VATICAN (CNS): The Vatican has decided to open an investigation into Jean-Pierre Cardinal Ricard, the retired archbishop of Bordeaux, France, who admitted in a public letter that he had abused a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago, Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, said on November 11.
“As a result of the elements that have emerged in the last few days and the statement made by the cardinal, in order to complete the examination of what happened, it has been decided to initiate an investigatio praevia,” or preliminary investigation.
The person “best suited” to conduct the investigation “with the necessary autonomy, impartiality and experience is now being evaluated, also in view of the fact that the French judicial authorities have an open file on the case,” Bruni said.
He explained that the Vatican’s customary practice would be to wait until the French civil authorities have closed their case to begin any kind of canonical procedure, in which case the Vatican could request documentation from the judicial authorities to use in its process as well.
During the French bishops’ meeting in Lourdes on November 7, Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort of Reims, president of the French Bishops’ Conference, read Cardinal Ricard’s letter admitting to the abuse. The archbishop said he had been informed in February of the cardinal’s past and that he had been in communication with the victim, who did not want to be identified publicly.
In his letter, Cardinal Ricard had admitted to engaging in “reprehensible” conduct against the girl when he was a priest, and he said his behaviour “has necessarily caused serious and lasting consequences for this person.” He said he asked the woman for forgiveness and asked for forgiveness from her family.
