Disgraced founder of new movement was spiritual advisor to disgraced Archbishop of Canterbury. Ecumenical dimension to abuse.

Former Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has been consistently unlucky in his choice of friends.

For 20 years, Welby sought the counsel of one Father Nicolas Buttet as a "spiritual director". Indeed, he has described Buttet as one of the "formative influences" on his life – an unusual choice for a mentor, perhaps, as Buttet was both younger than Welby and not an Anglican.

A Swiss Roman Catholic priest, Buttet founded a religious community known as the Eucharistein fraternity, which has two bases in France and one in Switzerland. It lives on donations and welcomes people who have been "wounded by life", including drug addicts, former prisoners and people suffering mental illness.

The community embraces Franciscan values of poverty and simplicity.

And Founder worship

Full story in this week's Private Eye.

Just how disgraced Justin Welby is can be judged from his Wikipedia entry.

Anglican Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell who has been acting in his stead is in no real position to be in high office.

The Anglican Archbishop of Wales has hardly covered himself in glory and has followed Welby's example and resigned

This is Welby in March 2016

"Our biggest mistake is to confuse church politics talk for God talk. One of the most influential afternoons I’ve ever spent was with a man called Van Thuan, a Roman Catholic cardinal who had been in prison in Vietnam for 14 years. He was tortured, and led his torturers to Christ. And the guy who is my spiritual director, another Roman Catholic priest, a monk, called Nicolas Buttet and I just listened to their conversation for the afternoon. I didn’t say much. And all they talked about was how wonderful God was. They just talked about Jesus. They didn’t talk about the church, they didn’t talk about how bad the bishop was, they didn’t talk about anything except prayer and Jesus. And I can’t tell you, you felt that the end of that conversation you had been bathed in light, because your whole soul was being cleaned by hearing two people obsessed with the person of Jesus Christ."

Source

And a report from 2024

"He was capable of picking up the phone himself to call a victim, listen to them, and apologize. Beginning in 2015, the Church of England conducted a series of inquiries to determine whether George Bell (1883-1958), former Bishop of Chichester and renowned pioneer of ecumenism, was indeed guilty of the abuses he was suspected of committing 60 years later. The Archbishop of Canterbury denounced the "shadow" hanging over Bell, before acknowledging that he had spoken too quickly, and the investigations came to a halt.

Still, doubts persisted about his discernment regarding the abuse. Asked by La Vie about his friendship with Nicolas Buttet, a Swiss-born Catholic priest recently accused of sectarian excesses, Justin Welby was very cautious, even seeming to avoid the subject: "If he has committed reprehensible acts, I pray for him and I think of him. And if he has done nothing wrong, I pray for him and I think of him." Behind the scenes, some close to the Archbishop of Canterbury admitted their discomfort. "It's Justin's secret garden," one of his former collaborators whispered to us, looking embarrassed."

But here is some much fuller background on Father Buttet.

Founder Nicolas Buttet leaves Eucharistein Community forever (in January 2024)

In 1996, Nicolas Buttet from Valais founded the charismatic fraternity "Eucharistein." Now he is leaving the community. François Touvet, coadjutor to the Bishop of Fréjus-Toulon, granted his request for release from his vows on January 18.

"The Eucharistein Community acknowledges this decision. It remains grateful for everything it has received from its founder: for the charism of worship and hospitality," the Eucharistein fraternity announced, according to a report on the French-speaking Swiss news portal cath.ch on January 19.

Priest in the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon

Since the end of his term as leader of the community in May 2020, Nicolas Buttet has lived outside the community. At that time, the founder relinquished his leadership role after two six-year terms. According to a press release, the Valais native remains incardinated as a priest in the French Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon.

Crisis and Ecclesiastical Visitation

Eucharistein has been in crisis for several years. At the request of the Fraternity, an ecclesiastical visitation took place between January and March 2021. The three communities in Château-Rima and Saint-Jeoire in France, as well as in Epinassey in Valais, were examined. The visitation report sharply criticized Buttet's leadership of the fraternity.

The fraternity did not accept the report. In 2022, the Bishop of Fréjus-Toulon imposed precautionary measures against Nicolas Buttet: He was no longer allowed to celebrate public Masses and was placed under house arrest – in a hermitage. A majority of the community's members did not want the founder's return.

