Rorate Caeli@RorateCaeli
Boomers reject serious priests in France -- bishop throws them out. (By the way, the "Latin" they used was primarily in a conservative novus ordo.)
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Diocese of Amiens: Three Priests Not Renewed After Tensions with Parishioners By Aurélien Vurli —
RCF Hauts de France, April 28, 2026
In the Somme, the Bishop of Amiens has decided not to renew the mission of three priests from the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, who had been stationed since last September in several parishes in the area. The decision was motivated by a climate of persistent tensions with a portion of the faithful.
Bishop Gérard Le Stang announced on Monday, April 27th that he would not be renewing the mission. Fathers François-Régis Favre, Éloi Legrand, and Pierre-Marie Brochery — who had been serving since September in the parishes of Albert, Bray-sur-Somme, Mailly-Maillet, and Acheux — will leave at the end of the pastoral year. In a communiqué, the bishop explained that he made this decision "after a long period of reflection," following conversations with diocesan priests and many parishioners. He cited an entrenched conflict with part of the local communities, which had caused "a deep and lasting disruption" in the affected parishes.
The diocese announced that their presence would not be extended "beyond the trial year" provided for in the agreement. Bishop Le Stang stated that this decision "is in no way based on the criticisms leveled against these three priests," while nonetheless acknowledging that "it was necessary to take note of the conflict that had developed with a number of people" and that this had caused "a deep and lasting disruption in the communities." Letters had been sent to the Diocese of Amiens in December, at which point the diocese had assured that it would evaluate the situation. The three priests wore the cassock, celebrated Mass in Latin, and reportedly made "harsh" and even "sectarian" comments, according to the letters forwarded to the diocese at the time. Speaking on France Inter radio last December, a deacon described "homilies I would rather call sermons centered on sin and on a society going wrong."
Among the other points of friction was the refusal to organize certain events. One of the priests rejected a non-religious concert on the grounds that it risked "profaning" the church. Bishop Le Stang was nonetheless careful to clarify that his decision was not based on disagreements over liturgical practices or a more traditional sensibility. Some parishioners had criticized the wearing of the cassock, the use of Latin, and a heightened moral rigorism.
But the bishop insisted: those elements were not the issue. As a point of comparison, he noted that the Community of Saint-Martin administers the parish of Amiens without similar problems. For the diocese, the problem was above all a relational one. "They wanted to revolutionize everything," summarized a local elected official quoted by ICI Picardie, illustrating the disconnect felt between the priests and the habits of the parishioners.
Starting September 1st, the affected parishes will be entrusted to Father Louis-Pasteur Faye, currently pastor of the Molliennois and Vicar General of the Diocese of Amiens. His mission: to ease tensions and restore a climate of trust within the local communities.
rcf.fr/articles/actua…
