Abbé Pierre
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Abbé Pierre,
OFM Cap The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...
, (born Henri Marie Joseph Grouès; 5 August 191222 January 2007) was a French
Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...
, member of the Resistance during World War II, and deputy of the
Popular Republican Movement The Popular Republican Movement (french: Mouvement Républicain Populaire, MRP) was a Christian-democratic political party in France during the Fourth Republic. Its base was the Catholic vote and its leaders included Georges Bidault, Robert Sc ...
(MRP). In 1949, he founded the
Emmaus Emmaus (; Greek: Ἐμμαούς, ''Emmaous''; la, Emmaus; , ''Emmaom''; ar, عمواس, ''ʻImwas'') is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before tw ...
movement, with the goal of helping poor and homeless people and refugees. He was one of the most popular figures in France but had his name removed from such polls after some time.
Le top 50 des personnalités
', 12/06, sondage IFOP pour
Le Journal du Dimanche ''Le Journal du dimanche'' (English: ''Sunday's newspaper'') is a French weekly newspaper published on Sundays in France. History and profile ''Le Journal du Dimanche'' was created by Pierre Lazareff in 1948. He was managing editor of '' Fran ...
p.12 et suivantes


Youth and education

Grouès was born on 5 August 1912 in Lyon, France to a wealthy Catholic family of
silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
traders, the fifth of eight children. His aunt was the writer Héra Mirtel. He spent his childhood in
Irigny Irigny (; frp, Éregnins) is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. The residents are called ''Irignois''. Population See also *Communes of the Metropolis of Lyon The following is a list of t ...
, 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. Grouès became a member of the ''
Scouts de France Scouts et Guides de France (''Scouts and Guides of France'', SGdF) is the largest Scouting and Guiding association in France. It was formed on 1 September 2004 from the merger of two Roman Catholic Scouting organizations: the Guides de France (f ...
'' in which he was nicknamed "Meditative Beaver" (''Castor méditatif''). In 1928, aged 16, he made the decision to join a monastic order, but he had to wait until he was seventeen and a half to fulfill this ambition. In 1931 Grouès entered the
Capuchin Order The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...
, the principal offshoot of the
Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...
, renouncing his inheritances and offering all his possessions to charities. Known as ''frère Philippe'' (Brother Philippe), he entered the monastery of
Crest Crest or CREST may refer to: Buildings *The Crest (Huntington, New York), a historic house in Suffolk County, New York *"The Crest", an alternate name for 63 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York *Crest Castle (Château Du Crest), Jussy, Switzerla ...
in 1932, where he lived for 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 A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...
to the hospital of
La Mure La Mure () is a commune in the Isère département in southeastern France. It is located south of Grenoble on the plateau Matheysin. Population Sights * The Chemin de fer de la Mure is a small touristic train using a railway initially bu ...
(Isère), and then of an orphanage in the Côte-Saint-André (also in the Isère department). After being
ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
a Roman Catholic priest on 24 August 1938, he became
curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...
of
Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...
's cathedral in April 1939, only a few months before the
invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...
. The
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
Fr.
Henri de Lubac Henri-Marie Joseph Sonier de Lubac (; 20 February 1896 – 4 September 1991), better known as Henri de Lubac, was a French Jesuit priest and cardinal who is considered one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century. His writin ...
told him on the day of his priestly ordination: "ask the Holy Spirit to grant you the same anti-clericalism of the saints."


