Archbishop Viganò says the Church hierarchy “remains silent” on the French riots. The Archbishop of Paris condemned the violence the same day

On Monday 19 October Archbishop Laurent Ulrich published a statement on the violence of 17 and 18 October. He wrote that Paris had been “comme défigurée” (as if disfigured) by it, named the injured police officers and firefighters, the shopkeepers who lost “les efforts de toute une vie” and the journalists attacked, and said that “en aucun cas, sous aucun prétexte, la violence aveugle, qui blesse, vole, incendie, ne peut être une réponse légitime” (in no case, under no pretext, can blind violence that wounds, steals and burns be a legitimate response). He asked Catholics to be “artisans de paix” and to pray for the country (Diocese of Paris).