French military chaplain faces scrutiny over controversial sermon

A leaked video of a French military chaplain delivering a sermon to paratroopers has sparked significant political controversy in France. The footage, recorded on October 7, 2025, at Saint-Michel Cathedral in Carcassonne, shows Father Romain Ghandour addressing members of the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (3e RPIMa).

During the service, which marked the feast of Saint Michael, the chaplain made disparaging remarks about leftists, describing them as “incompetent people” and “moralising ideologues” who “eat seeds.” He warned that French culture and heritage were at risk, invoking themes associated with the “Great Replacement” theory—the idea that mass migration threatens to displace European populations.

The video, originally published by the news outlet Le Canard Enchaîne, shows soldiers laughing and applauding the chaplain's remarks. In response to the leak, the French government is seeking disciplinary procedures, while leading leftist political figures have called for arrests. The incident has intensified political tensions in Carcassonne, a city that recently elected a mayor from the right-wing National Rally.