Cardinal Ricard: Criminal Case Cannot Be Prosecuted Due To Statue of Limitations

French prosecutors announced Saturday that Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard will not face criminal charges after he admitted to abusing a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago. Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens told AFP that “the case was closed due to the statute of limitations.” Ricard, the president of the French bishops’ conference from 2001 to 2007, publicly acknowledged … Read more

French Cardinal Admits Abusing 14-Year-Old Girl

A retired French cardinal admitted Monday to abusing a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago. In a Nov. 7 statement, Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard announced that he was withdrawing from his functions and would cooperate with both secular and ecclesiastical justice systems. Ricard was president of the French bishops’ conference from 2001 to 2007 and is a … Read more