Vatican ousts controversial French archbishop

April 20, 2023

Archbishop Luc Ravel of Strasbourg has resigned, under heavy pressure from the Vatican.

The 65-year-old archbishop had been heavily criticized for his autocratic management style, which had been the subject of a Vatican investigation. He had reportedly balked at earlier requests for his resignation.

During Holy Week, Archbishop Ravel did not celebrate the Chrism Mass with the priests of the archdiocese. He thereby avoided confrontation with demonstrators who were demanding his removal. But his absence aggravated the complaints of priests who said that he spent little time with his own clergy.

Later the priests learned that the archbishop had spent the day with French President Emmanuel Macron. Archbishop Ravel had argued that because of an old concordat from the era of Napoleon, he could be removed only by the Pope and the president of France. French legal analysts said that in practice the government would stand by the Vatican’s decision.

Earlier this month the archbishop abruptly dismissed his vicar general— who learned of the move when a note was slipped under his office door. Archbishop Ravel charged that the vicar general had not responded energetically to sex-abuse complaints. The archbishop has claimed that criticism of his leadership has been motivated by resentment over his handling of abuse complaints.

 

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Further information:

• Diocèse de Strasbourg : contraint par le Vatican, Mgr Luc Ravel va démissionner (La Croix)
• Strasbourg archbishop apparently resists pressure to resign (The Tablet)
• French archbishop, himself under investigation, dismisses vicar general (CWN, 4/5)