Community of the Beatitudes
Encyclopedia
The Community of the Beatitudes is one of the "new communities" established in the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council
(1962-1965) in the movement of the Charismatic Renewal Movement
. It was founded in France
in 1973, and came under the ecclesial authority of the Archbishop of Albi
in southern France since May 1975 (Foundation in Cordes). It was recognised in 2002 by the Holy See as an association of the faithful. On December 3, 2008, the Pontifical Council for the Laity
asked the Community to change its canonical form and come under the authority of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
. On June 29, 2011, the Holy See recognised the Community of the Beatitudes as a Public Association of the Faithful under the ecclesial authority of the Archbishop of Toulouse.
Situated in the charismatic renewal movement, its spirituality is both Eucharistic and Marian, inspired by the Carmelite tradition and living out the spirit of the Beatitudes
(Matthew chapter 5
). It gathers together the faithful of all states of life (families, single people, priests and consecrated brothers and sisters), who share a common vocation of prayer and fraternal communion, combining a marked contemplative dimension with numerous apostolic and missionary activities such as parishes, hospital and health care, Marian sanctuaries, retreat centres and ministry to the poor.
In recent years, the community has been the subject of complaints in justice and judicial investigations showing cult
ic aspects. The MIVILUDES
asked the prefect of Haute-Garonne
to check the legality of voluntary work. The Community of the Beatitudes sued certain newspapers and authors for such allegations and won convictions on the ground of libel.
on 25 May 1973 by two couples, as the "Community of the Lion of Judah and the Slain Lamb" (Communauté du Lion de Juda et de l'Agneau Immolé). One of the founders, Gérard Croissant, had previously decided to become a Protestant pastor. However, he embraced Catholicism
in 1975 and was ordained deacon
in 1978 under the name "Brother Ephraim" (Frère Éphraïm).
In 1984, there were 300 members in 15 houses, six being outside France, according to the community. In 1991, it was named "Community of the Beatitudes".
On 19 January 1979, the community was first recognised by the Catholic Church at the diocesan level by Robert-Joseph Coffy
, Archbishop of Albi, as a "pious union". On 1 January 1985, the community was recognised by the same archbishop as a "private association of faithful of diocesan right".
On 8 December 2002, it was established as an "international private association of the faithful" of pontifical right by the Pontifical Council for the Laity of the Holy See
, and its statutes were approved on an experimental basis for five years. A general moderator was placed at the head of the community.
In December 2007, the community announced that the Pontifical Council had extended the provisional for a period of two years during which there was to be a clarification of the statutes as well as the canonical status of members. Meanwhile, religious authorities gave very precise guidelines to the community. Members had to clarify their purpose, namely to choose the monastic life or that of a community of lay people. It was also asked of the Beatitudes to cease psychotherapy practices within the community. Persons living in families were to have separate and independent housing, paid employment and the social security coverage provided by law. Finally, the authorities said they had noted the use of the expression "children community", which was deemed as "unacceptable".
This clarification was to have been made at the general meeting of the community, in November 2008. Following a request by Cardinal Bernard Panafieu, charged by the Holy See with responsibility for the Beatitudes, it was postponed because of legal proceedings against the leadership of the community.
In 2010 the community numbered almost 100 priests
, 40 seminarians, 350 consecrated sisters, and hundreds of lay
members in 70 houses, in 30 countries and on all continents, at the request of bishops in more than 60 dioceses. This clarification required greater separation between the different canonical states of life.), as well as the abandonment of the practice of psycho-spiritual sessions.
. The leaders are called "shepherds". To permanently engage in this contemplative community, seven years of "discernment" are required.
The community says it has a spirituality inspired from Carmelites
: they practice silence, fasting
and "prayer of the heart". Prayer is an important element of the spirituality through the practices of silent prayer, prayer beads
, Rosary
, Liturgy of the Hours
and permanent Eucharistic adoration
. For the liturgy, members use such things asincense
, chrism
and Orthodox icon
s, ...
The community is also characterised by religious practices inspired by Judaism
, reflecting a desire to rediscover the Jewish roots of Christianity. Members celebrate Sabbath and practice dances of Israel in praise of God
. These dances, similar to the Hora and the Debke, are sometimes performed during on Friday evening (when the Sabbath
begins, but more often on Saturday evening after Vespers
of the Resurrection.
The community focuses on proselytism
. It has a publishing house, the "Beatitudes Editions" (Éditions des Béatitudes) and published Fire and Light (Feu et Lumière), a monthly magazine of prayer texts. It also has Radio Ecclesia, a radio in the diocese of Nîmes
, and Maria Multimédia which produces audio CDs, cassettes, videos, DVDs and CD-Rom.
in a book named Dictionary of Cults, published by the Centre against Mental Manipulations (Centre contre les Manipulations Mentales).
