Upheaval in France about Catholic priest vlogging about homosexuality
Abbé Mattieu Raffray caused upheaval with his statements about homosexuality. On the picture, he can be seen giving pastoral care. Photo X, Abbé Matthieu Raffray
Western Europe
When a French priest released a video about various life struggles, he did not expect nationwide criticism. But to CNE he says, believers have to resist the “destruction of Christianity”.
In the video, Abbé Mattieu Raffray spoke about homosexuality as a weakness and as a sin that needs to be addressed. The French minister for gender equality, diversity and equal opportunities, Aurore Bergé, flagged the reference in an X post. According to Raffray, Bergé tweeted that the content was an example of hate speech without referencing his name. Sometime later, her post caught the attention of the Interministerial Delegation for the Fight against Racism, Anti-Semitism and Anti-LGBT Hate (DILCRAH). When DILCRAH got involved, they said that they would forward the content to its national prosecution team.
“So-called 'conversion therapy' has been illegal since 2022,” the delegation said in an X post. “To talk about homosexuality as a weakness is shameful,” DILCRAH said in response to Raffray’s comments.
À la demande de @auroreberge, la #DILCRAH a signalé au Procureur de la République les propos #homophobes tenus par M. Raffray sur ses réseaux sociaux.
— DILCRAH (@DILCRAH) March 20, 2024
Les prétendues « thérapies de conversion » sont illégales depuis 2022.
Parler d’homosexualité comme d’une faiblesse est honteux. https://t.co/XjR22KNdKR
If convicted, Raffray would have faced prosecution, as French law currently bans speech made toward therapies intended to “cure homosexuality.” However, the prosecutor's office decided not to take action against the statements of the priest.
Discriminatory remarks
When it comes to the comments made in the video, Raffray remains calm and offers clarification. While homosexuality can be seen as a weakness, it can be fought with spiritual warfare, the social media influencer and theology professor said in Famille Chretienne. Raffray also emphasised that the video covers topics other than homosexuality and denies that he used discriminatory remarks.
“Homosexual acts are a sin, but I think people no longer know what a sin is. Denouncing a sin does not mean denouncing the person who commits the sin! I could have blamed myself if I had said something clumsy or hurtful. This is not at all the case here,” he said in the report.
Chastity
Despite the criticism, Raffray still stands by his words and insists that homosexuality is a struggle that requires God’s help, he tells CNE.news. “Whatever desire you have, you have to fight against it,” he said about the video.
Raffray also sees his accusation as an attack on the church’s teachings, as they have consistently denounced homosexuality throughout history. While Raffray said that compassion is needed, if anyone finds themselves attracted to the same sex, they should be called to “chastity.”
“If some people do not want to listen to the teaching of the Church, no one is forcing them,” he concludes. But many people are suffering and need this discourse from the Church which helps them not to become a slave to homosexuality or any other passion,” he said in Famille Chretienne.
While some see the case as an attempt to silence freedom of religion, many are rediscovering their identity in Christ and the Christian church. Raffray said that he has encountered thousands of young people wanting to return to Catholicism and the country’s Christian foundation.
“I’m convinced that this movement will grow even more. There is a persecution of Christians. We will have to resist against the destruction of Christianity,” he said in the CNE interview.
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