Everything about Abb Pierre totally explained
L
'Abbé Pierre (born
Henri Antoine Grouès;
5 August 1912–
22 January 2007) was a
French Catholic priest, member of the
Resistance during the
World War II, and deputy of the
Popular Republican Movement (MRP). He founded in 1949 the
Emmaus movement, which has the goal of helping poor and
homeless people and
refugees.
Abbé means
abbot in
French, and is also used as a courtesy title given to Catholic priests. He was one of the most popular figures in France, but had his name removed from such
polls after some time.
Youth and education
Henri Grouès was born on
August 5 1912 in
Lyon, France to a wealthy
Catholic family of
silk traders, the fifth of eight children. He spent his childhood in
Irigny, near
Lyon. He was twelve when he met
François Chabbey and went for the first time with his father to an Order circle, the brotherhood of the
"Hospitaliers veilleurs" in which the mainly middle-class members would serve the poor by providing barber services.
Henri became a member of the
Scouts de France in which he was nicknamed "Meditative Beaver" (
Castor méditatif). In 1928, aged 16, he made the decision to join a monastic order, but he'd to wait until he was seventeen and a half to fulfill this ambition. In 1931 Henri entered the
Capuchin Order, the principal off-shoot of the
Franciscans, renouncing his inheritances and offering all his possessions to charities. Known as
frère Philippe (Brother Philippe), he entered the monastery of
Crest in 1932, where he lived seven years. He had to leave in 1939 after developing severe
lung infections, which made the strict and hard monastic life difficult to cope with. He became
chaplain in the hospital of
La Mure (Isère), and then of an
orphanage in the
Côte-Saint-André (also in the Isère department). The
Jesuit Fr.
Henri de Lubac told him on the day of his priestly ordination: "ask to the Holy Spirit that he grants you the saints'
anti-clericalism".
World War II
When
war broke out in 1939, he was mobilised as a
non-commissioned officer in the train transport corps. According to his official biography, he helped
Jewish people to escape
Nazi persecution the day after the July 1942
Rafle du Vel'd'Hiv raid, and another raid in the area of Grenoble in the non-occupied zone:
"In July 1942, two fleeing Jews asked him for help. Having discovered the persecution taking place, he immediately went to learn how to make false passports. Starting in August 1942, he guided Jewish people to Switzerland".
His pseudonym dates from his work with the
French resistance during the Second World War, when he operated under several different names. Based in Grenoble, an important center of the Resistance, he helped Jews and politically persecuted escape to Switzerland. In 1942, he assisted
Jacques de Gaulle (the brother of
Charles de Gaulle) and his wife escape to Switzerland. Moreover, Henri participated in creating a section of the
maquis where he officially became one of the local leaders in the
Vercors Plateau and in the
Chartreuse Mountains. He also helped people to avoid being taken into the
Service du travail obligatoire (STO), the Nazi forced-labour program agreed upon with
Pierre Laval, by creating in Grenoble the first refugee for resistants to the STO. He also founded the clandestine newspaper
L'Union patriotique indépendante.
He was arrested twice, once in 1944 by the Nazi police in the city of
Cambo-les-Bains in the
Pyrénées-Atlantiques, but was quickly released and went therefore to Spain then
Gibraltar to finally join the
Free French Forces of General de Gaulle in
Algeria.
Thank you."
The next morning, the press wrote of an "uprising of kindness" (
insurrection de la bonté) and the now-famous call for help ended up raising 500 million francs in donations (
Charlie Chaplin gave 2 million), the Abbé Pierre supported the initiative of the French Premier
Laurent Fabius (PS) to create in 1984 the
Revenu minimum d'insertion (RMI), a welfare system for indigents.
