(ZENIT News / Privas, France,17.07.2024).- The Missionary Family of Notre Dame (MFND), a Catholic Congregation in France accused of “abuse of weakness,” has sparked intense debate and controversy. The judicial process against the MFND and its Superior, Father Bernard Domini (Gérard Pinède, his civil name) began on July 4 in Privas, but was postponed until August 1.
The roots of MFND lie in World War II, when several women of the village of Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier made a vow in 1944 to erect a statue of the Virgin Mary if they were protected from German violence. The statue was erected in 1946 with the approval of the diocesan Bishop. The Community was recognized officially as a Religious Order in 2005, and it has grown, being now present in France, Germany and Italy.
The FMND has been enveloped in controversies since its foundation, in particular over its opinions on abortion and homosexuality, which are unwelcome in the Catholic Church in France. Moreover, its plan to build a large church in Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier has faced opposition from ecologists and leftist activists. This conflict was intensified in October 2023 when a video of a nun knocking down an ecologist went viral (the previous violence of ecologists, of course, was not shown).
The accusations of “abuse of weakness” and “sectarian deviations” arose initially in 2007 by anti-sect associations. The MFND has been accused of using psychological techniques to control its members, limiting their contacts with the outside world and generating sentiments of guilt by inviting to weekly confession. These charges are based on reports of MIVILUDES, the Anti-Sects Governmental Agency, and of alleged anti-sect experts.
The MFND’s lawyer questioned the Constitutionality of the anti-sect laws and the dispositions against the “abuse of weakness.” The MFND has rejected the accusations, pointing out that the complainants have questionable antecedents and their testimonies are inconsistent. They have also criticized the presence of environmental activists and politicians in the Court, suggesting that there are hidden motivations behind the process. In an article in “Bitter Winter,” Massimo Introvigne points out that of the five complainants: “One has never been a member of the Religious Community, another stayed ten days and was asked to leave because she wasn’t made for religious life, a third was denied membership by the Council’s unanimous decision; she has also had problems previously in other Communities. The fourth did not understand that the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience were vows she made to God Himself, and obligated her; and the fifth left a local branch that was suffering a lot, due to his brutal ways of acting as its leader. This places objectively in perspective the statements made by the plaintiffs, who also contradict themselves to a great extent among themselves.”
In 2019 the Vatican sent a Canonical Visit to the MFND, which resulted in the designation of the former Bishop of Metz, Jean-Christophe Lagleize as “Apostolic Assistant” in 2021. His mission was to align the MFND’s Constitutions with the present-day Catholic Church, which has been interpreted by some as a sign of the need for reform within the Congregation.
The MFND’s case makes evident how anti-sect laws can be applied to traditional Religious Congregations. While the MFND might well need to modernize its facilities and Theology, many argue that these are internal matters of the Church, which should not be decided by secular courts. The result of the Privas trial could have significant implications for the relationship between anti-sect laws and traditional religious practices.