The French Catholic bishops strongly reacted to these publications and rejected the accusation of the existence of cults within the Catholic Church. Bishop Jean Vernette
, appointed national secretary of French episcopate for the study of cults and new religious movements and also member of the CCMM, also complained in January 2001, regretting that "groups within Church officially recognized by the ecclesial authority", including the Community of the Beatitudes, are "wrongly" labelled as cults, and also warned against a confirmed deviance by some people, according to him, who "want to use the anti-cult fight as a rocket for an anti-religious fight", spreading "the usual thought line of the Rationalist Union, the freethought
and the Freemasonry
in its atheist version".
After the publication of the Michelena's testimony, two former members of the community, the debate on the possible deviances was publicly revived in three articles published in Le Canard enchaîné
, La Vie and Le Nouvel Observateur
. In this article, Catherine Katz, the general secretary of the MIVILUDES
, confirmed the existence of convergent testimonies leading her to conclude that the community had cultic deviances which required an intervention by a court.
The anti-cult association UNADFI (Union nationale des associations de défense des familles et de l'individu) reported in its June 2007 edition of magazine Bulles that over 40 testimonials from families and former members are available at the UNADFI and the AVREF (Association vie religieuse et familles), highlighting "abuse of power, pseudo-psychological practices and family breakdown". It also said that the founder, Brother Ephraïm, seemed to have disappeared. The Michelena's complaint was dismissed in May 2008.
of 50 children aged from five to fourteen years. According to an article by Le Nouvel Observateur, some testimonies confirmed the lack of action by the leadership towards this case of pedophilia
. Four members of the community who disclosed the case were evicted and, in a press release in July 2008, asked the bishops to intervene.
In October 2008, the Direction centrale de la police judiciaire investigated after complaints of brainwashing, sexual abuse
s and the suicides of teenage members. In 2008 Gérard Croissant was relieved of the exercise of diaconal ministry and forced to leave the community. At that time he was asked to withdraw to life a life of silence, prayer and penance; however, he continued to give talks to groups.
In October 2010 the Holy See sent Father Henry Donneaud as Pontifical Commissioner to replace the existing leadership of the community. On November 17, 2011, Father Donneaud announced that the founder of the Community, former-Deacon Gérard (Ephraim) Croissant, had committed "crimes against the moral law of the church" and had acknowledged "serious failures" in sexual matters, particularly in regard to sisters in the community, and also an underage girl,it said. Even though "no charges have been ever pressed against him", Father Donneaud adds “The Community of the Beatitudes is deeply ashamed of the failures of Ephraim, and expresses compassion and sorrow to the victims of the abuses. The new information about the gravely culpable acts committed by several of its members, in particular its founder, has led the community to move further ahead in the process of repentance and purification of its memory.” .
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
(1962-1965) in the movement of the Charismatic Renewal Movement
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
. It was founded in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1973, and came under the ecclesial authority of the Archbishop of Albi
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Albi
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Albi-Castres-Lavour , usually referred to simply as the Archdiocese of Albi, is a non-metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in southern France...
in southern France since May 1975 (Foundation in Cordes). It was recognised in 2002 by the Holy See as an association of the faithful. On December 3, 2008, the Pontifical Council for the Laity
Pontifical Council for the Laity
The Pontifical Council for the Laity has the responsibility of assisting the Pope in his dealings with the laity in lay ecclesial movements or individually, and their contributions to the Church. The Cardinal President of the Council is Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko. The Secretary is Bishop Josef...
asked the Community to change its canonical form and come under the authority of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for everything which concerns institutes of consecrated life and Society of Apostolic Life regarding their government, discipline, studies, goods, rights, and...
. On June 29, 2011, the Holy See recognised the Community of the Beatitudes as a Public Association of the Faithful under the ecclesial authority of the Archbishop of Toulouse.
Situated in the charismatic renewal movement, its spirituality is both Eucharistic and Marian, inspired by the Carmelite tradition and living out the spirit of the Beatitudes
Beatitudes
In Christianity, the Beatitudes are a set of teachings by Jesus that appear in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The term Beatitude comes from the Latin adjective beatus which means happy, fortunate, or blissful....
(Matthew chapter 5
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
). It gathers together the faithful of all states of life (families, single people, priests and consecrated brothers and sisters), who share a common vocation of prayer and fraternal communion, combining a marked contemplative dimension with numerous apostolic and missionary activities such as parishes, hospital and health care, Marian sanctuaries, retreat centres and ministry to the poor.