World War II

When
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
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 following the July 1942 mass arrests in Paris, called the '' Rafle du Vel' d'Hiv'', 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 The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
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 Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...
(the brother of
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
) and his wife escape to Switzerland.Il aurait mérité dix fois d'être fait "Juste parmi les nations"
testimony of Jean-Claude Duclos, curator of the Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de l'Isère, in ''
Libération ''Libération'' (), popularly known as ''Libé'' (), is a daily newspaper in France, founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Initially positioned on the far-left of France's ...
'', 25 January 2007
He participated in establishing a section of the ''
maquis Maquis may refer to: Resistance groups * Maquis (World War II), predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance * Spanish Maquis, guerrillas who fought against Francoist Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War * The network ...
'' where he officially became one of the local leaders in the
Vercors Plateau The Vercors Massif is a range in France consisting of rugged plateaus and mountains straddling the '' départements'' of Isère and Drôme in the French Prealps. It lies west of the Dauphiné Alps, from which it is separated by the rivers Dr ...
and in the
Chartreuse Mountains The Chartreuse Mountains (french: massif de la Chartreuse ) are a mountain range in southeastern France, stretching from the city of Grenoble in the south to the Lac du Bourget in the north. They are part of the French Prealps, which continue a ...
. He helped people to avoid being taken into the ''
Service du travail obligatoire The ' ( en, Compulsory Work Service; STO) was the forced enlistment and deportation of hundreds of thousands of French workers to Nazi Germany to work as forced labour for the German war effort during World War II. The STO was created under law ...
'' (STO), the Nazi forced-labour program agreed upon with
Pierre Laval Pierre Jean Marie Laval (; 28 June 1883 – 15 October 1945) was a French politician. During the Third Republic, he served as Prime Minister of France from 27 January 1931 to 20 February 1932 and 7 June 1935 to 24 January 1936. He again occ ...
, by creating in
Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...
the first refugee for resistants to the STO; he founded the clandestine newspaper ''L'Union patriotique indépendante''.L'insurgé de la bonté
''
L'Humanité ''L'Humanité'' (; ), is a French daily newspaper. It was previously an organ of the French Communist Party, and maintains links to the party. Its slogan is "In an ideal world, ''L'Humanité'' would not exist." History and profile Pre-World Wa ...
'', 23 January 2007
In ''Le Monde''s obituary, in English
"ABBÉ PIERRE, FOUNDER OF EMMAÜS, IS DEAD"
, 23 January 2007

)
For a time, in 1943, he was given shelter by Lucie Coutaz, a Resistance member who later became his secretary and was his assistant in his charity work until her death in 1982. He was arrested twice, once in 1944 by the Nazi police in the city of
Cambo-les-Bains Cambo-les-Bains (; eu, Kanbo) is a town in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It lies on the south-western bank of the river Nive. Cambo-les-Bains station has rail ...
in the
Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; eu, Pirinio Atlantiarrak or ) is a department in the southwest corner of France and of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Pyrenees mountain range and the Atlant ...
, but was quickly released and travelled to Spain then
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
before joining the
Free French Forces __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...
of General de Gaulle in
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
. In the Free North Africa, he became a
chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...
in the
French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
on the battleship ''
Jean Bart Jean Bart (; ; 21 October 1650 – 27 April 1702) was a French Admiral, naval commander and privateer. Early life Jean Bart was born in Dunkirk, France, Dunkirk in 1650 to a seafaring family, the son of Jean-Cornil Bart (c. 1619-1668) who has b ...
'' in
Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
. He had become an important character and symbol of the French Resistance. At the end of the war, he was awarded the ''Croix de guerre 1939-1945'' with bronze palms and the ''
Médaille de la Résistance The Resistance Medal (french: Médaille de la Résistance) was a decoration bestowed by the French Committee of National Liberation, based in the United Kingdom, during World War II. It was established by a decree of General Charles de Gaulle on 9 ...
''. Like other members of the Resistance, his experience would mark him for life, teaching him the necessity of engaging himself to protect fundamental
human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
through legal means and, if need be, through a sort of
civil disobedience Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be called "civil". Hen ...
doctrine.


