Canon lawyer cites Pope Benedict as he slams decision of Archbishop to appoint convicted rapist as Chancellor of his Diocese. "This situation is false and cannot last. Sooner or later, he will have to resign."

On the Toulouse case: forgiveness is no substitute for justice

Father Pierre Vignon 06/08/2025

Regarding the decision of Bishop Guy de Kerimel of Toulouse to appoint Dominique Spina, a priest already convicted by the civil courts for child abuse, as Grand Chancellor of the diocese (with responsibility for the archives) in the name of "mercy," we publish the contribution of Fr. Pierre Vignon, a priest in Valence and former Ecclesiastical judge of the Diocese of Lyon.

What is at stake is the fundamentalist theology of the Archbishop of Toulouse, according to which everything must be forgiven, immediately and unconditionally. This seemingly evangelical ideology is not Christian. To be truly Christian, one must recognize that forgiveness is a spiritual journey that requires time, and accept what Benedict XVI said on May 11, 2010, in Fatima: "Forgiveness is no substitute for justice."

The second point concerns the grave fault of the Disciplinary Section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which failed to dismiss Dominique Spina from the clerical state. There are other considerations to consider, but it would take too long to list them all.

From this point on, we are trapped in a false problem, the "solution" of which would be nothing other than a personal decision by the Archbishop of Toulouse.

Dominique Spina has gravely transgressed the laws of the Republic, as well as violating the very foundation of the priesthood. His role can no longer be considered except from the perspective of a life of retreat and penance.

I would add that, in acting as he did, the Archbishop of Toulouse has demonstrated a grave lack of discernment, ignoring the work of the French Episcopal Conference to resolve the abuse crisis. It is as if he wanted to lecture his brothers: "Look how evangelical I am and how much you are not."

This situation is false and cannot last. Sooner or later, he will have to resign, even if he doesn't seem to have any intention of doing so at the moment.

It's clear that we must reflect together on the reinstatement of priests guilty of crimes, but the solution can never be the one advocated by the Archbishop of Toulouse.

I am struck by the prolonged silence of the Permanent Council of the Episcopate and its president on this issue. This style of governance is like that of Henri Queuille, a former French Prime Minister during the Fourth Republic, who said, "There is no problem that the absence of a solution cannot solve" and it is a deplorable manifestation of clericalism. (Cathcon: Henri served three times as Prime Minister, for 12 months, 5 months and 10 days respectively. His governance manner did not survive the test of reality)

Fortunately, the victims are protesting, and the advocates of common sense are joining them.

This "party of mercy" story is a deception, as well as an offense to true mercy, simply because forgiveness is no substitute for justice.

Thank you, Benedict XVI.

Source

In 2018, on August 21, Pierre Vignon publicly called for the resignation of Cardinal Archbishop Philippe Barbarin of Lyon. This was a rare stance in a largely silent clerical environment. Pierre Vignon was not reappointed to his position as an ecclesiastical judge.