Emmanuel Community, a post-Conciliar new ecclesiastical movement scandal magnet. General Moderator resigns

Michel-Bernard de Vrégille, the General Moderator of the Emmanuel Community since 2018 and reappointed for a five-year term in 2023, a layman and father of six, announced his resignation to the community in a letter, which was accepted with immediate effect by Cardinal Farrell on July 31st – he had written to him on July 12th. Criticized for his actions toward the victims of former Abbé Moulay, whose management by Emmanuel—a veritable catalogue of bad practices—required an apostolic visit and calls into question the management of two successive bishops of Le Mans, Bishop Benoit-Gonnin (Beauvais) and Bishop le Saux (Annecy), he explains that the beginning of his second term was "particularly trying," notably because of "abuses" and "ecclesiastical differences."

In the columns of La Croix, internal sources within the community express themselves to the tune of "move along, there's nothing to see here": "Michel-Bernard de Vregille realized that a new lease of life was perhaps necessary" to lead the community, they decipher internally, citing "a personal decision" to defer "the continuation of his duties to the discernment of Cardinal Farrell." "No particular event prompted the resignation of the Moderator General," the community assures. "He was exhausted by the last two years, which have been painful."

As Sophie Mouquin announced on the Emmanuel website, "upon Cardinal Farrell's acceptance of his resignation, the transition process was immediately put in place. As dean of the International Council and the Council of the Fraternity of Jesus, it is my responsibility to organize the next steps." The International Council and the Fraternity Council must elect from among their members a person to assume the interim government. (Art. 35 of the Statutes)

This election will take place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Domus Emmanuel (Paris, France). It requires a two-thirds majority of the votes cast in the first two rounds of voting, then an absolute majority in the third and fourth rounds, and a relative majority from the fifth round onward. Voting is by secret ballot, and is only possible in person or by proxy; there is no online voting. All members will be represented: 19 in person and 10 by proxy.

The interim government officer "ensures the smooth running of the Community. He or she leads its sanctification, coordinates its life and evangelization. He or she represents the Community before religious and civil authorities." He presides over the International Council, the Council of the Fraternity of Jesus, the International Bureau, and the College of Communion" (art. 34 of the Statutes). It is his responsibility to "carry out the election of his successor, at the latest within one year of his election" (art. 35 of the Statutes). Pending this election, which takes place on Saturday, we are all invited to maintain a certain reserve. We know we can count on everyone's prayers for the enlightenment and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The election must then be ratified by Rome: we will announce the name of the elected person as soon as the Dicastery has made its decision. Following his election, the new interim leader, after consulting and taking the necessary time for discernment, will inform us of the date of the election of the next moderator.

Excessive centralization and difficulties in parishes in Lyon and Rome

However, there is clearly an internal divide, since, as La Croix points out, "several members of the community sent a letter in July 2024 to Cardinal Kevin Farrell and Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline – Archbishop of Marseille and ecclesiastical assistant to the community – warning of several points." It was also at the request of members of the community that the apostolic visit was initiated.

In no particular order, La Croix cites other problems—the abuses alleged against Father Peyrous, who will soon be tried; the difficulties in the parishes of Saint-Nizier (Lyon) and Trinité des Monts (Rome); and the methods of governance—where everything is traced back to the general moderator, and where "the supervisory bodies are not informed of decisions or are ineffective. Those who govern are not elected but appointed, and those who are elected do not govern," as one of La Croix's internal rebels explained last spring.

Expelled from his evangelical church for spiritual and sexual abuse, but invited by Emmanuel in Paray: one case too many? More recently, during its sessions in Paray-le-Monial in mid-July, Emmanuel featured a former Hezbollah soldier (according to his own account) and Canadian evangelist, Afshin Javid, who turned out to have been expelled from his evangelical church for sexual assault, sectarianism, influence, and embezzlement. A first lecture received a standing ovation, but the vigil was hastily canceled after participants in the Paray-le-Monial session went to demand an accounting from the organizers. The organizers, greatly embarrassed, claimed at Mass the next day that they had no knowledge of his past, that he had not been convicted, and that he had denied the accusations made against him, before deciding to leave.

The Emmanuel Community was singled out on the subject by Nathalie Trouiller, a specialist in combating abuse and supporting victims:

"@CteEmmanuel invited a speaker against whom very serious accusations are being made, and then hastily canceled his speech, not out of concern for the truth but out of fear of scandal. Concern for the truth, @CteEmmanuel, would have required you to warn the session participants that you've been duped, that it's still strange that Javid's PayPal account refers to a German real estate company and not to an association (especially when they claim to build Cyrus houses in Germany, of course, but also in Israel, and at the same time help Lebanese refugees with donations). That you ensure that there have been no assaults."

This is how the Paray-le-Monial sessions can boast of having added a sexual aggressor to the already extensive list of those invited over the years:

– Marie-Dominique Philippe,

– Bernard Peyrous,

– Bishop Ricard,

– Father Kitandja,

– Tim Guénard,

– Jacques Marin,

– Jean Vanier,

and I'm probably forgetting some.

The difference is that the information has been out there for over ten years.

And rightly so: if you want to continue inviting perverts, there's no point in looking for them in other churches or abroad.

Just ask me. I have a list."

Letter from Michel-Bernard de Vrégille

(emphasis in bold for important passages):

Dear brothers and sisters of the Emmanuel Community,

It is with great hope, tinged with a certain gravity, that I address you today.