Political career (1945–51) and the 1960s/70s

When the war was over, following de Gaulle's entourage's advice and the approbation of the archbishop of Paris, Abbé Pierre was elected
deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spai ...
for Meurthe-et-Moselle department in both National Constituent Assemblies in 1945–1946 as an independent close to the
Popular Republican Movement The Popular Republican Movement (french: Mouvement Républicain Populaire, MRP) was a Christian-democratic political party in France during the Fourth Republic. Its base was the Catholic vote and its leaders included Georges Bidault, Robert Sc ...
(MRP), mainly consisting of Christian democratic members of the Resistance. In 1946, he was re-elected as a member of the National Assembly, but this time as a member of the MRP. Abbé Pierre became vice-president of the
World Federalist Movement The World Federalist Movement advocates strong democratic institutions adhering to the principles of subsidiarity, solidarity and democracy. The movement formed in the 1930s and 1940s by citizens groups concerned that the structure of the ne ...
in 1947, a universal federalist movement. After a bloody accident resulting in the death of a blue-collar worker, Édouard Mazé, in Brest in 1950, Abbé Pierre decided to put an end to his MRP affiliation on 28 April 1950, writing a letter titled ''"Pourquoi je quitte le MRP"'' ("Why I quit the MRP"), where he denounced the political and social attitude of the MRP party. He then joined the
Christian socialist Christian socialism is a religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity and socialism, endorsing left-wing politics and socialist economics on the basis of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Many Christian socialists believe cap ...
movement named ''
Ligue de la jeune République The Young Republic League (french: Ligue de la jeune république, LJR) was a French political party created in 1912 by Marc Sangnier, in continuation of ''Le Sillon'', Sangnier's Christian social movement which was disavowed by the Pope Pius X ( ...
'', created in 1912 by
Marc Sangnier Marc Sangnier (; 3 April 1873, Paris – 28 May 1950, Paris) was a French Roman Catholic thinker and politician, who in 1894 founded '' Le Sillon'' ("The Furrow"), a social Catholic movement. Work Sangnier aimed to bring the Catholic Church i ...
, but decided to finally end his political career. In 1951, before the end of his mandate, he returned to his first vocation: to help homeless people. With the small indemnities he received as a deputy, he invested in a run-down house near Paris in the wealthy
Neuilly-Plaisance Neuilly-Plaisance () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The composer Alain Margoni was born in Neuilly-Plaisance on 13 October 1934. History *The commune of Neuilly-Plaisance was crea ...
neighbourhood. Astounding his neighbours, the priest began to repair the roof and the whole house, and finally made of it the first Emmaüs base (because, according to him, it was simply too big for one person). Although the Abbé then put a definitive end to his involvement in representative politics, preferring to invest his energies in the Emmaus charity movement, he never completely abandoned the political field, taking strong stances on many and various subjects. Thus, when the
decolonization Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on separatism, in ...
movement was slowly beginning to emerge in the whole world, he attempted in 1956 to convince Tunisian leader
Habib Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba (; ar, الحبيب بورقيبة, al-Ḥabīb Būrqībah; 3 August 19036 April 2000) was a Tunisian lawyer, nationalist leader and statesman who led the country from 1956 to 1957 as the prime minister of the Kingdom of T ...
to obtain independence without using violence. Present in various international conferences at the end of the 1950s, he met Colombian priest
Camilo Torres Camilo Torres may refer to: * Camilo Torres Restrepo (1929–1966), liberation theologian, priest and guerrilla member in Colombia during the 1960s * Camilo Torres Tenorio (1766–1816), political leader of Colombia's independence struggle agai ...
(1929–1966), a predecessor of
Liberation theology Liberation theology is a Christian theological approach emphasizing the liberation of the oppressed. In certain contexts, it engages socio-economic analyses, with "social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples". In ...
, who asked for his advice on the Colombian Church's criticism of "workers' priests." He was also received by US president
Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
and
Mohammed V of Morocco Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد;  570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
in 1955 and 1956. In 1962 he resided for several months in
Charles de Foucauld Charles Eugène de Foucauld de Pontbriand, Viscount of Foucauld (15 September 1858 – 1 December 1916) was a French soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnographer, Catholic priest and hermit who lived among the Tuareg people in the Sahara in Alg ...
's retreat in Béni-Abbés (Algeria). The Abbé was then called to India in 1971 by
Jayaprakash Narayan Jayaprakash Narayan (; 11 October 1902 – 8 October 1979), popularly referred to as JP or ''Lok Nayak'' (Hindi for "People's leader"), was an Indian independence activist, theorist, socialist and political leader. He is remembered for le ...
to represent, along with the ''
Ligue des droits de l'homme The Human Rights League (french: Ligue des droits de l’homme ''t du citoyen' or LDH) of France is a Human Rights NGO association to observe, defend and promulgation of Rights Man within the French Republic in all spheres of public life. The ...
'' (Human Rights League) France in the issues of refugees.
Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...
then invited him to deal with the question of Bengali refugees, and the Abbé founded Emmaus communities in
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
.


