French bishops’ spokesman happy with clear election result
May 08, 2017
Archbishop Georges Pontier of Marseille, the president of the French bishops’ conference, said that he was pleased Emmanuel Macron had won a clear-cut victory in the May 7 presidential election, and hoped the new government would be “able to function” after June legislative elections.
Archbishop Pontiers acknowledged that French Catholics have been divided by the presidential election. But now, he said, “we must hope he succeeds for the good of our country; otherwise it will be catastrophic.”
The Catholic bishops had declined to back either candidate in the presidential race. But a large number of Catholic organizations joined in a last-minute appeal to voters to reject the National Front of Marine Le Pen, saying that the party was “a danger to democracy, social peace, and Europe’s future.” On the other hand, leaders of the Manif Pour Tous—the grassroots movement that had organized in a bid to stop legal recognition of same-sex marriage—had said that Marcon would continue the policies of outgoing President Hollande, who pushed through the same-sex marriage proposal despite enormous public opposition.
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
May. 10, 2017 11:29 AM ET USA
According to Wikipedia, Macron was raised "in a non-religious family" and "baptized a Roman Catholic at his own request at age 12." This baptism may have been to facilitate his entry into the Jesuit Lycée la Providence. According to the 10 April 2017 edition of La Croix, the Jesuit school "brought him discipline [of]...spirit and a willingness to be open to the world." Macron said: "Afterwards, I practiced less...I do not make it [his relationship with spirituality] an element of claim."
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Posted by: feedback -
May. 09, 2017 9:32 AM ET USA
Marcon is not a friend of the Catholic Church and not a friend of religious liberty. Bishops of France should know better.