The same year, he organized the operation "Charity Christmas", which, relayed by
France Soir, brought 6 millions Francs and 200 tons of products. The actor
Coluche, who had organized the charitable
Restos du Cœur, offered him 150 millions French cents received by his organisation. Italian magistrate Carlo Mastelloni recalled in the
Corriere della Sera in 2007 that a niece of the Abbé was a secretary at Hyperion language school in Paris, directed by Vanni Mulinaris, and married to one of the Italians
refugees then wanted by the Italian justice. According to the
Corriere della Sera, it would even have been him who convinced then president
François Mitterrand (
PS) to grant protection from
extradition to left-wing Italian activists who took refuge in France and had broken up with their past.
More than 20 years later, the
ANSA, Italian press agency, recalled that he'd supported in 2005 one of his physicians, Michele d'Auria, who was a former member of
Prima Linea, an Italian far-left group, and was accused of having participated to hold-ups in 1990. As many other Italian activists, he'd exiled himself to France during the "
years of lead," and then joined the Emmaus companions.
La Repubblica specified that Italian justice has recognized the innocence of all people close to the Hyperion School However it's only a matter of conjunctures to see any relation between this 2005 intervention in favor of an Emmaus companion and his support in the 1980s for strong guarantees in favor of Italian political refugees, since the philosophy of the Emmaus movement in itself is to accept anyone willing to work in the community at helping others, without any restrictions concerning one's individual past.
The Abbé Pierre then met in 1988 representatives of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) to discuss the difficult financial, monetary and human issues brought by the huge
Third World debt (starting in 1982, Mexico had announced it couldn't pay the service of its debt, triggering the 1980s
Latin American debt crisis).
In the 1990s, the Abbé criticized the
apartheid regime in South Africa. In 1995, after a three-year long
siege of Sarajevo, he went there to exhort nations of the world to put an end to the violences, and requested French military operation against the
Serbs positions in
Bosnia.
The Abbé didn't hesitate in calling
real estate developers "
salopards" ("assholes") or in chaining himself to the grills of the Church of
Saint-Ambroise in Paris, in a gesture of solidarity, along with illegal aliens (
sans-papiers, litt. "without
documents." Supporting the DAL NGO in favor of requisition of empty lodgings and of
squatting, the Abbé made enemies among conservatives, declaring that "
Chirac is incapable of governing" or that "
Alain Juppé [FrenchPremier in charge during the
1995 general strikes ] is a liar."
During the
Gulf War (1990–91), the Abbé directly addressed himself to US President
George H. W. Bush and Iraq President
Saddam Hussein. He also asked to French president François Mitterrand to engage himself in matters concerning refugees, in particular by the creation of a stronger organism than the current
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR). He also encountered this year the
Dalai Lama during inter-religious peace encounters.
A staunch supporter of the
Palestinian cause, he's attracted attention with some of his statements on the
Israeli-Palestine conflict One of his most controversial act, and possibly only smear on his career, was his support "à titre amical" ("in title of friendship") for
Roger Garaudy in 1996. The "Garaudy Affair" had been revealed in January 1996 by the
Canard enchaîné satirical newspaper, which prompted a serie of denouncings against his book, "The Foundational Myths of Israeli Politics," and led Garaudy to be charged of
negationism (before being convicted in 1998, under the 1990
Gayssot Act). But Garaudy provoked public indignation when he announced in March that he was supported by the Abbé Pierre, who was immediately excluded from the honour committee of the
LICRA (International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism). The Abbé Pierre then condemned those who tried to "negate, banalize or falsify the Shoah," but his continued support to Garaudy as a friend was criticized by all anti-racist, Jewish organisations (
MRAP,
CRIF,
Anti-Defamation League, etc.) and the Church hierarchy. His friend
Bernard Kouchner, co-founder of
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), criticized him for "absolving the intolerable," while Cardinal
Jean-Marie Lustiger (and archbishop of Paris from 1981 to 2005) publicly disavowed him. The Abbé then went into retreat in the
Benedictine monastery of
Praglia in Italy, near
Padua, where, according to the
Voltaire Network, he'd have met again Roger Garaudy. The Voltaire Network wrote that the Abbé had declared to the
Corriere della Sera that the French press was "inspired by an international
Zionist lobby". In the film documentary
Un abbé nommé Pierre, une vie au service des autres, the Abbé declared that his support had been towards the person of Roger Garaudy, and not towards his statements in his book, which he hadn't read. This latter justification has been criticized by those underlining that the Abbé Pierre usually took the time to think and meditate enough to forge his opinion thoughtfully and on his own.
