Cardinal Hollerich Expels Verbum Spei from His Archdiocese
He hypocritically speaks of "ending pastoral collaboration" with the Fraternity.
Verbum Spei was founded in 2012 by priests who belonged to the Saint-Jean community. They left the community following revelations of abuses committed by its founder, Dominican Father Marie-Dominique Philippe.
The neo-conservative priests were welcomed by the homosexual activist Raúl Vera López OP, then Bishop of Saltillo, Mexico. They are formally part of the clergy of Saltillo. The community has houses in Boise (USA), Burgos (Spain), Honduras and Cuba.
In 2013, the priests of Verbum Spei were among the signatories of a public letter to the Community of Saint Jean in defence of the memory of its founder.
In 2016, Hollerich asked Verbum Spei to come to Luxembourg to take charge of the chaplaincy of the University of Luxembourg, founded only in 2003.
A Verbum Spei priest baptised Prince Charles (born in May 2020), the first of the children of Hereditary Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg.
Now, on 31 January 2025, Hollerich justifies his action with "the continued attachment of the leaders of the Fraternité Verbum Spei to the person and teachings of Father Marie-Dominique Philippe, despite the negative judgements of the French diocesan authorities".
His attack focuses on the case of a Verbum Spei priest who impregnated an adult student, who gave birth to the child in May 2021. The priest was excluded from the priesthood in July 2024. It is unjust to punish the whole group for the mistakes of a single member.
The very last sentence of Hollerich's communiqué: "We would like to make it clear that no member of the Verbum Spei community has been accused of sexual abuse during their time in Luxembourg".
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