“Morerod has good intentions, but is partly naive” – kath.ch
Jacques Nuoffer (76) received the Herbert Haag Prize for the western Swiss victims’ association “SAPEC”. He criticizes: “So far, the church is not ready to change its sexual morality and to end clericalism.”
Raphael Rauch
What does the Herbert Haag Prize mean to you?
Jacques Nuoffer*: The saying about the prophet who isn’t worth that much in his own country comes to mind. I find it significant that a German-Swiss foundation honors the western Swiss victims’ association “SAPEC”. We are very happy about that and hopefully it will help to continue to break the silence.
Jacques Nuoffer
And what does the award ceremony mean to you personally?
Nuoffer: The award ceremony yesterday in Lucerne was an important moment for me. It meant a lot to me that my daughter was there. When she was born, my trauma resurfaced: I was abused at the age of 14 by a religious priest, a family friend. I didn’t feel well after my daughter was born. It broke my marriage, I had to do psychotherapy and hardly had any time for my daughter. It was all the nicer that she was there yesterday.
“When Bishop Genoud died, our work became easier.”
At the age of 63 you approached the diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Friborg to obtain files. That was in 2009.
Nuoffer: I was retired and had finally found the time and energy to do it. It was a long process and very stressful. The then Bishop Bernard Genoud and the then Provincial of the Missionaries of Saint Francis de Sales refused to allow me to inspect the files and to answer my questions. I got access to radio in western Switzerland – at that time still anonymous. I wanted to join forces with other people affected. This is how our organization “SAPEC” came into being. When Bishop Genoud died, our work became easier. The then abbot of Einsiedeln, Martin Werlen, and the new bishop of Lausanne, Geneva and Freiburg, Charles Morerod, supported us.
Jacques Nuoffer with Vreni Peterer from the German-Swiss interest group for those affected by abuse in the church environment.
How do you see the future of «SAPEC»?
New offer: Many victims do not want to have any contact with the church. It is therefore important that there are organizations such as “SAPEC” or “CECAR” that victims can turn to. People in German-speaking Switzerland can also contact us. We worked on the translation of the “CECAR” texts into German; they will soon be published on the internet.
Bishop Morerod 2019 the memorial plaque for victims of abuse in the Freiburg Cathedral.
Has the diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Freiburg drawn the necessary conclusions from the abuse crisis?
Nuoffer: It is clear to those responsible that the abuse in the Catholic Church is not an industrial accident, but is part of a toxic system. The Catholic Church has met three out of five criteria: the first asked for forgiveness, the second paid reparations – and the third has now started a research project.
“There is an exaggeration in the ordination of priests, which is part of the problem.”
Which two criteria are not met?
Nuoffer: So far the church is not ready to change its sexual morality and end clericalism. Clericalism still exists. There is an exaggeration in priestly ordination that is part of the problem. Men are supposed to become like Christ, they are endowed with a problematic abundance of power.
The affairs surrounding Paul Frochaux, Alain Chardonnens and other priests have weighed heavily on the diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg.
The credibility of Bishop Charles Morerod and Auxiliary Bishop Alain de Raemy suffered greatly as a result of the Frochaux affair. A priest was promoted to professor who had abused his 17-year-old godson. Adrienne Cuany says Alain de Raemy knew about the crime.
Nuoffer: Morerod has good intentions, but is partly naive. This is also evident in other areas. We have often addressed the double standards in the diocese: on the one hand the Catholic Church is homophobic, on the other hand there is a pronounced homoerotic climate in the diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg. I don’t understand why attorney Harari’s investigation has not been made public. At least we see progress in the seminar in Givisiez. There used to be great resistance to psychological training for priests. The new psychologist should focus more on the psychological aspects of the candidates.
Bishop Joseph Maria Bonnemain
You’ve also been working with Joseph Bonnemain for some time. Since 2002 he has been secretary of the expert committee on “Sexual abuse in the church environment” of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference, since 2021 he has been the bishop responsible for dossiers. How is your cooperation?
Nuoffer: I find Joseph Bonnemain likeable and friendly. But I made it clear to him that I don’t think it’s a good thing if everything is discussed in Zurich – without representing French-speaking Switzerland and their sensibility. In return, the press conference for the planned abuse study is now taking place in Lausanne. I will repeat there what I have said so far: We are frustrated that victim organizations have not yet been implemented. And we think it’s important to publish a call for testimony. It is not enough just to consult archives. We fear that the study WILL not be comprehensive enough.
Was working with Bonnemain good. We didn’t seek confrontation because otherwise we wouldn’t achieve anything for the victims. Bonnemain can accept that there are different views.
Thoughts on synodality – expressed at the RKZ focus in Bern.
How do you assess the synodal process?
Nuoffer: What I heard didn’t convince me. The real questions, the real problems are not addressed: the women’s question, the question of office, the question of power – nothing happens here. There was a lot of discussion about the details, but not the essentials.
Jacques Nuoffer in Lucerne at the presentation of the Herbert Haag Prize.
Are you still a member of the Roman Catholic Church?
Offer: My grandfather was sacristan for 57 years. My father was a sacristan for 30 years. I myself was a substitute sacristan for 15 years and founded a liturgical group in the 1960s. But when I came to the canton of Bern, I had already distanced myself from the Catholic Church. I didn’t want to pay church taxes for a parish I don’t use. that’s why i quit.
* Jacques Nuoffer (76) received the Herbert Haag Prize on Sunday for his commitment to the western Swiss victim representation “SAPEC” (Soutien aux personnes abusées dans une relation d’autorité religieuse). The organization was founded in 2010, making it the oldest victims’ association in Switzerland.
Another award went to Albin Reichmuth, initiator of a self-help group for victims of abuse and president of an independent association, the “interest group for those affected by abuse in the church environment”. For health reasons, Albin Reichmuth was unable to accept the award in person. Vreni Peterer, who is also a board member of the interest group, accepted it on his behalf.
© Catholic Media Center, 03/14/2022
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