On the other hand, the curator of the Deportation and Resistance Museum of the
Isère department where Henri Grouès carried on most of his Resistant activities declared that the abbé would have merited ten times to be named
Righteous Among the Nations for his struggle in favor of Jews during
Vichy.
Following this 1996 controversial support to a personal acquaintance, the Abbé was shunned for a small period by the media, and wasn't personally close to
Mother Teresa. He had difficult relations with the Vatican and the Church hierarchy, which was made apparent by
L'Osservatore Romano, Vatican's newspaper's silence following his death in January 2007, and the lack of any public statement immediately following his death from
Pope Benedict XVI. Father Lombardi, spokesman of the Vatican, sent journalists to the statement made by the French Church, while Benedict XVI only alluded to the visit of
Montenegro's embassador to the Vatican. The only official reactions from the Church came in two interviews of French cardinals,
Roger Etchegaray and
Paul Poupard. The Abbé Pierre's critics of the lavish lifestyle of the Vatican,
for example when he reproached
John Paul II his expensive travels, or his provocative stances, for example by signing his Memoirs, were not well seen.
Cardinal Secretary of State Bertone finally gave grace to the Abbé more than 24 hours after his death, by lauding his "action in favor of poor": "Informed of the death of Abbe Pierre, the Holy Father gives thanks for his activity in favor of the poorest, by which he bore witness to the charity that comes from Christ. Entrusting to divine mercy this priest whose whole life was dedicated to fighting poverty, he asks the Lord to welcome him into the peace of His kingdom. By way of comfort and hope, His Holiness sends you a heartfelt apostolic blessing, which he extends to the family of the departed, to members of the communities of Emmaus, and to everyone gathering for the funeral."
Hence, some conservatives have criticized his support to the
ordination of women, and
married clergy, stances which — according to
BBC allegations — have made him popular among the French population. In his book
Mon Dieu... pourquoi? (God... Why?, 2005), co-written with Frédéric Lenoir, he implicitly admitted once having had casual sex with a woman despite his vow of
clerical celibacy in the
Capuchin Order. The book also supports parenting and adoption by homosexual couples, but doesn't support homosexual marriage. The Abbé also opposed the
Pope's policy against
contraceptives concerning the
AIDS pandemic.
International recognition
Abbé Pierre also had the distinction of having been voted France's most popular person for many years, though in 2003 he was surpassed by
Zinedine Zidane, moving into second place. In 2005 Abbé Pierre came third in a television poll to choose
Le Plus Grand Français (The Greatest Frenchman).
In 1998, he's been made
Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec while in 2004, he was awarded the
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor by
Jacques Chirac
Abbé Pierre was also awarded the
Balzan Prize for Humanity, Peace and Brotherhood among Peoples in 1991 "for having fought, throughout his life, for the defence of human rights, democracy and peace. For having entirely dedicated himself to helping to relieve spiritual and physical suffering. For having inspired – regardless of nationality, race or religion – universal solidarity with the Emmaus Communities."
Accidents and health problems
He was regularly sick, particularly in the lungs when he was young. He was left unscathed in several dangerous situations:
- In 1950, while on a flight in India, he survived when his plane had to make an emergency landing due to engine failure.
- In 1963, his boat shipwrecked in the Río de la Plata, between Argentina and Uruguay. He survived by clinging to a wooden part of the boat, while around him 80 passengers died. Later on, while on a trip to Algiers, he showed the pocket knife, which had enabled him to survive this adventure. He was full of gratitude also for the children lodged at an orphanage, and asked the cardinal archbishop of Algiers, Monseigneur Duval, to help out the orphanage (or Kasbah).
