By the Grace of God 2009

Alexandre Guérin is a successful banking executive living in the Lyon region, a devoted husband and father of five who practices his Catholic faith with his family. One day, after a conversation with a former scout comrade who shares a similar memory, Guérin confronts a painful truth: he was sexually abused by a priest, Father Bernard Preynat. The facts are prescribed, yet the weight of those memories pushes him to act. He begins to investigate, reaching out to the archbishop’s psychologist, Régine Maire, who helps him secure an appointment with Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the Archbishop of Lyon.

Through Régine Maire, Guérin learns that the church leadership was warned by several parents about the priest’s behavior, yet chose to protect the institution rather than the children. The confrontation, organized by Régine, brings Guérin face to face with Father Preynat in a brief, charged meeting that ends in an almost surreal shared moment of prayer. Despite Guérin’s persistent emails and inquiries, the ecclesiastical authorities pause, delay, and backtrack. The situation grows more troubling when Guérin discovers that, during a Mass, Father Preynat remains in office and continues to engage with young people.

With few victims willing to come forward, Guérin decides to file a complaint on his own. Captain Courteau, who receives his statement, sets out to locate other victims whose cases are not yet prescribed. This leads him to François, now an atheist, who chooses to testify publicly and helps establish the association La Parole Libérée. As more survivors join—among them a surgeon named Gilles and a tormented man named Emmanuel—Guérin joins their effort, and together they pursue a legal action against the church.

Under mounting pressure and prompted by Régine Maire, Cardinal Barbarin organizes a high-profile press conference. He shocks the audience when he states that the facts are “prescribed,” a remark that backfires and jars the public mood. The association’s efforts gain traction as Father Preynat is formally indicted and comes to acknowledge the facts. The plaintiffs hope their legal action will challenge the Catholic hierarchy, but the process also forces each participant to confront their own families and their own sense of faith. Guérin is left wrestling with questions about his Christian beliefs and what it means to seek justice within a system designed to protect itself.

Ultimately, the case exposes a broader pattern of concealment and neglect, testing the resilience of the community and the individuals who chose to speak out. The film portrays a difficult journey from silent suffering to organized accountability, shining a light on the personal costs of courage and the ethical questions raised when a church’s priority appears to be preservation over vulnerable lives.