In recent years, the community has been the subject of complaints in justice and judicial investigations showing cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
ic aspects. The MIVILUDES
MIVILUDES
MIVILUDES , a French government agency, has the task of:* observing and analyzing movements perceived as constituting a threat to public order or that violate French law*...
asked the prefect of Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne is a department in the southwest of France named after the Garonne river. Its main city is Toulouse.-History:Haute-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc.The...
to check the legality of voluntary work. The Community of the Beatitudes sued certain newspapers and authors for such allegations and won convictions on the ground of libel.
History
The community was founded in MontpellierMontpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
on 25 May 1973 by two couples, as the "Community of the Lion of Judah and the Slain Lamb" (Communauté du Lion de Juda et de l'Agneau Immolé). One of the founders, Gérard Croissant, had previously decided to become a Protestant pastor. However, he embraced Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
in 1975 and was ordained deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1978 under the name "Brother Ephraim" (Frère Éphraïm).
In 1984, there were 300 members in 15 houses, six being outside France, according to the community. In 1991, it was named "Community of the Beatitudes".
Status
Robert-Joseph Coffy
Robert Joseph Coffy was a Roman Catholic Cardinal and Archbishop of Marseille.-Early life and education:He entered the Seminary in Lyon and was ordained to the priesthood 28 October 1944. He carried out pastoral work in Annecy for a year in 1946. He taught as a faculty member where he had been...
, Archbishop of Albi, as a "pious union". On 1 January 1985, the community was recognised by the same archbishop as a "private association of faithful of diocesan right".
On 8 December 2002, it was established as an "international private association of the faithful" of pontifical right by the Pontifical Council for the Laity of the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, and its statutes were approved on an experimental basis for five years. A general moderator was placed at the head of the community.
In December 2007, the community announced that the Pontifical Council had extended the provisional for a period of two years during which there was to be a clarification of the statutes as well as the canonical status of members. Meanwhile, religious authorities gave very precise guidelines to the community. Members had to clarify their purpose, namely to choose the monastic life or that of a community of lay people. It was also asked of the Beatitudes to cease psychotherapy practices within the community. Persons living in families were to have separate and independent housing, paid employment and the social security coverage provided by law. Finally, the authorities said they had noted the use of the expression "children community", which was deemed as "unacceptable".
This clarification was to have been made at the general meeting of the community, in November 2008. Following a request by Cardinal Bernard Panafieu, charged by the Holy See with responsibility for the Beatitudes, it was postponed because of legal proceedings against the leadership of the community.
In 2010 the community numbered almost 100 priests
Presbyter
Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations, then a synonym of episkopos...
, 40 seminarians, 350 consecrated sisters, and hundreds of lay
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
members in 70 houses, in 30 countries and on all continents, at the request of bishops in more than 60 dioceses. This clarification required greater separation between the different canonical states of life.), as well as the abandonment of the practice of psycho-spiritual sessions.
Practices
This community belongs to the charismatic ecclesial movements founded after the Second Vatican CouncilSecond Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
. The leaders are called "shepherds". To permanently engage in this contemplative community, seven years of "discernment" are required.
The community says it has a spirituality inspired from Carmelites
Carmelites
The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites is a Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name. However, historical records about its origin remain uncertain...
: they practice silence, fasting
Fasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
and "prayer of the heart". Prayer is an important element of the spirituality through the practices of silent prayer, prayer beads
Prayer beads
Prayer beads are used by members of various religious traditions such as Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, Anglicanism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Bahá'í Faith to count the repetitions of prayers, chants or devotions, such as the rosary of Virgin Mary in Christianity and dhikr ...
, Rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
, Liturgy of the Hours
Liturgy of the hours
The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings...
and permanent Eucharistic adoration
Eucharistic adoration
Eucharistic adoration is a practice in the Roman Catholic Church, and in a few Anglican and Lutheran churches, in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed to and adored by the faithful....
. For the liturgy, members use such things asincense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
, chrism
Chrism
Chrism , also called "Myrrh" , Holy anointing oil, or "Consecrated Oil", is a consecrated oil used in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Rite Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, in the Assyrian Church of the East, and in Old-Catholic churches, as well as Anglican churches in the administration...
and Orthodox icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
s, ...
The community is also characterised by religious practices inspired by Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, reflecting a desire to rediscover the Jewish roots of Christianity. Members celebrate Sabbath and practice dances of Israel in praise of God
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
. These dances, similar to the Hora and the Debke, are sometimes performed during on Friday evening (when the Sabbath
Sabbath
Sabbath in Christianity is a weekly day of rest or religious observance, derived from the Biblical Sabbath.Seventh-day Sabbath observance, i.e. resting from labor from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, is practiced by seventh-day Sabbatarians...
begins, but more often on Saturday evening after Vespers
Vespers
Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Western Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours...
of the Resurrection.
