Secularism, end of life, Gaza… What Macron said to religious authorities during his vows

Despite the political tumults of recent weeks, Emmanuel Macron wanted to take the time. Early in the evening on Wednesday January 8, the President received the main representatives of religions at the Élysée Palace, on the occasion of his traditional ceremony of greetings for the new year. During this interview lasting almost an hour and fifteen minutes – which began with a speech lasting around forty minutes, before giving rise to a time of informal exchanges on the major religious events of 2024, such as the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris – the head of state addressed many subjects.

In the presence of the Prime Minister, François Bayrou, the Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau and several religious advisors, Emmanuel Macron first insisted on the issue of a good understanding of secularism, while 2025 will mark the 120th anniversary of the law separating Churches and State adopted on December 9, 1905.

He reaffirmed that this was a “law of liberty, guaranteeing to everyone the freedom of conscience, religion and worship”, thus reports Mgr Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, current president of the Conference of Bishops of France, who ends his mandate in the spring. “He really insisted on the defense of secularism as it really is – and not as some seek to make it seen”supports Antony Boussemart, co-president of the Buddhist Union of France (UBF).

End of life bill

According to several religious leaders, Emmanuel Macron has barely addressed, this year, the thorny issue of the end of life – while he had reserved for religious authorities, during his previous vows in January 2024, the first of several important announcements on the subject. Despite the dissolution and censorship which have since twice postponed the examination of the text opening active assistance in dying – and while François Bayrou has never hidden his great reservation in the face of this prospect – the president has argued that “2025 would certainly see the completion of all kinds of bills, some of which would spark internal debates in society. Without mentioning a referendum, this time he spoke about the end of life in terms of balance and safeguards…”continues Antony Boussemart. The Head of State assured those responsible for religion that he “would reconvene” on this issue, which is no longer in his hands but in those of Parliament.

This year, in his speech “which overall had a much less political tone than previous times” according to one participant, Emmanuel Macron also briefly alluded to the conflicts in the Middle East. “He noted the geopolitical and international difficulties that we are experiencing today, and regretted that some seek to exploit these tragedies to import the conflict into our country,” continues Antony Boussemart.

“He assured us that France was using its diplomatic voice to try to calm the situation”reports for her part Najat Benali, rector of the Javel mosque and president of the coordination of Parisian mosques – who attended the president’s wishes for the first time, alongside Chems-eddine Hafiz, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris.

“Spirit of fraternity”

“Emmanuel Macron told us that we, religious leaders, were doing real work for cohesion and encouraged us to remain in this spirit of fraternity”continues the Muslim leader, saying that it “knew he could count on (them), particularly the Jewish and Muslim authorities, to show solidarity,” in a context where interreligious relations have become strained in France more than a year after the outbreak of the war in Gaza. “More than ever, we felt this question of polarized France in him: unity is a real concern for him, a leitmotif, even more than fraternity,” specifies Alsatian pastor Christian Krieger, president of the Protestant Federation of France (FPF).

Notably, three women – Najat Benali, as well as the two vice-presidents of the FPF, Valérie Duval-Poujol and Isabelle Veillet – participated for the first time in this event at the Élysée, among other Jewish religious leaders, Muslims, Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox. “It’s really a nice signal,” rejoices Najat Benali, “a large number of women intervene at different levels in worship, it was a tribute to them to invite them and for them to be present.”