Emmaus


1949: the origin

Emmaus Emmaus (; Greek: Ἐμμαούς, ''Emmaous''; la, Emmaus; , ''Emmaom''; ar, عمواس, ''ʻImwas'') is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before tw ...
(''Emmaüs'' in French) was started in 1949. Its name is a reference to a village in Israel appearing in the
Gospel of Luke The Gospel of Luke), or simply Luke (which is also its most common form of abbreviation). tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Together with the Acts of the Apostles, it makes up a two-volu ...
, where two disciples extended hospitality to Jesus just after his resurrection without recognizing him. In that way, Emmaus's mission is to help poor and homeless people. It is a secular organization. In 1950 the first community of Emmaus companions was created in
Neuilly-Plaisance Neuilly-Plaisance () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The composer Alain Margoni was born in Neuilly-Plaisance on 13 October 1934. History *The commune of Neuilly-Plaisance was crea ...
close to Paris in France. The Emmaus community raises funds for the construction of housing by selling used goods. "Emmaus, it's a little like the wheelbarrow, the shovels and the pickaxes coming before the banners. A sort of social fuel derived from salvaging defeating men." There were initial difficulties raising funds, so in 1952, Abbé Pierre decided to be a contestant on the
Radio Luxembourg Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg). The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...
game show ''Quitte ou double'' (''Double or Nothing'') for the prize money; he ended up winning 256,000
francs The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' (King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th centu ...
.


Winter 1954: "Uprising of kindness"

Abbé Pierre became famous during the extremely cold winter of 1954 in France, when homeless people were dying in the streets. Following the failure of the projected law on lodgings, he gave a well-remembered speech on
Radio Luxembourg Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg). The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...
on 1 February 1954, and asked ''
Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of r ...
'', a conservative newspaper which, as he said, was read by "the powerful", to publish his call: 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 Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
gave 2 million). This enormous amount was totally unexpected; telephone operators and the postal service were overwhelmed, and owing to the volume of donations, several weeks were needed just to sort them, distribute them, and find a place to stock them throughout the country. Moreover, this call attracted volunteers from all over the country to help them, including wealthy '' bourgeoises'' who were emotionally shaken by the Abbé's call: first to do the redistribution, but then to duplicate the effort all around France. Quite quickly, Abbé Pierre had to organise his movement by creating the ''Emmaus communities'' on 23 March 1954. In an Emmaus community, volunteers help homeless people by giving them accommodation, and somewhere to eat and work. A number of Emmaus volunteers are also formerly homeless people themselves, from all age groups, religious or ethnic origins, and social backgrounds. The Abbé Pierre strived to show desperate people that they too could help others, and thus that the weak could still help even weaker people. A book was written by Boris Simon which described the misery of poor ragpicker communities, called "Abbé Pierre and the ragpickers of Emmaus" which helped spread knowledge about the Emmaus community. In 1955 Abbé Pierre gives president Eisenhower an English translation of the book, in the oval office. The Emmaus communities quickly spread worldwide. The Abbé traveled to
Beyrouth Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint of ...
(Beirut, Lebanon) in 1959, to assist in the creation of the first multiconfessional Emmaus group there; it was founded by a Sunni (Muslim), a Melkite (Catholic) archbishop and a Maronite (Christian) writer.


