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.
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.
-
The 8 best sci-fi series of all timethe week recommends Imagining — and fearing — the future continues to give us compelling and thoughtful television
-
The Trump administration’s plans to dismantle the Department of EducationThe Explainer The president aims to fulfill his promise to get rid of the agency
-
‘These attacks rely on a political repurposing’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
