Paris
Abbé Pierre, a Catholic priest often likened to Mother Teresa, died this week at age 94. A tireless advocate for the homeless, Abbé Pierre was known as “the ragpickers’ saint.” Born Henri Antoine Groues, the rich son of a silk merchant, he gave his inheritance to the poor upon entering the seminary and took the nom de guerre Abbé Pierre during World War II, when he worked with the French Resistance. In the 1950s, he persuaded the French legislature to ban evictions during the winter, long before other European countries had such protections for tenants. Abbé Pierre has long led the polls as France’s most beloved figure, ahead of soccer star Zinedine Zidane and singing legend Johnny Hallyday.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks groundSpeed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resignsSpeed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
