanterre in the Hauts-de-Seine department west of Paris since 2018. It has a reception and listening service for people who have experienced abuse or assaults in a Church setting. According to the diocese, specialists in psychology, medicine, law and pastoral care work together there. The service receives reports and supports survivors in taking further steps.

With his statement, the bishop builds on the findings of the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church, Ciase. Its report, published in October 2021, estimated that around 330,000 people in France may have experienced sexual violence as minors by clergy or other Church workers since 1950. This is a scientifically determined estimate, not a list of individually registered cases.

In addition to the acts themselves, the gravity of the scandal includes the consequences of decades of silence. Following the Ciase report, the French Bishops’ Conference and numerous dioceses established procedures for recognition, compensation and support. These services exist alongside state investigations and court proceedings. They replace neither criminal justice nor the obligation to report possible crimes to the competent authorities.

In March 2026, the French bishops decided to establish a new permanent structure called Renaître. It is intended to support people who suffered sexualized violence as children or adolescents in a Church setting. The model is intended to incorporate the experience of the previous independent recognition and compensation body, Inirr, as well as diocesan listening services. According to Church information, Inirr is to end its work at the end of August 2026.

After the publication of the Ciase report, Rougé had already stated that the Church must ensure protection through training, clear rules and reliable handling of reports. In the Diocese of Nanterre, this includes training for people who work with minors, as well as defined precautionary measures for Church institutions. However, such instruments are effective only if those in positions of responsibility take reports seriously and immediately pass them on to the competent bodies.

The bishop’s current statement contains no new specific allegations and does not refer to any individual case. Rather, it reaffirms an institutional responsibility: survivors must be heard independently, possible crimes must be reported to the justice system, and safeguarding measures in everyday Church life must be reviewed. The Diocese of Nanterre’s listening service remains available as a point of contact for this purpose.