Archbishop of Paris condemns dismissal of Catholic school principal accused of violating secular laws

Washington, DC Newsroom, October 17, 2024 / 5:40 p.m.

The archbishop of Paris spoke out this week against the dismissal of a Catholic school principal accused of violating French laws banning religious expression in educational settings.

“We must be able to proclaim the Gospel in Catholic schools,” Archbishop Laurent Ulrich said in an Oct. 12 interview with Radio Notre Dame, OSV News reported.

“It must also be possible, in these schools,” he adds, “to form small groups of Christian students wishing to truly cultivate their Christian faith, for catechism classes, outside of class hours but nevertheless at times when children are still in school. school.”

According to the OSV News report, the prelate expressed his concerns in light of the recent controversial expulsion of a principal of a Catholic school in the south of France, accused of violating the country’s constitutional secularism, otherwise known as “secularism”.

Espeso was accused of allowing confessions and Mass during school hours, making catechism classes compulsory, inviting a local bishop to a conference at the school and removing documents which he had deemed inappropriate from the school library.

Secularism is a principle born from the French Constitution which essentially imposes the separation of Church and State by prohibiting religious expression or proselytism in the public sphere.

Private schools in France operate under the same regulations and follow the same curriculum as public schools and are funded by the state. Catholic schools are allowed to maintain their religious identity and offer catechism classes, provided they are not compulsory for students.

On September 11, local education authorities removed Christian Espeso, 61, from his post as principal of the Immaculée Conception school in Pau, a small French town in the south of France, following an inspection of local education authorities.

The direction of Catholic education in the diocese of Bayonne, located approximately 120 kilometers west of Pau, published a statement on September 13 declaring: “(The) decision, which we consider to be totally disproportionate in view of the facts for which he is accused of, leaves many of us stunned.

For his part, Espeso participated in an interview with French-language media La Vie shortly after his expulsion in which he revealed that his suspension came after three anonymous complaints were filed against him with the rector of education in Bordeaux.

In the Sept. 16 interview, Espeso denied some of the allegations, saying he did not require him to attend the conference with the bishop. He said the classes offered at the school were not, in fact, catechism classes but “religious instruction classes,” required only for certain beginning students. A Jewish parent and a Muslim parent confirmed to the rectorate that the classes were not catechism, according to the former director.

“We are under diocesan supervision and it did not seem aberrant to me that students would meet, once in their lives for some, a Catholic bishop,” he declared. “Out of 200 high school students, 130 to 150 students were present since it was on a voluntary basis, contrary to what was said in the press.” Those who were not present were not penalized, he stressed.

Espeso also responded to accusations that he had infringed on the “pedagogical freedom” of teachers, telling La Vie that the complaint in question arose after being informed by several young students who had been put “badly comfortable” after their teacher showed them a video with pornographic content. . He also removed a comic book from the school library which he said contained “scenes of incest which might shock sixth-form pupils”.

“I think I did what I had to do,” he told La Vie. “I brought photocopies of the scenes in question to the rectorate.”

Espeso has been at the helm of the prestigious Catholic institution since 2013. The school is currently ranked first in the region and fourth in the country.

As local French media reported, Espeso parents and students submitted written testimonies defending the former school administrator to education authorities. Their testimony, which included statements from teachers, parents and elected officials, Espeso told La Vie, refuted the accusations against him “point by point.”

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