One of the most senior representatives of France's Catholic Church has admitted to abusing a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago and announced his withdrawal from his religious duties.
Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard issued a written statement on Monday after a report released last year revealed a "massive phenomenon" of child sex abusers operating for decades within the French Catholic Church.
"Thirty-five years ago, when I was a priest, I behaved in a reprehensible way with a young 14-year-old girl," said Ricard. "My conduct has inevitably caused serious and lasting consequences for this person."
Ricard, 78, was the archbishop of Bordeaux, southwest France, until he retired from that position in 2019 to serve in his home diocese of Dignes-les-Bains, in the south of the country. In the 1980s, he was a priest in the archdiocese of Marseille.
Ricard said he had spoken to the victim and apologized, without specifying when. He said he was also apologizing "to everyone I hurt" through his statement. He did not elaborate on this.