Avignon - Update

The latest information about the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church in Avignon that was the target of arson, urine, excrement and threats of more arson comes from an article at Famille Chrétienne that is linked at François Desouche. Since the article is long, I am adapting the first part that deals with the reactions of the parish priest, Father Gabriel Picard (photo). The second part deals with the astonishing remarks of the Archbishop of Avignon, Jean-Pierre Cattenoz:

Father Gabriel Picard refuses to yield to anger or pacifism. In November 2009, after the umpteenth attack on his church, he vowed to put an end to the attacks targeting his parishioners.

When the cypress tree next to the church was set on fire, Father Gabriel decided to call in the media and the civilian authorities for a press conference:

"Our problems started last Christmas. During Midnight Mass, firecrackers exploded as we prayed. Cars belonging to the parishioners were vandalized. In June, on the eve of the church fair, the outside walls were covered with obscene and offensive graffiti. Then, a young boy entered the church and urinated. In November, a parishioner was insulted and threatened with these words: 'We're going to burn you and your church.' A few days ago the cypress tree burned. We just escaped the worst..."

The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, an inelegant structure built in the late 60's, was supposed to be temporary. But as so often happens the temporary became permanent. Father Gabriel says there has been an increase in church attendance, "as if they want to prove their attachment to the presence of the Church in the neighborhood".

Note: The capital "C" above is not accidental. It refers to the Roman Catholic Church - the Mother Church, as opposed to an isolated building.

The church is surrounded almost entirely by low-income housing. About half of the population is Muslim. When school lets out, many veiled women can be seen walking by the church on their way to the nearest school.

Not for one minute does Father Gabriel believe in "anti-Christian acts." By all appearances the acts were perpetrated by minors. The gang leader is only 12. "They are brainless kids in the sense that they are not conscious of the consequences of their acts." Nonetheless, the priest is aware that fundamentalists are working in the neighborhood. "When they meet kids who are in trouble and whose parents can't handle them, these fundamentalists can become dangerous."

Note: The priest has contradicted himself. First, he says that there is no anti-Christian act. Then, he explains clearly how children are used for anti-Christian purposes. He forgives the children because of their age, but those children may be perfectly aware that Christianity and its symbols are to be vandalized with impunity. As one reader points out, why did the boy urinate inside the church instead of outside?

The mayor of the East sector of Avignon, Murielle Botella, was taken aback by the press conference called by Father Gabriel, because she had not heard of any problems at the church. But, though taken aback, she was not terribly surprised because, as she says, "we encounter the same problems in schools and in nursing homes... The neighborhood is volatile and I would be much more concerned if it were only the church that was assaulted in an otherwise peaceful environment..."

Note: That is quite a rationalization she has made. She goes on, noting that police patrols at the church have been added, and street lights repaired:

"As a mother, what can I do when a twelve-year-old boy is out in the street at 7:00 p.m. when he should be at home with adults, doing his homework."

And what does Archbishop Cattenoz (photo below) have to say?

For his part, the Archbishop of Avignon, Jean-Pierre Cattenoz reveals that he too has encountered youth like those described above. "My pectoral cross is often the object of mockery by young French persons of North African origin. When I tell them that it was given to me by Pope Benedict XVI, they say: 'Who's he?'"

With his frankness, he wonders about the conditions of "living-together" in the France of tomorrow. "We are at a turning point in the religious history of our country," continues the archbishop. A former math teacher, he has done his calculations: "Gallic families, traditionally Christian, are having on average two children. Muslim families living in France have closer to four, five, even six children. Based on that, it is easy to imagine that France will be majority Muslim in twenty or thirty years," predicts the bishop. He adds with a touch of provocation: "For fifteen years I lived in a land of Islam. I am therefore prepared to live in a France that has a Muslim majority. It's just that I wonder what the conditions of our cohabitation will be like."

Note: He wonders? He doesn't know? Did he learn nothing after living with Muslims for fifteen years? And of course he wants to fight against racism:

In order to fight against racism "that erects walls between our communities" and develop dialogue, Archbishop Cattenoz hopes to create in the department of Vaucluse an association composed of representatives of all religions. (...) For Father Gabriel and the Avignon Church to leave the neighborhood is out of the question. On the contrary, an ambitious renovation program is being studied to replace the old Saint-Jean-Baptiste church. There will be new quarters, so that the Church can respond to violence with the "strong arm of charity," stresses Father Gabriel.

There are 24 comments to this article. Those who read French may find them of interest. Some readers speak of the Saint-Jean church as being possessed by the devil. Some feel that Father Gabriel is being diplomatic and is more aware of the realities than one might think. Some feel Islam is fundamentally evil.