Interview with Abbé Pierre by Frédéric Lenoir
Plon, October 2005
Presentation
In a confiding tone, with complete candor, Abbé Pierre shares here, as never before, his questions, convictions, and indignations about the Christian faith and the meaning of human life.
Original sin, Jesus and Mary Magdalene, priestly celibacy and chastity, religious fanaticism, George Bush's crusade, the place of women in the Church, same-sex marriage, the problem of evil and suffering, the place of Christianity among other religions: these are all essential questions that the founder of Emmaus addresses without compromise.
What the press says about it
"A small book that is a gem of wisdom and humanity… to be taken for what it is: the common-sense testimony of a public figure who says aloud what so many churchmen experience in silence…" Le Monde
"Abbé Pierre is a generous man; no Catholic taboo is beyond his grasp." - Le Figaro
"May the testimony of Abbé Pierre encourage the idea that it is beautiful to love, even when that love has the weathered face of a fidelity that knows—even in its very flesh—the price of self-denial it has paid to unfold." La Croix
"To act until his last breath. To use the media to advance his cause. And to bear witness truthfully, as a man of faith, free, as he does in this short book where he intimately reveals himself." — Le Journal du dimanche
“This booklet is the fruit of several conversations (around fifty over a year) between Abbé Pierre and Frédéric Lenoir. It is undoubtedly the most intimate work he has published in recent years… At 93, the founder of Emmaus returns to the source of his commitment: the mystery of faith… Abbé Pierre stirs things up. His stances will relieve some and shock others. This ‘rebel of God’ is not just an icon…” Le Point
“It’s a bombshell in the tranquil land of Christian thought… With simple words, both economical and audacious, the most popular man in France, in a series of short texts, tackles all the taboo subjects within the Catholic Church: same-sex marriage, their desire for children, the ordination of women (which he supports), the virginity of Mary, and the role of Mary Magdalene alongside Jesus. Frédéric Lenoir, who very skillfully helped the founder of Emmaus to write these meditations—subtitled Convictions, Questions, and Outrages on the Christian Faith—recounts that the latter, “stimulated” by the shift taken by John Paul II with the recognition of the validity of the theory of evolution, had been tormented for eighteen months by hundreds of theological questions. On the meaning of creation, in particular. What is the purpose of life? Love, answers Abbé Pierre, love, when it is the meeting point of two freedoms; Love, which is not always synonymous with happiness; love, which is sometimes accompanied by suffering. – L'Express
Translations – other editions
Germany: DEUTSCHER TASCHENBUCH VERLAG (dtv)
Canada: ALEXANDRE STANKE INC.
Korea: SAMTOH PUBLISHING
Croatia: NAKLADA JURCIE
Spain: EDICIONES B, VIENA EDICIONS (Catalan language)
France: FRANCE LOISIRS
France: LES EDITIONS A VUE D'ŒIL
Hungary: BENCES KIADO és Terjesztö Kft
Italy: GARZANTI LIBRI Srl
Japan: SHINKYO SHUPPANSHA
Netherlands: UITGEVERIJ TEN HAVE
Poland: VIDEOGRAF II
Portugal: DOM QUIXOTE/GRUPO LEYA
Romania: HUMANITAS
Slovakia: EDITIONS SOFA
Slovenia: UCILA INTERNATIONAL
Switzerland: WCC PUBLICATIONS