1980s to 2000s

After the 1981 election of President
François Mitterrand François Marie Adrien Maurice Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was President of France, serving under that position from 1981 to 1995, the longest time in office in the history of France. As First Secretary of the Socialist Party, he ...
(
Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...
, PS) (during which he called for
blank vote A protest vote (also called a blank, null, spoiled, or " none of the above" vote) is a vote cast in an election to demonstrate dissatisfaction with the choice of candidates or the current political system. Protest voting takes a variety of forms ...
), the Abbé Pierre supported the initiative of the French Premier
Laurent Fabius Laurent Fabius (; born 20 August 1946) is a French politician serving as President of the Constitutional Council since 8 March 2016. A member of the Socialist Party, he previously served as Prime Minister of France from 17 July 1984 to 20 Marc ...
(PS) to create in 1984 the ''
Revenu minimum d'insertion The Revenu minimum d'insertion (RMI) was a French form of social welfare. It is aimed at people without any income who are of working age but do not have any other rights to unemployment benefits (such as contributions-based unemployment benefits). ...
'' (RMI), a welfare system for indigents.Le diable et le Bon Dieu
''
Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of r ...
'', 26 January 2007
The same year, he organized the operation "Charity Christmas", which, relayed by ''
France Soir ''France Soir'' ( en, France Evening) was a French newspaper that prospered in physical format during the 1950s and 1960s, reaching a circulation of 1.5 million in the 1950s. It declined rapidly under various owners and was relaunched as a popul ...
'', brought 6 million Francs and 200 tons of products. The actor
Coluche Michel Gérard Joseph Colucci (, ; 28 October 1944 – 19 June 1986), better known under his stage name Coluche (), was a French stage comedian and cinema actor. He adopted ''Coluche'' as a stage name at age 26, when he began his entertainment ca ...
, who had organized the charitable '' Restos du Cœur'', offered him 150 million French cents received by his organisation. Coluche's huge success with the Restos du Cœur, caused by his popularity (Coluche had even tried to present himself to the 1981 presidential election before withdrawing), convinced the Abbé again of the necessity and value of such charitable struggles and the usefulness of the media in such endeavours. In 1983, he spoke with Italian President
Sandro Pertini Alessandro "Sandro" Pertini (; 25 September 1896 – 24 February 1990) was an Italian socialist politician who served as the president of Italy from 1978 to 1985. Early life Born in Stella ( Province of Savona) as the son of a wealthy landow ...
to plead the cause of Vanni Mulinaris, imprisoned on charge of assistance to the
Red Brigades The Red Brigades ( it, Brigate Rosse , often abbreviated BR) was a far-left Marxist–Leninist armed organization operating as a terrorist and guerrilla group based in Italy responsible for numerous violent incidents, including the abduction ...
(BR), and even observed eight days of
hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...
from 26 May to 3 June 1984 in the Cathedral of Turin to protest against detention conditions of "Brigadists" in Italian prisons and the imprisonment without trial of Vanni Mulinaris, who was recognized innocent sometimes afterwards. Italian magistrate Carlo Mastelloni recalled in the ''
Corriere della Sera The ''Corriere della Sera'' (; en, "Evening Courier") is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average daily circulation of 410,242 copies in December 2015. First published on 5 March 1876, ''Corriere della Sera'' is one of It ...
'' 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.«Quel giorno in Tribunale con lui Difese i terroristi rossi e l' Hyperion»
, ''
Corriere della Sera The ''Corriere della Sera'' (; en, "Evening Courier") is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average daily circulation of 410,242 copies in December 2015. First published on 5 March 1876, ''Corriere della Sera'' is one of It ...
'', 23 January 2007
According to the ''Corriere della Sera'', it would even have been him who convinced then president François Mitterrand to grant protection from extradition to left-wing Italian activists who took refuge in France and had broken with their past. More than 20 years later, the
ANSA Ansa (Latin for "handle") or ANSA may refer to: Organizations * Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, Italian news agency ** Ansa Mediterranean or ANSAmed, section of the above * Applied Neuroscience Society of Australasia * Association of Norw ...
, Italian press agency, recalled that he had supported in 2005 one of his physicians, Michele d'Auria, who was a former member of ''
Prima Linea Prima Linea (in English: "Front Line", literally "First Line") was an Italian left-wing terrorist group, active in the country from the late 1970s until the early 1980s. Context Following the 1969-70 large-scale series of industrial action in ...
'', an Italian far-left group, and was accused of having participated in hold-ups during 1990. Like many other Italian activists, he had exiled himself to France during the " years of lead", and then joined the Emmaus companions. ''
