The Vatican has officially lodged a protest with France following a court ruling that held a former high-ranking Vatican official responsible for the alleged wrongful dismissal of a nun from a religious order.
On April 3, the Lorient tribunal ruled in favor of the nun, Sabine de la Valette, criticizing the Vatican’s secretive process in removing her from the Dominicans of the Holy Spirit after an internal investigation.
The case is remarkable as a secular court intervened in what the Vatican considers internal canonical matters, finding that the Vatican’s procedures violated the nun’s rights.
In response, the Vatican stated it had not been informed of the verdict and condemned it as a serious infringement of religious freedom.
Pope Francis had tasked Cardinal Marc Ouellet with investigating the matter, resulting in Valette’s expulsion in 2020 after 34 years as a nun.
The nun’s lawyer highlighted that the court found multiple rights violations during the Vatican’s investigation, including the right to a defense.
The Lorient court deemed the nun’s expulsion unjust and ordered compensation of over 200,000 euros. The defendants are appealing the decision.
This legal intervention by a secular court reflects a trend in France where courts are increasingly willing to address allegations against high-ranking church officials, particularly regarding misconduct and cover-ups.
