Abbot of the oldest monastery in the Western Church resigns after uncovering of massive scale of sexual abuse over many years
Abbot Scarcella of the Saint-Maurice Abbey resigns "of his own free will"
The Valais Abbey of Saint-Maurice has been forced to acknowledge dozens of cases of abuse. A commission of inquiry recently uncovered 67 cases of sexual violence and severely criticized the state of the monastic community. Now, Abbot Jean Scarcella is taking action.
Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the Abbot of the Swiss Abbey of Saint-Maurice, Jean César Scarcella (73). The Vatican announced this on Saturday.
On Thursday afternoon, Abbot Jean Scarcella convened his abbey council and informed them that he wished to resign from the office of abbot. He took the necessary time for discernment and came to this decision of his own free will and "in complete spiritual freedom," according to the abbey's statement.
Matured in prayer and dialogue
"In March of this year, I wanted to be reinstated in my office to take on the task of implementing the report's conclusions," said the abbot. "I am resigning from my office as abbot because, through personal prayer and constructive dialogue, I have gained the certainty that it is now the task of living forces to implement the measures decided upon in our action plan."
At the same time, he again asked the victims of abuse and the faithful for forgiveness on behalf of the abbey. "I hope that the decisions will contribute to eliminating all forms of abuse."
He also expressed hope that the task at hand would be entrusted to a fellow priest whom the community considers suitable to embody a dynamic of renewal.
Simone Previte assumes temporary leadership
Prior Simone Previte will temporarily assume leadership of the abbey in the role of capitular vicar, according to the statement. According to the abbey's constitution, the capitular vicar becomes active when the abbot's see becomes vacant. He must oversee the discernment process, which enables the community to elect a new abbot before the end of September. This election must then be confirmed by the Holy See.
The Abbey community was called together to hear the news from Rome. Simone Previte paid tribute to the abbot emeritus before his confreres. "The abbey council received the decision of our Abbot Jean calmly and fraternally," he said. "Our community is grateful for the fatherly attitude he showed toward it."
Leadership consultation decided
The community of canons now feels obliged to build its future in truth and humility. He expressed his pleasure that it had entrusted a committee with a mandate for leadership consultation to receive support on the path to improvement. He also expressed his hope that the decision-making bodies would act with greater maturity from now on and give new impetus to community life. He also expressed his hope that the abbey could pursue a path of reparation thanks to the action plan.
He also hoped that the victims in the Church and society could find institutions and people capable of listening to them and helping them progress on their path to healing.
Preparing for the Abbot's election
"My task is to prepare the community for the imminent election of a new abbot. The abbey will communicate openly and proactively about the confirmation of the election of Bishop Jean Scarcella's successor," promised Simone Previte.
Abbot Jean Scarcella's resignation followed years of serious allegations regarding the handling of sexual abuse by Switzerland's oldest monastery.
Scarcella himself, the 95th abbot of Saint-Maurice, had stepped down from his position in September 2023 after allegations of harassment against him came to light. However, the Vatican had found no misconduct, so it resumed leadership in March.
67 cases of sexual violence
On June 20, an independent commission of inquiry commissioned by the Order of Augustinian Canons published a report stating that between 1960 and 2024, there had been at least 67 cases of sexual violence, mostly against minors, perpetrated by at least 30 members of the order.
The cases documented included "gestures or statements with sexual allusions in a power relationship, repeated sexual touching, ambiguous photo sessions, attempts at seduction in a power relationship, exhibitionism, or the consumption of child pornography." According to the report, there were also cases of sexual assault, rape, and forced abortions. The Commission accuses both the abbots and the local authorities of failure.
Poor report for handling of allegations
The report gives the abbey a poor report card when it comes to dealing with allegations of abuse. It attests to a "defensive attitude" that was primarily aimed at protecting the reputation of the abbey. Suspected or denounced canons were transferred; "those responsible at the abbey endeavoured to cover up the actions of the accused colleagues, to trivialise them by using a vague or euphemistic vocabulary", according to the authors of the report.
Following the publication of the report, the abbey asked for "unconditional forgiveness" and announced an action plan. Among other things, an independent contact person is to be appointed for those affected.
Abbey reports directly to the Pope
Saint-Maurice Abbey is considered to be the oldest monastery in the West that has existed without interruption. It reports directly to the Pope.
The reputation of the abbey, which was founded in the 6th century, was severely shaken by accusations of sexual misconduct. The abbey only responded to this after pressure from the public.
Jean Scarcella was elected abbot in 2015, when the 1500th anniversary of the founding of Saint-Maurice Abbey was celebrated.
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