La Repubblica ''la Repubblica'' (; the Republic) is an Italian daily general-interest newspaper. It was founded in 1976 in Rome by Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso (now known as GEDI Gruppo Editoriale) and led by Eugenio Scalfari, Carlo Caracciolo and Arnoldo ...
'' specified that Italian justice has recognized the innocence of all people close to the Hyperion School Following the Abbé's death in January 2007, Italian magistrate Carlo Mastelloni declared to the ''
Corriere della Sera The ''Corriere della Sera'' (; en, "Evening Courier") is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average daily circulation of 410,242 copies in December 2015. First published on 5 March 1876, ''Corriere della Sera'' is one of It ...
'' that during the abduction of
Aldo Moro Aldo Romeo Luigi Moro (; 23 September 1916 – 9 May 1978) was an Italian statesman and a prominent member of the Christian Democracy (DC). He served as prime minister of Italy from December 1963 to June 1968 and then from November 1974 to July 1 ...
Abbé Pierre had gone to the Christian Democrats' headquarters in Rome in an attempt to speak with its secretary
Benigno Zaccagnini Benigno Zaccagnini (; 17 April 1912 – 5 November 1989) was an Italian politician and physician. Biography Born in Faenza, he graduated in Pediatrics in 1937. During World War II he acted as partisan, collaborating with Arrigo Boldrini in ...
, in favor of a "hard line" of refusal of negotiations along with the BR. In 1988 Abbé Pierre met representatives of the
International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster globa ...
(IMF) to discuss the difficult financial, monetary and human issues brought by the huge
Third World debt The debt of developing countries usually refers to the external debt incurred by governments of developing countries. There have been several historical episodes of governments of developing countries borrowing in quantities beyond their abilit ...
(starting in 1982, Mexico had announced it could not 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 The Siege of Sarajevo ( sh, Opsada Sarajeva) was a prolonged blockade of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Bosnian War. After it was initially besieged by the forces of the Yugoslav People's Army, the city was then be ...
, he went there to exhort nations of the world to put an end to the violence, and requested French military operation against the
Serb The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
positions in Bosnia. During the
Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
(1990–91), the Abbé directly addressed himself to US President
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
and Iraq President
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
. He asked French president François Mitterrand to engage himself in matters concerning refugees, in particular by the creation of a stronger organisation than the current
UN High Commissioner for Refugees The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integratio ...
(HCR). He encountered this year the
Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...
during inter-religious peace encounters. A staunch supporter of the
Palestinian cause Palestinian nationalism is the national movement of the Palestinian people that espouses self-determination and sovereignty over the region of Palestine.de Waart, 1994p. 223 Referencing Article 9 of ''The Palestinian National Charter of 1968' ...
, he has attracted attention with some of his statements on the Israeli-Palestine conflictNation to honour French activist
''
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
'', 22 January 2007 His support "à titre amical" ("in title of friendship") for
Roger Garaudy Roger Garaudy (; 17 July 1913 – 13 June 2012) was a French philosopher, French resistance fighter and a communist author. He converted to Islam in 1982. In 1998, he was convicted and fined for Holocaust denial under French law for claiming that ...
in 1996 brought controversy. The "Garaudy Affair" had been revealed in January 1996 by the '' Canard enchaîné'' satirical newspaper, which prompted a series of denunciations against his book, "The Foundational Myths of Israeli Politics," and led Garaudy to be charged of
negationism Historical negationism, also called denialism, is falsification or distortion of the historical record. It should not be conflated with '' historical revisionism'', a broader term that extends to newly evidenced, fairly reasoned academic reinter ...
(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 International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism, LICRA (International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism). The Abbé 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 (French NGO), MRAP, Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France, 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 Abbey, Praglia near Padua, Italy. 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 had not read. The curator of the Deportation and Resistance Museum of the Isère department where 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 France, Vichy. Following this 1996 controversial support to a personal acquaintance, the Abbé was shunned for a small period by the media, although the Abbé remained a popular figure. In 2004, he went to Algeria after the rebuilding of lodgings by the Fondation Abbé Pierre, following the 2003 earthquake which destroyed parts of the country.