The community focuses on proselytism
Proselytism
Proselytizing is the act of attempting to convert people to another opinion and, particularly, another religion. The word proselytize is derived ultimately from the Greek language prefix προσ- and the verb ἔρχομαι in the form of προσήλυτος...
. It has a publishing house, the "Beatitudes Editions" (Éditions des Béatitudes) and published Fire and Light (Feu et Lumière), a monthly magazine of prayer texts. It also has Radio Ecclesia, a radio in the diocese of Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
, and Maria Multimédia which produces audio CDs, cassettes, videos, DVDs and CD-Rom.
Cult allegations
In 1996, former members criticised what they saw as the misuse of power by a strict obedience leading to an infantilization, which was considered cultic. They also accused the community of promoting everyday events as miraculous, and believing that any problem may be solved by religious means. In 1998, the community was listed as cultCult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
in a book named Dictionary of Cults, published by the Centre against Mental Manipulations (Centre contre les Manipulations Mentales).
The French Catholic bishops strongly reacted to these publications and rejected the accusation of the existence of cults within the Catholic Church. Bishop Jean Vernette
Jean Vernette
Jean Vernette , was a French priest of the diocese of Montauban. In 1973, he was appointed national secretary of the French episcopate for the study of cults and new religious movements. He published several books on cults and new therapies...
, appointed national secretary of French episcopate for the study of cults and new religious movements and also member of the CCMM, also complained in January 2001, regretting that "groups within Church officially recognized by the ecclesial authority", including the Community of the Beatitudes, are "wrongly" labelled as cults, and also warned against a confirmed deviance by some people, according to him, who "want to use the anti-cult fight as a rocket for an anti-religious fight", spreading "the usual thought line of the Rationalist Union, the freethought
Freethought
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...
and the Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
in its atheist version".
After the publication of the Michelena's testimony, two former members of the community, the debate on the possible deviances was publicly revived in three articles published in Le Canard enchaîné
Le Canard enchaîné
Le Canard enchaîné is a satirical newspaper published weekly in France. Founded in 1915, it features investigative journalism and leaks from sources inside the French government, the French political world and the French business world, as well as many jokes and humorous cartoons.-Early...
, La Vie and Le Nouvel Observateur
Le Nouvel Observateur
Le Nouvel Observateur is a weekly French newsmagazine. Based in Paris, it is the most prominent French general information magazine in terms of audience and circulation ....
. In this article, Catherine Katz, the general secretary of the MIVILUDES
MIVILUDES
MIVILUDES , a French government agency, has the task of:* observing and analyzing movements perceived as constituting a threat to public order or that violate French law*...
, confirmed the existence of convergent testimonies leading her to conclude that the community had cultic deviances which required an intervention by a court.
The anti-cult association UNADFI (Union nationale des associations de défense des familles et de l'individu) reported in its June 2007 edition of magazine Bulles that over 40 testimonials from families and former members are available at the UNADFI and the AVREF (Association vie religieuse et familles), highlighting "abuse of power, pseudo-psychological practices and family breakdown". It also said that the founder, Brother Ephraïm, seemed to have disappeared. The Michelena's complaint was dismissed in May 2008.
Sexual abuse
In February 2008, one of the brothers of the community, admitted the sexual abuseSexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
of 50 children aged from five to fourteen years. According to an article by Le Nouvel Observateur, some testimonies confirmed the lack of action by the leadership towards this case of pedophilia
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
. Four members of the community who disclosed the case were evicted and, in a press release in July 2008, asked the bishops to intervene.
In October 2008, the Direction centrale de la police judiciaire investigated after complaints of brainwashing, sexual abuse
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
s and the suicides of teenage members. In 2008 Gérard Croissant was relieved of the exercise of diaconal ministry and forced to leave the community. At that time he was asked to withdraw to life a life of silence, prayer and penance; however, he continued to give talks to groups.
In October 2010 the Holy See sent Father Henry Donneaud as Pontifical Commissioner to replace the existing leadership of the community. On November 17, 2011, Father Donneaud announced that the founder of the Community, former-Deacon Gérard (Ephraim) Croissant, had committed "crimes against the moral law of the church" and had acknowledged "serious failures" in sexual matters, particularly in regard to sisters in the community, and also an underage girl,it said. Even though "no charges have been ever pressed against him", Father Donneaud adds “The Community of the Beatitudes is deeply ashamed of the failures of Ephraim, and expresses compassion and sorrow to the victims of the abuses. The new information about the gravely culpable acts committed by several of its members, in particular its founder, has led the community to move further ahead in the process of repentance and purification of its memory.” .