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Jesuit priest ends a 24-day hunger at a church in the French port city of Calais, but encourages two Caritas volunteers who have decided to continue their near month-long fast
By Juliette Paquier | France
Philippe Demeestère, a Jesuit priest who was one of three people who began a hunger strike last month in the French port city of Calais in favor of migrants, has decided to end his protest.
The 72-year-old chaplain of Secours Catholique (Caritas France) on Thursday announced his decision to resume eating, something he had foregone for 24 straight days.
"The first goal I had set for myself was to get to November 2, to celebrate the memory of those who died in Calais," he told La Croix.
The priest and two Caritas volunteers began the hunger strike on October 11 to protest the lack of humane treatment and housing for the foreign exiles.
Demeestère's two "strike companions" will continue without him.
"I remain in total solidarity with their determination, because the proposals made by the authorities so far do not take into account the journeys of the exiled people who are never given a voice," he said in a statement.
He also intends to send an open letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, requesting to meet with a member of his cabinet.
Mediation with the government at an impasse
In late October, the government entrusted mediation of the situation to the senior civil servant Didier Leschi, director of the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII).
But attempts at a compromise have failed.
Nathanaël Caillaux, head of migration at Secours Catholique in the region, said Leschi has not provided "any answers" to the questions NGOs put to him regarding the forced evacuations of migrants in Calais during the winter break.
A Christmas Mass on the moor
Father Demeestère told La Croix he intends to "continue [his] commitment" to the migrants' cause.
He is planning to resume a project to set up a "winter shelter" to accommodate the most vulnerable among the exiles.
He said it will be a "flexible and family-oriented" place where people can freely congregate, unlike the often-saturated winter shelters, where the wait for care can be long.
Though he's ended his hunger strike, the Jesuit is as determined as ever.
"It's about human lives," he insisted.
"Just last night, police officers intervened in a camp to put out fires where migrants were warming themselves with water containers. What is the meaning of that?" he asked.
He said he plans to settle in one of the exiles' camps beginning next month "to be present during the eviction operations carried out by the police".
"Going to sleep among the exiles is a way of expressing my closeness to them through my body," the Jesuit said.
He said he is also planning on celebrating the Christmas liturgy there, inviting those who wish to join him for a "festive Mass".
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