Government accused of treating faiths unequally

The French Government’s slow reaction to provocations against Catholics has prompted complaints that politicians pay attention to the Muslim and Jewish minorities but neglect the Christian majority, writes Tom Heneghan.

The comments arose after ministers who visited mosques and synagogues to mark Eid ul-Fitr and Yom Kippur last year overlooked a protest by a bare-breasted Femen militant at one Paris church and the profanation of another last month.

Paris Cardinal André Vingt-Trois made ironic comments about how Interior Minister Manuel Valls, who is also Minister of Religious Affairs, seemed oblivious to the Femen protest not far from his office. Bishop Jean-Michel di Falco of Gap in the French Alps then invited Mr Valls and Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault to visit churches on Ash Wednesday or Easter, something most socialist politicians would be loath to do.

“Politicians can’t let the Jewish and Muslim communities think they don’t like them, but they end up neglecting Christians,” said Bishop Michel Dubost of the Paris suburb of Evry, who oversees interfaith dialogue for the bishops’ conference.

This neglect could cost politicians support at local polls coming up in March.