This investigation program presents a difficult situation at the heart of the Church’s life, the issue of sexual abuse and the exfiltration of priests to mission territories. This show is of a rather “tonic” style, which some might call “aggressive.” But, despite certain inaccuracies and sometimes exaggerations, this program remains a good work of investigation on a problematic for which the Church too often refuses to communicate, this is what this program reveals quite clearly. I participated in this show due to my expertise on the subject, but it does not mean that I endorse all the techniques employed by the team of Cash Investigation. On the other hand, I am grateful to them for alerting the French public in particular on these situations. It is interesting to note that, since the show, one sees in the French press that, here and there, a priest is “charged”, “signaled”, “denounced”, and so on. When a system refuses to move forward on such an issue, levers external to the system are sometimes necessary; such a broadcast can play that leverage role.
Stéphane Joulain, M.Afr., Ph. D.
Note that this program is in French.