Presidential: “It is to be expected that the bishops will align themselves with conservative positions”

The episcopate publishes this Tuesday its framing text for the next presidential election, while the pressure of a militant conservative base spurred by the candidacy of Eric Zemmour is becoming stronger, analyzes the political scientist Yann Raison du Cleuziou

Rather lukewarm? Presumably. The Catholic bishops make public, this Tuesday afternoon, their text on the issues of the presidential election next April, entitled Hope does not disappoint. And will they disappoint? Under the influence of a very militant conservative base which imposes its agenda, they risk carefully avoiding tackling social issues head-on, such as immigration, one of Pope Francis’ hobbyhorses or those which annoy, the rallying of conservative movements to the extreme right. Contrary to the 80s and 90s, the episcopate, in fact, became timorous on this question. In recent months, the candidacy of Eric Zemmour has nevertheless unified the militant currents of the conservative Catholic movement. Political scientist, lecturer in political science at the Faculty of Bordeaux, Yann Raison du Cleuziou, author ofA Catholic counter-revolution: the origins of the Manif pour tous (ed. du Seuil), analyzes the weight gained by the conservative movement and the paralysis of the episcopate in the face of the extreme right.

Will the bishops give a voting instruction?

I do not think so. The episcopate has not given any for a long time.

Why does the episcopate publish this text before the presidential election?

The bishops’ note aims to frame what constitutes, in their eyes, the social and societal challenges of the presidential election. They are aimed at both candidates to attract their att…