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| French homeless campaigner dies | French homeless campaigner dies |
| (about 3 hours 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. | 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. | "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." | "Abbe Pierre represented the spirit of rebellion against misery, suffering, injustice and the strength of solidarity." |
| Winter 1954 | Winter 1954 |
| He became known as Abbe Pierre during his work with the French Resistance, smuggling Jews out of occupied France. | 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. | 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. |
| We have lost an immense figure, a conscience, an incarnation of goodness Jacques Chirac He demanded the nation act when he went on the radio in the winter of 1954, highlighting the case of a three-month-old baby who had frozen to death in inadequate housing and a woman who had died on the streets clutching an eviction order. | |
| In the subsequent decades, he continued his tireless campaign for the destitute - and his hostels started to appear around the world in the 1970s. | 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 again become a pressing issue in France - championed by a new generation of campaigners but with more than a nod to Abbe Pierre. | |
| 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. | 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. |
| Jewish anger | |
| The priest also pushed the boundaries of conservative Catholicism. | |
| He supported the ordination of women priests and said that male priests should be allowed to marry, implying in a book that he had had sex as a younger man. | |
| There were also some career lows. | |
| In the 1990s, he incurred the wrath of the American Jewish organisation, the Anti-Defamation League, for allegedly comparing the acts of the ancient Israelites to the Holocaust and downplaying the Nazis' crimes against the Jews. | |
| The League decried Abbe Pierre's remarks as "insulting to both Jews and Catholics," and urged the Catholic Church to take action against him. | |
| His defenders said he was seeking justice for the Palestinians and was not anti-Semitic. |