Dominique Rey Is No Longer Bishop of Fréjus-Toulon

Source: FSSPX News

Bishop Dominique Rey

Dominique Rey, Bishop of Fréjus-Toulon, presented his letter of resignation to Pope Francis on December 31, 2024. It was accepted by the Pope on January 7, 2025. On this occasion, Bishop Rey gave an interview to Le Figaro, where he gave some details. He had been Bishop of the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon since March 16, 2000.

During the interview, the now emeritus bishop revealed that after the appointment of Bishop François Touvet as coadjutor bishop – with the right of succession – “the Holy Father had encouraged me not to resign.” But, recently “the Pope let me know that I had to hand over my office.”

This letter was requested from the bishop who is 73 years old, although this resignation must be submitted when a bishop reaches 75 years old. This request “is symptomatic of the crises experienced by the Church in France under this pontificate. Francis does not tolerate bishops being too close to the traditionalist environment,” as Jean-Marie Guénois pertinently notes.

The journalist also asked Bishop Rey the reason for which he is being criticized. The bishop responded that "the grievances target the overly broad reception of groups, priests, vocations, communities, with a lack of prudence particularly in the reception of the so-called traditional world." As well as "dysfunctions in the economic and financial management of the diocese."

And the bishop emeritus specifies that he has "responded to these criticisms point by point, in a factual and documented manner, on the basis of expertise and audits.” He then takes stock of his episcopal activity during this quarter century, insisting on the implementation of vocations and the reception of societies of various sensibilities. He noted that, as a result, the diocese has 250 active priests.

Bishop Touvet, therefore, receives from the hands of his predecessor a diocese less moribund than many others. A page is turning, a new one is to be written, which risks being very sad if the rigors of the reform of Vatican II are applied as in many other French dioceses.