Late French star Alain Delon to have funeral led by accused cleric

One of Alain Delon’s final wishes, the global cinema star, was a Catholic funeral at his residence in Douchy, Loiret. According to the AFP agency, Prelate Jean-Michel Di Falco will lead the funeral.

The 82-year-old retired bishop of Gap in the Hautes-Alpes department had known Alain Delon for many years. The actor was a believer and had a special devotion to Mary.

Jean-Michel Di Falco is a friend of many stars and politicians. He led the private funeral of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in December 2020, businessman Jean-Luc Lagardère, singer Charles Trenet, director Maurice Pialat, and actors Jean-Claude Brialy and Mireille Darc. In 2015, he also officiated the wedding of singer Pascal Obispo.

Despite such strong connections among the French elite, Di Falco does not have a clean record. He remains the subject of accusations of sexual assault on minors in the 1970s. Since 2001, he has been appearing in court, fighting various paedophilia charges.

The now 60-year-old actor accuses the former priest of rape and sexual assault between 1972 and 1975. At that time, he headed the private Parisian school Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin. His probable victim claims to have been harmed from the age of 11 to 14, which affected his entire later life.

The charges were dismissed due to the statute of limitations. The actor decided to take the case to civil court, where the proceedings are still ongoing.

The cleric gained notoriety not only from this high-profile trial. The media wrote about him concerning a scandal involving a beer advertisement and a pilgrimage site displaying a "Pieta" in a cathedral depicting Christ on an electric chair. He also founded the musical group "Les Prêtres," whose three albums, combining church hymns, classical music, and pop hits, were hugely successful.