“The relationships involved various kinds of sexual behaviour often combined with so called ‘mystical and spiritual’ justifications for this conduct.… the alleged victims felt deprived of their free will and so the sexual activity was coerced or took place under coercive conditions ….”Īs a religious studies scholar who has researched both how Christians understand Christ and feminist theology, I believe this coercive underside is intimately tied to Vanier’s theology. Yet as the L’Arche report attests, there was a coercive underside to Vanier’s life: Among Catholics and some in the public in Canada and internationally, he came to hold a place of moral authority. Vanier had a PhD in philosophy and he wrote extensively about disability as informed by the Gospel. A report released by L'Arche International in February this year detailed that a comprehensive and impartial (non-judicial) inquiry found there was “sufficient evidence … that Jean Vanier engaged in manipulative sexual relationships with at least six adult (not disabled) women.”
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