Archbishop Guy de Kerimel defended his decision to appoint a priest convicted of rape as archdiocesan chancellor. The archbishop stated the appointment was an expression of mercy and not a promotion. Fr. Dominique Spina was convicted of rape in 2006 and served time in prison. De Kerimel emphasized the Church's efforts to prevent abuse of minors and support victims. The archbishop noted that Rome did not dismiss Spina from the clerical state, allowing him to continue ministry.
10 days ago
Archbishop Guy de Kerimel of Toulouse has defended his decision to appoint Father Dominique Spina, a priest convicted of rape, as the archdiocesan chancellor, a move that has sparked significant outcry among French Catholics 1. The appointment, announced on June 2 and effective September 1, 2025, has drawn criticism, particularly concerning the canon law requirement that chancellors be "of unimpaired reputation and above all suspicion" 1.
Father Dominique Spina was convicted in 2006 for the rape of a teenage boy in the 1990s, an offense committed while he served as a school chaplain 1. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with one year suspended, and served four years 1. After his release, he transferred to the Toulouse archdiocese and has since served as an archdiocesan archivist and vice-chancellor 1.
Archbishop de Kerimel argued that the appointment is an "expression of mercy" and not a promotion, emphasizing that Spina's role as chancellor involves office work and no contact with young people 1. He stated that the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith had judged that Spina could still carry out a ministry and was not dismissed from the clerical state 1. The Archbishop believes Spina has demonstrated "clear signs of conversion and life change" over the past 30 years, showing "self-sacrifice and integrity" in his service 1.
De Kerimel stressed that mercy is not opposed to justice but goes further, asserting that denying mercy would "lock the abuser into a social death" 1. He also noted that Spina's victim had been recognized and justice served through the prison sentence 1. The Archbishop concluded his defense by referencing Ezekiel 33:12, highlighting mercy as humanity's only hope 1.
The appointment comes amidst ongoing efforts by the Catholic Church in France to address a severe abuse crisis 1. A 2021 report by the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE) estimated that approximately 330,000 children were abused in the French Catholic Church between 1950 and 2020 1. In response, French bishops had pledged a "vast program of renewal" in their governance practices 1. The Church has implemented measures such as listening points for victims, training for clergy and laity, and canonical procedures to prevent abuse 1.
How does the Church balance justice and mercy in ministry?
The Church balances justice and mercy in its ministry by understanding them not as contradictory realities, but as two dimensions of a single reality that culminates in the fullness of love . For God, justice and charity coincide; there is no just action that is not also an act of mercy and pardon, and no merciful action that is not perfectly just .
Justice is defined as the moral virtue that involves the constant and firm will to give God and neighbor their due . It is a fundamental concept for civil society, meant to be governed by the rule of law, and is understood as what is rightly due to each individual . In the biblical sense, justice is essentially conceived as the faithful abandonment of oneself to God's will .
The Church emphasizes that justice is not merely a virtue for individuals but is primarily a social virtue aimed at creating communities where every person is treated with innate dignity, thus forming the basis of peace . The practice of justice requires other virtues like honesty, integrity, respect for law, and commitment to the common good .
While justice demands that each person receive what is due, mercy goes beyond this by offering what is "mine" to the other, without ever lacking justice . Mercy does not dissolve justice or relativize rights; rather, it urges us to live justice more gently as a fruit of compassion .
Pope Francis explains that if God limited Himself to only justice, He would cease to be God, because mere justice is not enough and can lead to destruction . God goes beyond justice with His mercy and forgiveness, enveloping and surpassing it with an even greater event where love is experienced as the foundation of true justice . God's justice is His mercy given as grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ .
The Church teaches that there is no gap between love of neighbor and the desire for justice; to contrast them is to distort both . Mercy completes the meaning of justice by preventing it from becoming a cold, unfeeling system of revenge . A world without forgiveness would be a world of cold and unfeeling justice, where each person would only claim their rights .
In practical terms, the Church's ministry seeks to:
Ultimately, the Church understands that justice exists for the sake of love and is accomplished without compromise in works of love, as perfectly demonstrated in the expiatory suffering of the Cross . Human judgment, in imitation of divine judgment, must also be exercised according to a law of freedom, where mercy prevails .