Lyon, the birthplace of Abbé Pierre, founder of the Emmaus charity, will rename a plaza bearing his name following recent sexual assault allegations against him. The decision comes amid a wider reevaluation of tributes to Abbé Pierre across France.
The city of Lyon said Thursday in a statement that mayor Grégory Doucet decided “the name Abbé Pierre be removed from the public space” following the allegations of sexual assault committed by the priest.
The plaza in the city’s 9th arrondissement will be renamed “to allow for the words of the victims, women and children, to be heard and respected”.
Doucet said that the city would like to see Abbé Pierre removed from the Fresque des Lyonnais, an 800-square-metre mural depicting influential people from Lyon.
Because it is on private property, it is up to the owners to change it, but the city backs a proposal by the rights holders of the mural to add a notice to the wall.
Long revered
Abbé Pierre, who passed away in 2007, was long celebrated for his dedication to the poor and homeless. However, his reputation has been marred by serious allegations of sexual assault. revealed by the Emmaus charity, which he founded in 1949.
The charity has since distanced itself from Abbé Pierre, and the Abbé Pierre Foundation will also be changing its name.
The Abbé Pierre memorial centre in Esteville, Normandy, where he lived for many years, will close permanently. Several cities and towns with streets or public buildings named after him are considering renaming them.
As of mid-September, AFP reported approximately 150 streets or locations named after Abbé Pierre or Henri Grouès, his real name.
On Tuesday a statue of Abbé Pierre was removed from the village of Norges-la-Ville in Eastern France, where the second largest Emmaus community centre is located.
In Lyon, local residents will be consulted on a new name for the plaza, which will be decided at the next city council meeting.
(with AFP)
