Henri Goués, his real name, was one of those who could easily be described as a saintly man. He was one of those good Samaritans who, like Saint Francis of Assisi, had managed to set aside his popularity to devote himself to a perpetual fight against all forms of exclusion. From now on, we will no longer see his figure, dressed in a long black cassock topped with a beret, which gave hope and faith to many people as it exuded humanism and charity.
The foreign press is unanimous in paying tribute to the man who summoned his courage to make a call as resounding as that of a certain General: “My friends, help… A woman has just died frozen, tonight at three o’clock, on the sidewalk of Boulevard Sébastopol.” Thus, the story could begin.
La Libre Belgique headlines “The President of the Poor has passed away,” “France finds itself orphaned by a good man who was the conscience of a country,” highlights El Pais, while The Independent describes him as “a Saint of our times.” Unanimous tribute from a European press shaken by the disappearance of the most popular abbot of the old continent.
This Friday, France will honor Abbe Pierre with a national tribute at the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, which will host the Head of State and the entire government for the occasion. The burial will take place in the utmost intimacy in Seine-Maritime in the village of Esteville.
Thus, all of France will say goodbye to one of its most emblematic figures, who certainly left a bit too soon, but who leaves behind a life of dedication that future presidential election contenders would do well to take inspiration from.
