PARIS (OSV News) -- French Catholics were shocked to learn July 17 of the "sexual assault or sexual harassment" allegations against the famed priest Abbé Pierre, who, inspired by a story of a woman that had frozen to death on the streets of Paris with an eviction notice in her hand, created the most vibrant ministry for the poor in the country and advocated for changes in the law so that the poor don't suffer by eviction.

The priest, who died in 2007 at the age of 94, was a former Resistance fighter and member of parliament. In 1949, he founded the Emmaus Community for the poor. Well-known in France, the association went on to expand internationally . Abbé Pierre was admired at home and abroad far beyond the church.

It was his own community, Emmaus -- both its international and French branch, along with the Abbé Pierre Foundation -- that informed about the accusations and results of an investigation into the allegations of abuse committed against "several women" between "the end of the 1970s and 2005," the organizations said in a joint July 17 statement.

"The Emmaüs Movement is making public (the) facts that may be similar to sexual assault or sexual harassment, committed by Abbé Pierre," that concerned "employees, volunteers and volunteers from some of our member organizations, or young women in Abbé Pierre's personal entourage," the statement said. One of the women "was a minor at the time of the first events."

According to Emmaus, the investigation, entrusted to a consulting firm specializing in violence against women, was commissioned after the first testimonial was brought to their attention "a year ago." The consulting firm gathered other testimonies from women who reported similar behavior.

"These revelations have shaken our structures, within which the figure of Abbé Pierre occupies a major place," Emmaus associations wrote in their statement. "These actions profoundly change the way we look at a man known above all for his fight against poverty, misery and exclusion."

Emmaus said that their organizations "salute the courage of the people who have testified and, through their words, have enabled these realities to be brought to light. We believe them, we know that these intolerable acts have left their mark and we stand by their side."

The French bishops' conference immediately issued its own statement July 17 and said the bishops are "deeply saddened to learn of reports of sexual assaults committed by Abbé Pierre against women who came to work at Emmaus."

While awaiting the published report, the conference "wishes to assure the victims of its deep compassion and shame that such acts could be committed by a priest, and reiterates its determination to mobilize to make the Church a safe house."

French Catholic daily La Croix said July 17 that it has obtained and read the published report, and gave details of its contents. "This report reveals a man of the Church who did not stop himself from seeking to satisfy his impulses, feeling authorized to perform acts reprehensible under the law of the time," La Croix journalists said. "The accounts also shed light on the personality of a man who was aware of the transgressive nature of his actions, and knew how to stop when these women firmly expressed their refusal."

La Croix said that Abbé Pierre's behavior was well known within Emmaus. The paper quoted Axelle Dolino-Brodiez, historian and researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and author of a 2009 biography of Abbé Pierre. She confirmed that the priest "had uncontrollable impulses with women," and that "a small circle knew this."

Emmaus Community said in its statement they have set up a testimonial and support system, aimed at people who have been victims or witnesses of "unacceptable acts committed by a person who played a major role" in the history of their movement.

Emmaus is the second French Catholic organization that transparently informed the public about the allegations against its founder. L'Arche issued its massive report in 2023 about abuse committed by its founder, Jean Vanier.

L'Arche's report was produced by an independent, interdisciplinary commission of French academics, and validated the claims of 25 non-disabled women against Vanier, who was a founder of a renowned organization supporting adults with intellectual disabilities.

- - - Caroline de Sury writes for OSV News from Paris.