French bishop forced to resign

January 07, 2025

» Continue to this story on Le Figaro (French)

CWN Editor's Note: Bishop Dominique Rey of Fréjus-Toulon has resigned, at the request of Pope Francis, ending a controversial chapter in the history of the French diocese.

Bishop Rey, who had presided over a boom in priestly vocations in the diocese, had been the subject of two apostolic visitations in the space of three years. In June 2022, the Vatican suspended all ordinations to the priesthood and diaconate in Fréjus-Toulon, and in November 2023 the Pope appointed Bishop Francois Touvet as coadjutor, with authority over the formation of candidates for the priesthood.

Bishop Rey had welcomed seminarians from very different backgrounds, attracting both charismatics and traditionalists. Le Figaro described the diocese, under his leadership as “a laboratory of evangelization.” But the bishop’s support for traditionalist priests drew adverse attention from Rome.

In announcing his resignation on January 7, Bishop Rey said that in December 2023, Pope Francis had encouraged him to remain in place, working alongside his coadjutor. But a year later, after ordinations had resumed, he was told that the Pope wanted him to resign, “without my knowledge of any new issues.” The 72-year-old Bishop Rey said that he was resigning out of obedience to the Pope’s directive.

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• Posted by: Randal Mandock - Jan. 10, 2025 12:30 AM ET USA

  Like we didn't see this coming. The poor man received double the Strickland treatment. And why? Because he ordained TOO MANY priests?!?!? One would assume that if he attracted "traditionalist" seminarians, his orthodoxy was just too much for the moral relativists in the Vatican.

• Posted by: jalsardl5053 - Jan. 07, 2025 5:49 PM ET USA

  All we need to know "But the bishop’s support for traditionalist priests drew adverse attention from Rome."