French archbishop revokes appointment of rapist as chancellor

August 18, 2025

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CWN Editor's Note: Archbishop Guy de Kerimel, who had touched off angry reactions in July when he named a priest who had been convicted of rape to become the diocesan chancellor, has revoked the appointment.

Archbishop de Kerimel announced on August 16 that he had changed his decision, “in order not to provoke division among bishops.” He was evidently referring to a statement released a few days earlier by the leaders of the French bishops’ conference, urging him to reconsider the appointment.

The archbishop had earlier defended his choice, saying that the appointment of Father Dominique Spina, who had served a five-year prison term after his 2006 conviction for molesting a teenage boy, was an act of mercy, noting that the priest was no longer serving in pastoral ministry. The work in chancery, he said, would be “a sign of hope” for priests guilty of abuse.

Now, the archbishop said, “I must ask forgiveness from the one I named and in whom I trust, for not having been able to find the rightful place to which he is entitled.”

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