Positions on the Church hierarchy and the Vatican's policies

The Abbé's positions towards the Roman Catholic Church, Church and the Holy See, Vatican also brought controversy. His positions on social issues and engagements were at times explicitly socialist and opposed to the Church. He maintained a relationship with the progressive French Catholic Jacques Gaillot, Bishop Jacques Gaillot, to which he recalled his duty of "instinct of a measured insolence", He didn't like Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Mother Teresa. Despite her work for the poor, her strict adherence to Catholic teaching on morality did not sit well with Abbé Pierre's left wing ideology. He had difficult relations with the Vatican. ''L'Osservatore Romano'', not known for reporting the deaths of priests, did not report on his death right away in 2007. Even though it is not customary for the Pope to offer condolences on the death of individual priests, Abbé Pierre's supporters were heavily critical of Pope Benedict XVI for not making an exception. Father Lombardi, spokesman of the Vatican, pointed journalists to the statement made by the French Church, while Benedict XVI did mention his death in private audiences. Official reactions from the Church came in two interviews of French cardinals, Roger Etchegaray and Paul Poupard. His criticisms of what he considered the lavish lifestyle of the Vatican got him a lot of publicity (especially when he reproached John Paul II for his expensive travels), but were not well received by the public. Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone lauded 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." His support for the ordination of women and for clerical marriage, married clergy put him at odds with Christian tradition, Church leaders and a substantial portion of French Catholics that followed the traditional teaching of the Church. The same stances, according to BBC, British state media, made him popular among the declining number of left-wing Catholics in France. In his book ''Mon Dieu... pourquoi?'' (God... Why?, 2005), co-written with Frédéric Lenoir, he admitted to breaking his solemn promise of clerical celibacy, celibacy by having had casual sex with women. Despite very strong grassroots opposition to adoption by same-sex couples, Abbé Pierre dismissed people's concerns that it deprives children of a mother or father and turns them into objects. The Abbé also opposed the traditional Catholic policy on contraceptives.


International recognition

Abbé Pierre 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 has been made National Order of Quebec, Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec while in 2004, he was awarded the Légion d'honneur#Classes and insignia, Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor by Jacques Chirac. He also received 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 ordeal. He was full of gratitude also for the children lodged at an orphanage, and asked the cardinal archbishop of Algiers, Léon-Etienne Duval, to help out the orphanage (or Kasbah). All of these experiences together created the image of Abbé Pierre being a ''miraculé''.


Death

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 took a stance on most social struggles: supporting illegal aliens, assisting the homeless (the "Enfants de Don Quichotte" movement (end of 2006-start of 2007)) and social movements in favor of requisitioning empty buildings and offices (squatting, squats), etc. He continued to read each day ''La Croix (newspaper), La Croix'', the Christian social daily newspaper. In January 2007, he went to the National Assembly to oppose those deputies wanting to change the law on lodging for homeless people, promoted by President Jacques Chirac after the mobilization of the ''Enfants de Don Quichotte'' NGO. Following his death, the Minister of Social Cohesion Jean-Louis Borloo (Union for a Popular Movement, UMP) decided to give Abbé Pierre's name to the law, despite the latter's scepticism of the real value and use of the law. In 2005 he had opposed conservative deputies who wanted to reform the Jean-Claude Gayssot, Gayssot Act on housing projects (''loi SRU''), which sought to impose a 20% housing project limit in each town, on penalty of fines. After homage by dignitaries, several hundred ordinary Parisians (among them professor Albert Jacquard, who struggled with the Abbé for the cause of homelessness) went to the Val-de-Grâce chapel to see Abbé Pierre's corpse. His funeral on 26 January 2007 at the Notre Dame de Paris, 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 Minister (government), Ministers, and of course the Companions of Emmaus, who were placed at the front of the congregation in the cathedral, according to Abbé Pierre's last wishes. He was buried in a cemetery in Esteville, a small village in Seine-Maritime where he used to live. Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, archbishop of Lyon, evoked a possible beatification, but it seems unlikely in the near future.L'abbé Pierre, "une des plus belles figures évangéliques du siècle"
, interview with Pierre Lunel, biographer of the Abbé Pierre, in ''La Croix (newspaper), La Croix'', 26 January 2007