All of these experiences together created the image of Abbé Pierre being a
miraculé.
Death
The Abbé Pierre remained active until his death on
22 January,
2007 in the
Val-de-Grâce military hospital in Paris, following a lung infection, aged 94.
He visited and was present on most social struggles, in favor of
illegal aliens, homeless ("Enfants de Don Quichotte" movement end of 2006-start of 2007) and social movements in favor of requisitions of empty buildings and offices (
squatts), etc. He continued to read each day
La Croix, the Christian social daily newspaper. In January 2007, he went to the National Assembly to oppose himself to deputies who would try to empty the law on lodging for homeless people, decided by President Jacques Chirac after the mobilization by the
Enfants de Don Quichotte NGO. In 2005 he'd opposed conservative deputies who wanted to reform the
Gayssot Act on housing projects (
loi SRU), which impose a 20% housing projects limits in each town lest they pay a penalty fine.
After the visit by officials, several hundreds anonyms Parisians (among them professor
Albert Jacquard, who struggled with the Abbé for the cause of homelessness) went to the Val-de-Grâce's chapel to see the Abbé Pierre's corpse. His burial on
January 26 2007 at the
Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris was attended by numerous distinguished people: President
Jacques Chirac, former President
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Prime minister
Dominique de Villepin, many French
Ministers, and of course many Companions of Emmaus, those last one were placed at the front of the crowd and the wellknown people in the cathedral, according to Abbé Pierre's last wishes. He was buried in a cemetery in Esteville, a small village in
Seine-Maritime in which he used to live.
Cardinal Barbarin,
archbishop of Lyon, evoked a possible
beatification, but it seems unlikely in a near future.
Honours
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor
French Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with bronze palms
Médaille de la Résistance
Grand Officers of the National Order of Quebec
Balzan Prize
Many others international distinctions
A well-known priest
During his life Abbé Pierre met Popes Pius XI, Pius XII, John XXIII and John Paul II a few times, but wasn't able to meet Pope Benedict XVI. According to his official biography, he also met many notable people, including French president Charles de Gaulle as soon as 1944, Tunisian president Habib Bourguiba, US president Dwight David Eisenhower, Indian Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, socialist Jayaprakash Narayan, comedian Coluche, president François Mitterrand, president Jacques Chirac and Mohammed V of Morocco.
Bibliography
He has written many books and articles, including a book for children aged over ten, titled C'est quoi la mort?. Many of his publications are translated into English. All authors' rights (books, discs and videos) are versed to the Fondation Abbé Pierre concerning lodging and accommodations for those lacking these fundamental rights.
1987: Bernard Chevallier interroge l’abbé Pierre: Emmaüs ou venger l’homme, with Bernard Chevalier, éd. LGF/Livre de Poche, Paris. — ISBN 2253041513.
1988: Cent poèmes contre la misère, éd. Le Cherche-midi, Paris — ISBN 2862741418.
1993: Dieu et les hommes, with Bernard Kouchner, éd. Robert Laffont — ISBN 2221076184.
1994: Testament… — ISBN 2724281039. Réédition 2005, éd. Bayard/Centurion, Paris — ISBN 2227475323.
1994: Une terre et des hommes, éd. Cerf, Paris.
1994: Absolu, éd. Seuil, Paris.
1996: Dieu merci, éd. Fayard/Centurion, Paris.
1996: Le bal des exclus, éd. Fayard, Paris.
1997: Mémoires d’un croyant, éd. Fayard, Paris.
1999: Fraternité, éd. Fayard, Paris.
1999: Paroles, éd. Actes Sud, Paris.
1999: C’est quoi la mort?,
1999: J’attendrai le plaisir du Bon Dieu: l’intégrale des entretiens d’Edmond Blattchen, éd. Alice, Paris.
