Posted on 07/10/2025 9:18:26 AM PDT by ebb tide
The archbishop of Toulouse, France, has drawn fierce criticism for appointing a priest previously convicted of raping a 16-year-old boy to serve as diocesan chancellor, sparking outrage from victims’ advocates and the local Catholic community.
Archbishop Guy de Kerimel named Father Dominique Spina as chancellor and episcopal delegate for marriages, effective Sept. 1, according to a decree published June 2 on the archdiocese’s website. The appointment became public knowledge on July 7, when the regional newspaper La Dépêche du Midi broke the story.
Spina was convicted in 2006 by the Tarbes Court of Appeals for raping a 16-year-old student in 1993 while serving as the boy’s spiritual director at Notre-Dame de Bétharram school. The court sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment, with four years to be served and one year suspended.
De Kerimel defended his controversial choice in a statement to Agence France-Presse, saying he had “taken the side of mercy” in promoting Spina, who had worked in diocesan archives for five years.
“It is true that Father Spina served a five-year prison sentence, including one year suspended, for very serious acts that took place nearly 30 years ago,” the archbishop said, according to Le Monde.
He justified the appointment by arguing that Church officials “have nothing to reproach this priest for in the last 30 years.”
The archbishop added that Spina “no longer exercises pastoral responsibility, other than celebrating the Eucharist, alone or exceptionally for the faithful.”
The appointment has generated widespread condemnation within Catholic circles.
“What is offensive is that this is a priest who was convicted of rape of a minor. It’s unacceptable,” one Toulouse Catholic told La Dépêche du Midi after learning of the news on the diocesan website.
Catholic news portal Tribune Chrétienne described the decision as causing “astonishment” and raising “serious questions” about the coherence of the Church’s commitment to fighting abuse following the 2021 CIASE report.
The controversial appointment also raises canonical questions. Church law requires diocesan chancellors to be “of unimpaired reputation and above all suspicion.”
Ping
Some people never learn.
They figure they have nothing to lose.
I want the Last Rites if I’m on my deathbed, and I want a Catholic service at my burial.
But between the globalists, open borders advocates, and pedo enablers, I just have a very hard time participating in the institutions of the organized Church anymore.
30 years ago.
He served his time.
Who knows what exactly he did? Not all sex offenders did the worst things that comes to mind when you hear that term.
If you think he’s a danger, he should be in prison or a psych ward and I do not disagree with that!
But if he’s out of prison and paid for his crime, don’t hold it against him.
Duality, having it two or more ways, all this gray stuff and feelings, identity crap really itches me in a bad way.
You’re either XX or XY, you’re either an adult at 18 or not, you’re either an American or not (people shouldn’t have 3 or even 4 citizenships)... If the dude commits a crime he’s a criminal, but after he paid his dues to society and is deemed rehabilitated (safe), get off his back.
If you ride people and treat them like a criminal, you will “make them” into the criminal.
Any man who rapes a boy is not fit to be the episcopal delegate over marriages.
Perfect guy to discuss marriages
The archbishop added that Spina “no longer exercises pastoral responsibility, other than celebrating the Eucharist, alone or exceptionally for the faithful.” I hope none of ‘the faithful’ are 16 year old boys.
Any guy that brags about how many Christians he’s persecuted shouldn’t be an apostle.
What about getting Jesus killed for some silver?
A hard heart? All of them.
What about battling with lust?
How about doubting the whole time?
—
I think you miss the point.
Being Christian isn’t an exercise in worldly law or Dirty Harry justice.
I’m not saying that maybe some caution should be practiced, BUT you MUST forgive this guy and you should not hold it against him if he’s a “free” man and considered “rehabilitated.”
If he’s a threat, lock him up, I agree. I don’t want a threat on the street either. I’m ok with the death penalty if his crime rises to that level.
But the infinitely complex maze of partial solutions all with exceptions makes my little infantryman’s brain explode.
In war it’s the same thing. You’re either at war or not. And when politicians want to have it both ways (so they look good), they are really just getting their people killed.
The real world doesn’t work well with 26 genders. Things are much more binary than we want to pretend them to be.
You’re either a criminal and in prison, or you’re not. You’re either male or female. An adult or a minor. An American or something else. The second amendment is either unalienable or not.
These dualities and complexities we have created are confusing and counterproductive. They are created so that people can play it both ways.
If this were not a religious organization, or one dealing with marriage and family, I would agree with you.
However, putting a convicted rapist in any position that interacts with the faithful causes scandal and is a mistake.
While he has legally served his time, and I will assume he admitted guilt and sought genuine forgiveness, he should never interact with children or families. The risk is too great.
That makes sense.
After Sodom and Gomorah, I doubt Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would have chosen a sodomite to be one of His apostles.
Are you even a Catholic? You don’t at all seem disgusted with sodomy as a sin that cries out to Heaven, especially when it is committed against a child.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2018&version=KJV
I think what 18-7 refers to are those leading other Christians in the wrong spiritual direction.
I suspect the church restricted what he does to address your concerns. He probably does things where there is supervision and is never alone when children are around. I would bet money on that.
In fact, if he’s smart, he would avoid ever being alone with a boy or a woman. It would behoove him to be paranoid about someone accusing him of anything.
If that’s not good enough, remove him completely.
But you tell me, where can he get a job, or live, or practice sports, or enjoy entertainment, food, etc. where he’s not in potential contact with children?
Sorry, I’m not going to try to outdo you, crying or screaming louder in how enraged, disgusted, or scared I am.
I don’t play that.
I leave that to Iraqis, North Koreans, Iranians, Palestinians...
The longer you watch, the better it gets:
https://youtu.be/pSWN6Qj98Iw?si=5MGhuUzZSX-kxgmH
—
Last I checked, Catholicism also preaches about giving the other cheek, forgiveness, love.
I understand that doesn’t mean you should be stupid, but I am about 99% certain that this guy is under supervision and never alone with children.
In fact, he did something stupid and wrong, but doesn’t sound like a complete idiot. I suspect this guy is smart enough to where if ever left alone with a child, he’d probably run out of the building, making sure to be on every security camera on his way out.
But I get it. We need to show we’re “tough on crime.”
30 years ago, if I remember right from the article, a 20 year sentence, he admitted guilt, repented... Held to his faith.
I like Chuck Norris and Clint Eastwood. But the characters they play and values they espouse are not what Christianity teaches.
This is a Catholic caucus. Please don’t violate it.
I’m old enough to remember this happening.
https://www.carroll.edu/about/history/catholic-history-heritage/vatican-ii
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.