Fr Jus Toulon

Bishop Dominique Rey has become among the first members of the hierarchy to address the controversy surrounding this year’s Nuit Blanche arts festival A French bishop has become one of the first members of the country’s hierarchy to speak publicly about the controversy surrounding the use of Paris churches during this year’s Nuit Blanche arts festival. Bishop Dominique Rey, the former Bishop of Fréjus-Toulon, intervened after days of criticism from Catholics over installations staged in several churches during the annual overnight cultural event in the French capital. Speaking to the French Catholic outlet Tribune Chrétienne, Bishop Rey said the dispute should be understood within the broader pattern of attacks on Christian places of worship. “We are currently witnessing an increase in the number of sacrilegious acts, vandalism and offensive insults that undermine the integrity of places of worship, which scandalise and outrage the faithful,” His Grace said. Bishop Rey continued: “Because these places are dedicated to liturgical life, prayer, contemplation and silence.” The bishop went on to question the appropriateness of using churches for events that bear no relation to their spiritual mission. “The Church cannot be the receptacle for events and demonstrations that are not related to the spiritual identity and religious purpose of these sacred places: churches, chapels, oratories and shrines,” Bishop Rey said. Across France there has been criticism over the installations hosted in churches as part of the 25th edition of Nuit Blanche, Paris’s annual all-night arts festival. The 2026 event was organised under the artistic direction of Barbara Butch, the French DJ and activist who became internationally known following her appearance during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. Particular controversy surrounded the Church of Saint-Laurent in the 10th arrondissement, where visitors were invited to experience an installation entitled Sous la peau du ciel (“Under the Skin of the Sky”) by the artist Marie-Luce Nadal. The work consisted of an immersive sound installation incorporating anonymous recorded messages submitted by members of the public. The recordings were mixed with atmospheric data linked to lightning activity and played throughout the church. The event led to protests from groups of Catholics who argued that the event was incompatible with the sacred character of a consecrated church. Some gathered outside Saint-Laurent to pray the Rosary and sing hymns in reparation, while others attempted to prevent access to the building before police intervened. Six people were arrested during the disturbance and held in custody after allegations that elected officials had been jostled during the confrontation. The City of Paris subsequently announced that it would file a complaint against those involved and condemned what it described as attempts by religious extremists to disrupt a cultural event. However, the Paris public prosecutor later closed the case without bringing charges after investigators concluded that no offence could be sufficiently established and that individual responsibility for the alleged incidents could not be proven. Many have focused not only on the events themselves but also on what they regard as the silence of the Archdiocese of Paris. One of the most outspoken clerical critics has been Fr Christophe Buirette of the Diocese of Blois, who publicly criticised the decision to host the installation at Saint-Laurent. Speaking to Tribune Chrétienne, he described the episode as a serious affront to the sacred character of the church and declared: “Ce confrère, curé de Saint-Laurent, est une honte!” (“This fellow priest, the parish priest of Saint-Laurent, is a disgrace!”). The parish priest of Saint-Laurent, Fr Paul Dollié, has rejected accusations that the church was profaned. In a statement explaining his decision to host the installation, he said he had accepted the proposal after being assured that it contained no elements contrary to the Catholic faith and respected the character of the building. “I saw that this work was respectful of the place and that there were no elements contrary to the faith,” he said. Fr Dollié explained that the proposal had been presented through Art, Culture et Foi, an organisation that serves as a link between the City of Paris and the diocese on cultural projects. He said the installation possessed a spiritual and meditative dimension that offered an opportunity for dialogue with people distant from the Church. Under the country’s system of laïcité , many church buildings remain the property of local authorities while continuing to function as places of Catholic worship. That arrangement has periodically produced disputes over concerts, exhibitions and artistic performances staged within churches. Similar controversies have emerged in France over the past several decades whenever churches have hosted exhibitions or performances perceived by some Catholics as inappropriate. A notable example occurred in 2021 when Swedish musician Anna von Hausswolff was due to perform at the Church of Notre-Dame de Bon-Port in Nantes and later at the Church of Saint-Eustache in Paris. Both concerts were abandoned after Catholic protesters gathered outside the venues, praying the Rosary, singing hymns and blocking access for ticket holders. Critics argued that her lyrics, including lines from songs such as “Pills” (“Oh I, I made love with the devil”), and the overall aesthetic of her performances were incompatible with a Catholic church. Organisers, however, maintained that the events had received ecclesiastical approval and formed part of legitimate cultural programming.

