A series of scandals has been casting a shady light on some members.

The Community, which has links to New Zealand, is a 50-year-old French Catholic group. It was inspired by the Catholic Charismatic movement

Located in Leithfield, North Canterbury, the Beatitudes Community is in the Christchurch diocese. The group has been in New Zealand since 1994.

The Community of the Beatitudes is present in twenty-six countries.

It brings together in one spiritual family of sisters, brothers, priests, and married and single lay people. They all share a fraternal life, a life of prayer and mission with a purpose to follow Christ on the path of the Beatitudes.

Independent Commission announced

The group's recent general assembly in France agreed an Independent Commission was needed to investigate the abuse.

They were prompted by delegates discussing concerns about sexual abuse and abuse of conscience that may have taken place within the community.

Despite victims' "high expectations", no timetable for the investigation has yet been set.

We felt the time was right

"From the very first speeches [at the assembly], we felt the time was right for this review for which the community was not ready at the previous assembly four years ago," said Sister Lætitia du Cœur de Jésus, who is in charge of communications.

The Commission's aims are to shed light on serious shortcomings and deviances within the community.

The Commission will liaise with historian Tangi Cavalin. He has been investigating "the role of the Dominican institution" in dealing with the sexual and spiritual abuse committed by Dominican brothers Marie-Dominique and Thomas Philippe.

Cavalin has also been involved in the matter of the L'Arche Community and Jean Vanier.

Spiritual and sexual abuse

In 2011, the French Community of the Beatitudes admitted that its founder Gerard Croissant was a sexual abuser.

Then in 2013, the French bishops expressed surprise that "Spiritual abuse," had been inflicted by the lay founders, or religious superiors, using their aura and spiritual power often on young and fragile personalities.

Among those identified by the French bishops were fourteen new ecclesial (church) communities, including the Beatitudes Community.

Others, including The Legion of Christ, the Community of St John, and Hearts have seen formal charges of misconduct lodged primarily against their founders.

Victims considered

The Beatitudes Community international meeting also discussed measures to be taken for victims.

These measures include completing the contact details for listening centres indicated on the Community website.

Those at the meeting lso considered decisions that could be taken in the coming months, particularly concerning compensation.

Victims network

In addition, a network for Community of the Beatitudes victims was founded on October 9.

It was established after the new national canonical criminal tribunal said it had received "a canonical mandate from the dioceses of Albi, Saint-Dié and Toulouse."

The mandate is "to continue the preliminary investigation into various cases involving certain members of the Community of the Beatitudes."

Source

• La Croix

Responding to the 'human damage' caused by the leaders of fourteen new ecclesial (church) communities, President of the France Catholic Bishops' Conference, Bishop Georges Pointer, says the actions of these religious leaders have offended and shocked the bishops.

Bishop Pontier warned against the dangers of generalisation, but acknowledged difficulties with some groups, involving the manipulation of individual consciences.

"The gospel of Christ we want to serve, is a school of spiritual freedom", Bishop Pointer said.

The statement made on behalf of the Conference addresses a range of abuse ranging from depression, sexual abuse, suicide and the "destruction of personalities".

The victims were all involved in new fourteen new ecclesial (church) communities.

Critics of the several new ecclesiastical communities had complained of the "destruction of personalities" by cult-like practices.

Fourteen communities have been cited by the victims, but so far only a small number have been subject to investigation or trial: The Legion of Christ, the Beatitudes community, the Community of St John, and Hearts, have seen formal charges of misconduct lodged primarily against their founders.

In denouncing the human damage, Bishop Pointer is asking all victims in the new church communities not to remain silent but rather to come forward and make a formal complaint.

He promised help and an attentive and listening ear.

Source

• Le Figaro (translation Google)
• Catholic Culture
• Image: Blogspot

"The Community is deeply ashamed of Ephraim's behavior and expresses its sympathy with all the people who have been abused by him," a statement on its website says.

The Beatitudes Community says Croissant's crimes were against the morality of the Church and involved a number of 'sisters' that lived in the community as well as an underage girl.

"His prestige as a charismatic founder, together with the seduction of his words, led most of his victims to be taken in by supposedly mystical arguments, which covered grave violations of morality with spiritual themes," the community's statement noted.

"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."

The Community of the Beatitudes was founded in France in 1973 by Croissant and his wife Jo along with another couple.

At the time Croissant was not Catholic but converted in 1975 and was ordained a deacon in 1978.

In 2008 he was expelled from the community and ordered to live a life of silence and penance by the Church.

The movement gathers together priests, nuns, married couples and single people - some consecrated and others not - into local groups who then share a common prayer and community life. It has a presence in 60 dioceses across the globe.

The statement comes just ahead of the trial of one of its senior members - Pierre-Etienne Albert - who stands accused of sexually abusing more than 50 children, aged between 5 and 13 years old, from 1985 to 2000. His trial begins in the French town of Rodez on Nov. 30.

It also claims that abuse was committed by Philippe Madre, Croissant's brother-in-law, who was also expelled from the community in May 2010.

"The Community intends to acknowledge, with humbleness, lucidity and repentance, these serious crimes committed within it by a narrow circle of people," it says.

Sources

• CNA