(ZENIT News / Paris, 08/11/2025) – Less than two months after her election, Marine Rosset resigned as President of the Scouts and Guides of France.
This unsual decision, taken on August 6, 2025, shocked the Catholic Scout Movement and, more generally, the Catholic Church in France.
Since June 14, Marine Rosset’s election has sparked intense controversy. This is due in part to her personal life — she has a son with her partner –, but also to her political and social stances.
This 39-year-old woman is a member of the Socialist Party, openly LGBT+, and her positions clearly contrast with the official positions of the Catholic Church, particularly regarding abortion.
In this regard, several of the Movement’s chaplains expressed their concern at the time of her election. According to a press release from the Scouts and Guides Movement of France, Marine Rosset has faced an unexpected political situation in recent weeks: the announcement of a partial election in the second constituency of Paris, to which she is linked as a local elected official and former candidate.
Furthermore, the announcement of Marine Rosset’s election has sparked a wave of personal attacks, some of them homophobic. These acts are unacceptable and completely contradict the educational ethics and association values of the Scouts and Guides of France. To oversee this period, the Board of Directors elected a collegiate governing body. It is composed of Pierre Monéger, President, and Julie Lefort and Charles Le Gac de Lansalut, Vice Presidents.
«Together, they will continue to dedicate their energy to serving the more than 900 Scout and Guide groups in France.» These events come shortly after the large gathering in Jambville, in the Yvelines Department, which gathered some 20,000 Scouts and Guides of France from July 24 to 28. «Dear Scouts, be ambassadors of fraternity and peace in your surroundings,» said Pope Leo XIV in a message published for the celebration. «You are called to bear witness to your faith in the world, to be agents of change and hope in society. This is the responsibility of an active disciple of Christ, committed to proclaiming the Gospel and loving one’s neighbour. However, all this is only possible through a life of prayer and friendship with God,» the Pope added.
Translation of the original in French published by the French edition of ZENIT.