Honours

*: ** Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, Order of the Legion of Honor (2004) ** Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor, Order of the Legion of Honor (1992) ** Commander of the Legion of Honor, Order of the Legion of Honor (1987) ** Officer of the Legion of Honor, Order of the Legion of Honor (1981) ** Recipient of the Médaille militaire ** Recipient of the Croix de guerre 1939-1945, Croix de guerre 1939–1945 with bronze palms ** Recipient of the
Médaille de la Résistance The Resistance Medal (french: Médaille de la Résistance) was a decoration bestowed by the French Committee of National Liberation, based in the United Kingdom, during World War II. It was established by a decree of General Charles de Gaulle on 9 ...
*: ** Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec


Awards

* Balzan Prize


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. — . * 1988: ''Cent poèmes contre la misère'', éd. Le Cherche-midi, Paris — . * 1993: ''Dieu et les hommes'', with Bernard Kouchner, éd. Robert Laffont — . * 1994: ''Testament...'' — . Réédition 2005, éd. Bayard/Centurion, Paris — . * 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. Groupe Flammarion, 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 — . * 2002: ''Confessions'', éd. Albin Michel, Paris — . * 2002: ''Je voulais être marin, missionnaire ou brigand'', rédigé avec Denis Lefèvre, éd. Le Cherche-midi, Paris — . Réédition en livre de poche, éd. J'ai lu, Paris — . * 2004: ''L'Abbé Pierre, la construction d'une légende'', by Philippe Falcone, éd. Golias — . * 2004: ''L'Abbé Pierre parle aux jeunes'', with Pierre-Roland Saint-Dizier, éd. Du Signe, Paris — . * 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 (publisher), Plon — . * 2006: ''Servir : Paroles de vie'', with Albine Navarino, éd. Presses du Châtelet, Paris — .


Discography (interviews, etc.)

* 2001: ''Radioscopie: Abbé Pierre - Entretien avec Jacques Chancel'', CD Audio - . * 1988-2003: ''Éclats De Voix'', suite de CD Audio, Poèmes et réflexions, en 4 volumes: ** Vol. 1: ''Le Temps des Catacombes'', rééd. label Celia - . ** Vol. 2: ''Hors de Soi'', rééd. label Celia - . ** Vol. 3: ''Corsaire de Dieu'', rééd. label Celia - . ** Vol. 4: ''?'', label Scalen - . * 2005: Le CD ''Testament...'', pour fêter le 56e anniversaire de la Foundation d'Emmaüs (réflexions personnelles, textes et paroles inspirées de la Bible) - . * 2005: ''Avant de partir...'', le testament audio de l'Abbé Pierre, CD audio et vidéos pour PC, prières et musiques de méditation - . * 2006: ''L'Insurgé de l'amour'', label Revues Bayard, Paris - . * 2006: ''Paroles de Paix de l'Abbé Pierre'', CD audio, label Fremeux - .


Filmography

* 1955: ''Les Chiffonniers d'Emmaüs'' from Robert Darène with Pierre Mondy. * 1989: ''Hiver 54, l'abbé Pierre'' from Denis Amar, with Lambert Wilson and Claudia Cardinale.


See also

* Emmaus Mouvement * Streetwise priest * List of peace activists


Notes


References


External links


Emmaus International, Abbé Pierre's sole legatee

Fondation Abbé Pierre

International Balzan Foundation

Obituary in ''Le Monde'' (Paris), 23 January 2007 (English translation)


published in ''
Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of r ...
'' (22 January 2007)
French review of press titles for his death

An "Insight" episode which mentions Abbe Pierre
who was portrayed by Ricardo Montalban {{DEFAULTSORT:Pierre, Abbe 1912 births 2007 deaths Clergy from Lyon 20th-century French Roman Catholic priests Abbés Capuchins Politicians from Lyon Popular Republican Movement politicians Young Republic League politicians Members of the Constituent Assembly of France (1945) Members of the Constituent Assembly of France (1946) Deputies of the 1st National Assembly of the French Fourth Republic French anti-poverty advocates French humanitarians French Army soldiers French Navy chaplains World War II chaplains French Army personnel of World War II French Resistance members Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Grand Officers of the National Order of Quebec Recipients of the Resistance Medal Officers of the National Order of the Cedar