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| French homeless campaigner dies | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| France's leading champion of the destitute and homeless, Roman Catholic priest Abbe Pierre, has died aged 94. | France's leading champion of the destitute and homeless, Roman Catholic priest Abbe Pierre, has died aged 94. |
| The priest had been in hospital since 14 January and had succumbed to a lung infection, a spokesman said. | The priest had been in hospital since 14 January and had succumbed to a lung infection, a spokesman said. |
| Born Henri Groues, Abbe Pierre devoted his life to supporting the homeless, founding the Emmaus hostel movement just after World War II. | Born Henri Groues, Abbe Pierre devoted his life to supporting the homeless, founding the Emmaus hostel movement just after World War II. |
| He has long been one of France's most revered figures, and the Emmaus hostels can be found in dozens of countries. | He has long been one of France's most revered figures, and the Emmaus hostels can be found in dozens of countries. |
| Year after year, he came top in a French vote on the country's favourite personalities. | |
| "We have lost an immense figure, a conscience, an incarnation of goodness," said French president Jacques Chirac. | |
| "Abbe Pierre represented the spirit of rebellion against misery, suffering, injustice and the strength of solidarity." | |
| Winter 1954 | |
| He became known as Abbe Pierre during his work with the French Resistance, smuggling Jews out of occupied France. | |
| He founded the Emmaus movement in 1949, and in the 1950s fought for a law to stop parliament expelling tenants during the winter months after a freezing spell hit the country. | |
| In the subsequent decades, he continued his tireless campaign for the destitute - and his hostels started to appear around the world in the 1970s. | |
| Homelessness has in recent months once more become a pressing issue in France, now championed by a new generation of campaigners. | |
| Last week, the French government announced plans to make housing a legally enforceable right following a "tent city" campaign along a canal in the capital, and the issue looks set to feature in forthcoming presidential elections. |