The Family of Mary in France

Accused of mental manipulation, the Family of Mary in La Brardière, Orne, has been placed under Vatican supervision. The Diocese of Séez is accompanying the group before the decision is made.

Founded in 1968 and recognised by the Vatican in 2004, the Family of Mary community has more than 60 priests, 30 seminarians and 200 lay women known as "sisters", and is present in 11 countries around the world, including France.

The story of the Family of Mary is "scarcely believable", according to the association for the support of victims of religious movements in Europe and their families (AVREF). In 1972, the Austrian priest Joseph Seidnitzer founded the Work of the Holy Spirit (OSS). Seidnitzer was a sulphurous figure, with three prison sentences between 1950 and 1960 for serial sexual abuse of teenagers whom he got drunk. "This did not prevent him from continuing his pastoral work in Toulouse, France," notes AVREF.

Padre Pio's mittens

After various warnings about its deviances, the OSS was dissolved in 1990 and Seidnitzer withdrew. Paul Maria Sigl, co-founder of the OSS, took over the movement, which he called The Family of Mary.

He is an affable, charming, magnetic man, with a great deal of gentleness and apparent benevolence (...) He manages to make his followers believe that he is a spiritual son of Padre Pio, whose mitts he claims to possess and which he imposes on his followers.

AVREF

The spiritual life of The Family of Mary is mainly centred on the cult of the private visions of the Dutch visionary Ida Peerderman, of whom Paul Maria Sigl was a friend. This is clearly not the only drift of the movement, since the Vatican has decided to place it and its priestly arm, the "Work of Jesus the Sovereign Priest", under guardianship. This measure was taken after the apostolic visit in 2021 by Archbishop Francesco Cacucci.

"Father Paul Maria Sigl, who claimed to feel the pains of invisible stigmata, has been relieved of his duties", says AVREF, adding that the Vatican criticises the Family of Mary for "blind and unconditional worship of the founder, mental manipulation, annihilation of personalities and mystification of the spiritual narrative".

The Family of Mary since 2008 at La Brardière

The Family of Mary's mission at La Brardière began in 2008, "at the request of Sister Annie Lefrançois of the Communauté Notre-Dame de la Brardière in La Chapelle-Viel", according to the Diocese of Séez on its website. It also states that "Monsignor Jean-Claude Boulanger, then Bishop of Séez, also entrusted a priest from the community with the task of vicar for the parish of L'Aigle".

Given that the Family of Mary, represented today by four 'sisters' and three priests at La Brardière, is under investigation by the Vatican, we might well ask why the diocese continues to 'promote' it. Through its communications manager, Violaine d'Aillières, the bishop points out that "la Brardière is a very small branch of the Family of Mary, whose mission is to be at the service of visiting pilgrims and the parish".

For example, the Parish of Notre-Dame-en-Ouche organises preparatory courses for profession of faith at La Brardière, even though La Famille de Marie is under guardianship. One of these was held on 15 April.

What was the Vatican's decision?

Violaine d'Aillières assures us that the small community at La Chapelle-Viel is not left to fend for itself.

Being placed under guardianship enables the Vatican to help the Family of Mary to rebuild itself. The aim is to accompany the members during this period of transition.

Violaine d'Aillières Communications Department, Diocese of Séez

Transition to what? AVREF, which relies on Italian journalistic sources, stresses that "the pro-tempore trusteeship is the prelude to a Vatican decision on the fate of the community. There could be an in-depth reform. According to the Bishop of Amsterdam, Monsignor Jan Hendriks, interviewed by the Dutch newspaper Nederlands Dagblad, this would be desirable. But after decades of deviation and domination, how can people's minds be changed by a simple Episcopal or Vatican decision? The dissolution that has been so long overdue should finally take place.

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