2000: En route vers l’absolu, éd. Flammarion, Paris.
2001: La Planète des pauvres. Le tour du monde à vélo des communautés Emmaüs, de Louis Harenger, Louis Harenger, Michel Friedman, Emmaüs international, Abbé Pierre, éd. J’ai lu, Paris — ISBN 2290309990.
2002: Confessions, éd. Albin Michel, Paris — ISBN 2226130519.
2002: Je voulais être marin, missionnaire ou brigand, rédigé avec Denis Lefèvre, éd. Le Cherche-midi, Paris — ISBN 2749100151. Réédition en livre de poche, éd. J’ai lu, Paris — ISBN 2290342211.
2004: L'Abbé Pierre, la construction d’une légende, by Philippe Falcone, éd. Golias — ISBN 2914475497.
2004: L'Abbé Pierre parle aux jeunes, with Pierre-Roland Saint-Dizier, éd. Du Signe, Paris — ISBN 2746812576.
2005: Le sourire d’un ange, éd. Elytis, Paris.
2005: Mon Dieu... pourquoi ? Petites méditations sur la foi chrétienne et le sens de la vie, with Frédéric Lenoir, éd. Plon — ISBN 2259201407.
2006: Servir : Paroles de vie, with Albine Navarino, éd. Presses du Châtelet, Paris — ISBN 2845921861.
Discography (interviews, etc.)
2001: Radioscopie: Abbé Pierre - Entretien avec Jacques Chancel, CD Audio - ASIN B00005NK45.
1988-2003: Éclats De Voix, suite de CD Audio, Poèmes et réflexions, en 4 volumes:
- Vol. 1: Le Temps des Catacombes, rééd. label Celia - ASIN B00005R2LK.
- Vol. 2: Hors de Soi, rééd. label Celia - ASIN B00005R2LL.
- Vol. 3: Corsaire de Dieu, rééd. label Celia - ASIN B00005R2LM.
- Vol. 4: ?, label Scalen - ASIN B00004VAP4.
2005: Le CD Testament..., pour fêter le 56 anniversaire de la Fondation d'Emmaüs (réflexions personnelles, textes et paroles inspirées de la Bible) - ISBN 2227475323.
2005: Avant de partir..., le testament audio de l’Abbé Pierre, CD audio et vidéos pour PC, prières et musiques de méditation - ASIN B000CCZ2PE.
2006: L’Insurgé de l’amour, label Revues Bayard, Paris - ASIN B000EQHSPU.
2006: Paroles de Paix de l’Abbé Pierre, CD audio, label Fremeux - ASIN B0001GLG2Y.
Filmography
1955: Les Chiffonniers d'Emmaüs de Robert Darène avec Pierre Mondy.
1989: Hiver 54, l'abbé Pierre de Denis Amar avec Lambert Wilson dans le rôle de L'abbé Pierre et Claudia Cardinale. Film rediffusé le jour de sa mort, en son hommage, sur la chaîne de télévision publique France 2.
2005: Vous direz à vos enfants... Le plus beau témoignage sur la beauté du don, DVD PAL (région 2), entretien avec l’abbé Pierre, studio LCJ Éditions, Paris - ASIN B000BU9OVA.
Les chiffonniers d’Emmaüs dans: Alain comme les autres, DVD PAL (région 2), documentaire-fiction de Denise Gilliand, avec Jean-Quentin châtelin, l’Abbé Pierre et les Compagnons d’Emmaüs, studio VPS - ASIN B000IOMRE0.
2007: Paroles - Abbé Pierre, 2 x DVD PAL, séries d'entretiens avec l'Abbé Pierre. Rencontres avec Johnny Hallyday, Zinédine Zidane et le Dalai Lama. Edition Emmaüs Genève - Artémis Films Productions.Further Information
Get more info on 'Abb Pierre'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://abb___pierre.totallyexplained.com">Abbé Pierre Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
