French Catholic Priest Sanctioned By Bishop For Anti-abortion Views
As reported by LifesiteNews, An elderly priest at the head of 17 small parishes in the east of France has been barred from speaking in public by his diocesan superiors for four weeks starting from the month of November because he declared that the worldwide number of victims of abortion was far higher than that of the First World War.
Father François Schneider made the “controversial” statement while preaching during the commemorative Mass on Armistice Day on November 11 in the tiny village of Bertrimoutier (307 inhabitants), near Epinal in the Vosges Mountains. “Abortion has killed more people worldwide than the Great War,” he said, adding that French politicians would be well inspired to “follow the example” of the Hungarian Prime minister, Victor Orban, who promotes a pro-birth policy and “takes courageous decisions.”
The words didn’t come out of the blue: Father Schneider was speaking in the context of a bid to make abortion a constitutional “right” in France, a measure that is currently being touted by president Emmanuel Macron’s “Renaissance” party at the French National Assembly. Another draft law with the same aim but using more “inclusive” language – it doesn’t refer to women in order to uphold transgender rights – was also presented last week by the extreme left “La France insoumise” party. Both texts were adopted by the law commission and will now go through the legislative process. Macron himself suggested that the “right” to abortion be included in the European charter of human rights.
Scheider’s graphic condemnation of abortion was quoted in the local press and on social media by people who had heard his sermon, creating “shock” and “strong emotion.” The “Renaissance” member of the National Assembly for the département of the Vosges, David Valence, called the priest’s comments “disgraceful” on Twitter, adding that they were “proof of a complete aberration” on his part.
even years later, Schneider is once more under the spotlight in the national press. Soon after his remarks were repeated in local news sources the diocese of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges was made aware of the priest’s verbal slippage. A statement condemning Schneider was published three days ago on the website of the diocese (which is currently headed by Bishop Didier Berthet, who has serious health problems, and administered by Bishop Denis Jachiet, who heads the neighboring diocese of Belfort-Montbéliard).
The statement, which was unsigned but said to have been prompted by a decision on the part of Jachiet and his council, said the following:
Epinal Saturday, November 19
Press release from the diocese following the homily given by Father François Schneider during the Mass of Friday, November 11, 2022.
François Schneider’s remarks during the November 11 Mass had been reported to us. After having heard Father Schneider, we condemn the instrumentalization of the commemoration of the dead of the First World War for the benefit of other subjects of an ethical and political nature.
November 11 is for all a day of remembrance and for us Christians an occasion to pray for the dead of the wars and for peace in the world.
Given the precedent of November 2015, we ask Father François Schneider to refrain, for four weeks, from any public speech in the celebrations in which he will participate. A time of silence after the reading of biblical texts will nourish the faith of the faithful. This sanction will take effect, by decree, on Saturday evening, November 19.
Finally, we assure the deputy, the mayors, patriotic associations, and all the people who were shocked by the remarks of Father Schneider, as well as the parishioners of the Holy Trinity of our fraternal prayer.
This is a tragic day for the Catholic Church – an institution I am proud to be a member of since birth and hopefully till my demise. The Church has stood firm against the controversial issue of abortion despite mounting pressure from the radical left for her to endorse the state-sanctioned evil.
Why should the bishop allow himself to pander to the whims and caprices of the liberals rather than stand up sturdily for his courageous priest who showed rare courage in the face of the blitzkrieg against the Holy Church and her servants?
France is currently under attack from the left, pushing for abortion to be included as a ‘right’ in their constitution. It is a well-known fact that the economies of the Francophone countries in Africa – their ex-colonies are still largely in the hands of France with unconfirmed reports positing that a whopping $55 billion is siphoned out of Africa to Paris annually with the connivance of their minions who are worse than African traitors. Imagine if abortion becomes a constitutional right in France, wouldn’t they push it to their erstwhile colonies with deleterious consequences for Africa?
The Clergymen in France shouldn’t be silenced and they should continue to speak truth to power in the best interest of the generations yet unborn so that they can be given the golden opportunity to taste the world’s beauty.