Paper exposes alleged abuse of breakaway Catholic group
Society of Saint Pius X has a million followers in more than 60 countries
Daily TribuneSociety of Saint Pius X has a million followers in more than 60 countries
Sexual, psychological and physical violence has taken place in several countries within the ultra-conservative Society of Saint Pius X, Swiss newspaper Le Temps reported Saturday after a months-long investigation into the breakaway Catholic group.
The SSPX is a group of fundamentalist Catholics that strongly opposes the liberal reforms of the Catholic Church imposed by the Vatican II Council in the 1960s. It is present in more than 60 countries across six continents, with 590 priests and nearly half a million faithful.
“Our analysis shows that the violence took place in all four corners of Europe and the world, from the foundation — or thereabouts — of the fraternity and until 2020,” Le Temps said.
The brotherhood was founded by the controversial French bishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970. Its headquarters are in Switzerland outside Menzingen, a village in the Zug canton south of Zurich.
Le Temps said the society has 160 priories and 120 schools located around the world.
It spoke to parents, abused former pupils and victim support groups in France, Belgium and Switzerland and recounted court cases where perpetrators were sentenced.
Le Temps said the society refused to answer its questions, as it does with all media queries on the subject of clerical abuse.
Beatings and kisses
Francois de Riedmatten, 41, from Sion in Valais, southwest Switzerland, grew up in the society.
The beatings started for him at Fleurs de Mai, the fraternity’s primary school in central Valais, he said.
“We were beaten in front of others, with sticks and with our trousers down,” he recalled.
Aged eight, he was then sent to the fraternity’s La Peraudiere boarding school in France.
He told the paper of abuse by a lay supervisor, recounting sexual assaults after showering. Furthermore, “he would beat the hell out of me and give me kisses straight afterwards.”
In an e-mail, in which the society said it would not respond to Le Temps’ queries, the society said that “in these particularly painful cases, the primary concern of the brotherhood is for the victims."
“It offers them assistance by supporting them, encouraging them to file complaints with the judicial authorities, guiding them through legal procedures, and supporting them in their rebuilding, as far as possible.”
Following the story, the Valais cantonal authorities are set to investigate the Fleurs de Mai school.
