Love people no matter who they are

A former medical doctor, newly installed Archbishop Michel Aupetit of Paris says he has learnt to 'unconditionally welcome all'

A few days after his installation as Archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit spoke to Le Monde. His interview was published Jan. 11. He reflects on his personal journey and addresses several current issues.

A former medical doctor, Archbishop Michel Aupetit of Paris entered the seminary at the age of 39. He grew up in a non-religious family — only his mother was a practicing Catholic. He says that his two grandfathers were "thoroughly anti-religious."

"My friends weren't religious either. And so, for a long time, I lived my faith in isolation," he recalls.

"The only things my mother taught me were the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary. I learned to speak to God, aside from these two prayers. But in secret: no one knew anything about it."

Reflecting on his former professional life as a General Practitioner in Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine), Bishop Aupetit believes that the practice of medicine taught him "to love people no matter who they are" and to "unconditionally welcome all who knock at your door."

Migrants: 'Unconditional welcome' and the 'common good'

When asked about migrants and the difficulty experienced with regard to this issue by certain Catholics, Archbishop Aupetit said there is "perhaps a difference in the way people welcome those who are in utter distress …. and those who are coming for economic reasons." Those in the second category "are less well received by the faithful."

Nonetheless, he recalls that in Nanterre Diocese where he was bishop from 2014, the pope's appeal that migrants be welcomed in every parish was received in a positive way. This "astonished" him. For him, the "conflicts" regarding the welcoming of migrants arise from the delicate articulation between the "evangelical" principle of "unconditional welcoming of all" and the principle of the "common good."

Furthermore, Archbishop Aupetit thinks that the fear of culture shock can be explained by the fact that, in some places, people tend strongly towards "communitarianism."

'Catholics are without doubt a minority'

With regard to the state of Catholicism in France, Archbishop Aupetit asks: "What is a Catholic? Someone who is practicing? Or someone who acknowledges that they are part of this religion because they were born into this culture, and adopts Christian values, even though their relationship with God and the church is tenuous?"

Leaving it "to God" to answer these questions, the archbishop acknowledges that, "If we only take into account those who are practicing, Catholics are without doubt a minority."

With regard to cultural Catholics, Archbishop Aupetit states: "If they call themselves Catholics, that is something. We must respect this, and be aware of their spiritual hunger."

Bioethics: 'Important issues here will relate to artificial intelligence'

As a doctor, Archbishop Aupetit is very interested in bioethical matters. When asked about future issues, he says that he considers that the church's contribution "must appeal to both minds and hearts."

He believes that the essential issues will be about "artificial intelligence and robotization" which will pose the question: "What is it that makes us human?" For him, "what distinguishes us as humans is the capacity to integrate frailty."

When asked about the survey published in La Croix on Jan. 3, which revealed that most French people are in favor of medically assisted reproduction for women in gay relationships, surrogacy and assisted suicide, he replied: "Just because a majority of people think something, this doesn't mean that it's right."

The archbishop admits that this survey is "worrying." With regard to euthanasia and abortion, he says that he deplores a society in which "we get rid of those who are a burden."

He goes on: "We eliminate the handicapped before they are born. What does this tell us? I took care of handicapped children and adults for eleven years. They taught me a lot more than my other patients."

Daring 'to speak of God' at school

On the topic of teaching about religion in schools, which the government wants to bring in, Archbishop Aupetit states: "We should go beyond historical facts. What is transcendence? Why do people pray? Can we not speak of God? Speaking of God is the new taboo! It used to be sex, now it's God. We don't have the right to speak of God in case we offend someone!"

The archbishop advocates going further than a merely cultural and historical approach, by daring to address questions of theology and faith.