Anger and relief

Cath.ch asked members of the community how they were reacting to the news of the founder's departure. "It's a disappointment. Feelings vary greatly among the approximately 30 members. Some feel anger towards Nicolas. Others feel relief. At least this departure clarifies the situation," said Claire Lasser in the January 19 interview. She is responsible for the branch in Château Rima.

For true reconciliation, a genuine dialogue about the conclusions of the visitation report would have been necessary, said Cyrille Jacquot, current leader of the fraternity. "We, too, had to examine our conscience. It would be too easy to blame all the faults on him."

Statutes to be revised

Regarding the community's canonical status, Jacquot said they are in the process of amending the statutes. "But we don't want to proceed too quickly, as we must consider the charismatic aspect of the community while also observing canon law. We would like to achieve the status of an Ecclesial Family of Consecrated Life." There is a canonical framework that must be respected.

Source

Self-abandonment, isolation, exorcism: These are the accusations that those affected accuse Eucharistein - in 2023

A system of paternalism prevailed in the Catholic charismatic community Eucharistein. Members say their own will and feelings were worthless. Founder Nicolas Buttet denies the allegations.

The French-speaking Swiss newspaper "Le Matin Dimanche" has tracked down victims of the charismatic community Eucharistein. It is reporting on their experiences today under the title "Serious Abuses in a Catholic Community." The community has a house in Saint-Maurice and two castles in France.

The report was made possible thanks to testimonies from those affected. They felt encouraged to speak out about their suffering – following the departure of the previous leader and founder of the community, Nicolas Buttet.

Founder banned from attending Mass and attending church services

According to the newspaper, Buttet has been suspended from his duties. Buttet is now prohibited from celebrating Mass or hearing confessions – and is even banned from visiting the community. He now lives in a monastery in France, reports "Le Matin Dimanche."

The measures against Buttet are a result of the investigation conducted by the Catholic Church between January and February 2022. The report found that community life is characterized by a "pyramidal, abusive, and infantilizing system" that destroys people in various dimensions of their being, especially their psychology.

The community is now led by Cyrille Jacquot, who is considered balanced and humanistic. He is trying to rectify the situation, according to the newspaper.

"My daughter was stolen from me."

Mother of a Eucharistein member

Some of those affected have now recounted their terrible experiences to the newspaper. A mother from French-speaking Switzerland, for example, said she felt betrayed, especially "in her faith." Her words were ignored. And: "My daughter was stolen from me."

Petrified smile

Her daughter had joined the Eucharistein farm in Valais and was increasingly taken over by the community. She only answered questions after consulting its director. Her daughter's once gentle face had become increasingly petrified, with a constant smile. Eventually, the daughter definitively broke away from the family and moved to Rima Castle in the south of France, which belongs to the community.

Nicolas Carron, a co-founder of Eucharistein in 1996, left the community in 2015. At first, they were "a group of friends, full of ideals," he told "Le Matin Dimanche." Over time, however, inequalities in the work and the roles of each individual became apparent. Nicolas Buttet rose ever higher. And what was initially spontaneous became increasingly strict over time.

Demanded absolute self-abandonment

Carron considers it particularly problematic that Buttet demanded absolute self-abandonment from those involved. This led to them making decisions that contradicted their own will.

"I was taught that what my body, my feelings, or my intellect expressed contradicted God's plan for me," says another participant. He suffered from anxiety and insomnia. But leaving the community was also difficult. "They told us we would end up in a psychiatric hospital or betray God's plan for us."

Pressured to undergo an exorcism

Another victim recounted being pressured to undergo an exorcism after expressing his anger over a situation he considered unjust. "Others made decisions for us," he said.

Co-founder Carron confirmed: "The community performed many exorcisms." This happened primarily at Rima Castle in southern France – by a Valais priest. This sometimes led to violent reactions from those affected, lasting several days.

Nicolas Buttet demands annulment of the report

The newspaper met with the suspended Nicolas Buttet in Martigny. He announced that he had just demanded an annulment of the 2022 canon law investigation report in Rome. He stated that this was because he had not been heard and because an interrogator had been biased.

Buttet denied the allegations in the interview. In particular, he claimed that he had not exerted any coercion on members of the community. He had deliberately withheld his strong charisma.The newspaper met with the suspended Nicolas Buttet in Martigny. He announced that he had just demanded an annulment of the 2022 canon law investigation report in Rome. He stated that this was because he had not been heard and because an interrogator had been biased.

Buttet denied the allegations in the interview. In particular, he claimed that he had not exerted any coercion on members of the community. He had deliberately withheld his strong charisma.

Source