Three priests from the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon will leave parishes in Amiens after disputes over cassocks, Latin liturgy and preaching led to divisions within local communities. Bishop Gérard Le Stang insisted the decision was not based on doctrinal or liturgical positions, but on the need to restore peace and communion The Diocese of Amiens has confirmed that three priests from the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon will leave their parishes at the end of the current pastoral year after months of tensions within parish communities in northern France. In a communiqué issued at the end of last month, Bishop Gérard Le Stang of Amiens said Fathers François-Régis Favre, Éloi Legrand and Pierre-Marie Brochery would not remain beyond the one-year experimental agreement between the two dioceses. The priests arrived in September 2025 to serve the parishes of Notre-Dame de Brebières in Albert, Notre-Dame de l’Espérance in Bray-sur-Somme, Notre-Dame des Hauts de l’Ancre in Mailly-Maillet and Notre-Dame des Champs in Acheux. The bishop said the decision followed “a long period of reflection”, during which he consulted priests of the diocese, members of the episcopal council and parishioners holding “diverse opinions”. “I personally received these three priests throughout this year,” Bishop Le Stang said. “I was able to tell each one the objective reasons that lead me to end their ministry among us.” He thanked the priests for “their desire to serve the mission of the Church in our diocese” and praised “their concern for evangelisation, prayer, liturgy and formation”. The three priests became the focus of disputes within the parishes after introducing practices associated with more traditional expressions of Catholic life. Some parishioners objected to the wearing of cassocks, the use of Latin within the Novus Ordo Mass and preaching that emphasised doctrinal and moral teaching. One controversy centred on a refusal to permit a secular concert inside a church because of concerns about preserving the sacred character of the building. Complaints were also reportedly made about sermons addressing sin and moral decline in society. Bishop Le Stang insisted that the decision had not been taken because of the priests’ liturgical or doctrinal positions. “The decision I have made not to extend their welcome is in no way based on a certain number of criticisms directed against them,” he said, listing “wearing the cassock, Roman liturgy, concern for doctrinal and liturgical fidelity, exhortation to coherence in moral life, distinction between the cultic and the cultural”. Instead, he said it had become necessary “to acknowledge the conflict that had become established between them and a certain number of people, which was causing deep and lasting trouble in the communities, and dismay among many”. Bertrand Lejeune, communications officer for the Diocese of Amiens, told French Catholic media that the issue concerned parish relations rather than theology or liturgy. “It was a situation that seemed to have no resolution between some of the parishioners and priests, so the bishop chose not to renew their contracts in order to restore a sense of calm and peace,” he said. He added that reactions to the priests had been divided, with some parishioners welcoming their arrival enthusiastically while others regarded it as burdensome. From 1 September, the four parishes and the sanctuary of Notre-Dame de Brebières will be entrusted to Fr Louis-Pasteur Faye, vicar-general of the Diocese of Amiens and currently parish priest of Saint Simon du Molliennois. His appointment was made with the agreement of the diocesan administrator of Thiès in Senegal. In his communiqué, Bishop Le Stang instructed Fr Faye to work towards “renewed communion and fraternity among all”, encourage “the integration of all sensibilities and generations” and develop missionary initiatives connected to the Sainte Colette missionary field. He was also directed to strengthen youth and vocations ministry, continue Christian formation and ensure “the quality of liturgical and sacramental celebrations”. The bishop acknowledged that the dispute had caused pain throughout the local Church. “This pastoral situation has been painful for everyone – priests, deacon, Religious and laity,” he wrote. “I am also aware of how much it gives the feeling of a failure.” He called on parishioners to respond with “reflection, humility and prayer” and said he intended to visit the affected parishes in the coming months. The episode is likely to attract attention beyond Amiens because of the continuing scrutiny surrounding the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, long regarded as one of the most traditionally minded dioceses in France. Under Bishop Dominique Rey, who led the diocese from 2000 until 2025, Fréjus-Toulon became known for welcoming priests and religious communities attached to traditional liturgy, evangelisation and conservative theology at a time when many French dioceses were experiencing declining clergy numbers and falling Mass attendance. The diocese also drew concern from Rome over questions of governance, priestly formation and the rapid influx of different ecclesial communities. In 2022, the Vatican took the rare step of suspending ordinations planned for the diocese while an apostolic visitation was carried out. Bishop François Touvet was later appointed coadjutor bishop before succeeding Bishop Rey. Against that background, the arrival of the three priests in Amiens last year had been viewed by some Catholics as part of a broader effort to integrate clergy formed within more traditional pastoral environments into dioceses facing priest shortages. For now, the three priests are expected to return to Fréjus-Toulon, where Bishop Touvet will assign them to new ministries within the diocese.