Aubery suggested that the violence seen both on the island and on mainland France is linked in part to a consumerist society, in which people already in tight economic circumstances react to images of unattainable prosperity.
"Consumerist society is exacerbated by advertising. As mirrored dreams cannot be realized, [people feel as though] there is nothing left to lose. These vandals [casseurs], they will attack the symbols of this consumerist society: cars and temples of consumption."
While condemning the violence, the bishop said thought must be given to its underlying causes.
"We condemn the destructive violence, the riots, and in doing so, we must search for the causes of this violence as well as the necessary remedies," he wrote.
Aubery also said that it was important not to blame "young people" for the violence which has seen national landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe defaced.
(Story continues below)
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"We cannot speak about young people in a general way and say 'young people organized the riots.' Vandals are uncontrollable elements and agitators who benefit from a troubled situation. The vast majority of those we call young people are not vandals," Aubrey wrote.
According to Le Croix, a French-language magazine, many bishops and Catholic groups find themselves caught between condemning the out-of-control protests, while remaining sympathetic to the economic pressures causing them.
"There is some pressure on bishops to take a position on the yellow vests. But what can we say?" La Croix quotes Bishop Xavier Malle of Gap and Embrun as saying on social media.