Catherine and I thank the Lord for calling us more than forty years ago to this beautiful Emmanuel Community.

For 24 years, I have been called to serve you in several community missions, first with Catherine, when we served as Province leaders on three occasions, then as delegates of the Moderator for France for four years. In 2018, I was entrusted with my first term as Moderator General. I was reappointed to this role in July 2023 for a new five-year term. During these seven years, Catherine gave me her unwavering support.

This mission has allowed me to experience great joys, and I have had the opportunity on numerous occasions to express my thanksgiving for the generosity of the members of the Community and the fruitfulness of their missions. Joy at the Church's recognition of the heroic virtues of Pierre Goursat, joy at the fruitfulness of the jubilee of the 350th anniversary of the apparitions of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary in Paray-le-Monial.

But this beginning of my second term has also been particularly trying; I do not wish to detail here the specific reasons for these difficulties. I would nevertheless like to tell you how much:

The abuses caused by members and certain blindnesses that may have hindered our effectiveness in listening to victims have been a source of deep sadness for me.

For many years, the Community has implemented means of action that are beginning to bear fruit, and I am confident in our ability to continue unwaveringly, paying ever-increasing attention to victims.

The presence of the Community in the parishes remains a daily joy: our connection with The Church is vital and requires significant mutual listening. The Moderator General serves the communion of the members of the Community, but also the communion with the Church.

Some situations were complex and painful to manage. Finally, we had to deal with delicate ecclesial differences. These difficulties contributed to fueling tensions between the various governing bodies of the Community. My collaboration with the International Council was particularly affected.

Faced with this situation and these heightened tensions, it seemed wise to defer to the Church: therefore, on July 12, I wrote to Cardinal Farrell. I asked for a meeting to discern, with his help, the best good for the Community. I told him that I was ready to relinquish my responsibilities, and that I was also ready to maintain them as long as he deemed necessary, to ensure a transition under the best possible conditions.

Before Cardinal Farrell's response, we held the summer seminar from July 22 to 25, which brought together all our governing bodies at Notre Dame de l'Ouÿe, as they do every summer. The events of this week confirmed the difficulties, and our fraternity was tested. Yet, I left this meeting with great inner peace, grateful that this fraternity had not been broken.

On July 31, Cardinal Farrell replied by letter, accepting the transfer of my mission with immediate effect. From that date, Article 35 of our Statutes therefore applied: as Dean of the International Council and the Council of the Fraternity of Jesus, Sophie Mouquin is responsible for organizing the next steps.

I want to thank you for your trust and for the faithfulness of your prayers that you have so regularly shared with me during our meetings. I would like to extend a special greeting to the non-French members: thank you for the always warm welcome you have extended to me during my travels. If any actions, decisions, or attitudes may have offended any of you during my mandates, I sincerely apologize.

I hope that this fraternity that unites us may grow ever stronger by practicing the virtue of chastity, without ever allowing suspicion and division to spread among us. This fraternity is the fruit of our attachment to Christ. I have no doubt that the Lord and His Mother will continue to guide our beloved Community, and I have complete confidence in the brothers and sisters who will take charge of it. I thank you for granting them yours and for praying now that the Holy Spirit may enlighten each of us in the decisions to come.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank Catherine for accompanying and supporting me during these 24 years of mission. We will now continue our community life and live our availability for the mission in the grace of our consecration to the Fraternity of Jesus and our family consecration to Our Lady of Prayer made on May 11, 1996.

I would like to conclude by expressing to you what a grace it was for me to represent you all at the funeral of Cardinal André Vingt-Trois at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, on Wednesday, July 23.

Cardinal Vingt-Trois was one of the Church's pastors, along with Cardinal Lustiger, who to date has served the Emmanuel Community for the longest time. He knew us very well and supported us and demonstrated his devotion as a pastor, from the Community's beginnings until his retirement. Cardinal Vingt-Trois was always committed to protecting our charism, offering, when necessary, the words of truth we needed. We had known each other for 30 years, and I can only confirm what many have noted about him: his absolute inner freedom, which was reflected in a total absence of worldliness, and his "gruff" character, as Bishop Ulrich recalled.

Monsignor Ulrich recalled during his funeral homily, which could sometimes disconcert those he spoke to. Like a clay vase, his postures covered an acuity in the analyses, always precise, an understanding of the signs of the times beyond the norm, a laser-like discernment. I continued to visit him faithfully until the end. My last meeting, for nearly an hour, took place on June 12th, just a month before his death. It took place as always, we discussed the topics of the moment, I gave him news of the Community, then news of Ile-Bouchard to which he was very attached. As you know, it was he who, while he was Archbishop of Tours, had, after investigation and discernment, signed the decree recognizing public worship at Our Lady of Prayer, it was on December 8th, 2001. Two years ago, during one of our meetings, he surprised me by sharing a small part of his prayer life with me, which was really not his habit. With his usual humor, he told me: "I'm going to tell you something that won't turn your life upside down. But every day, I say the prayer to Our Lady of Prayer!"

So, dear brothers and sisters, I encourage you to pray for Cardinal Vingt-Trois, and to ask him to intercede with Our Lady of Prayer, Mother of Emmanuel, so that She may continue to protect the Community and the entire Church. May Our Lady of Prayer accompany the Community in this new stage of its existence so that it may remain faithful to its calling and be fruitful in the Church and the world, according to the infinitely merciful Heart of God. May She protect each and every one of you, especially your families and loved ones. We send you all our fraternal embraces!

Source