Cardinal Schönborn presiding over spiritually abusive charismatic community. Yet another new religious movement becomes a scandal magnet.
Turbulence in the Community of the Lamb
The Community of the Lamb is an association of the faithful founded in the 1970s by Marie-Thierry Coqueray, known as "Little Sister Mary." The founder left her congregation to adopt a mendicant and itinerant lifestyle. The community is part of the charismatic movement, although it is not formally affiliated with it, and seeks a return to the sources of the Dominican Order. In February 1983, the community received recognition as a "Pious Union"—an association of the faithful created for purposes of piety or charity—from Bishop Jean Chabbert of Perpignan. That same year, the Master General of the Order of Preachers, Friar Vincent de Couesnongle, accepted it as a "nascent branch" of the Dominican family. In June 1996, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna and a friend of the foundress, became the bishop responsible for the community. Currently, the community presents itself as a Public Association of the Faithful in the process of becoming a congregation. It has approximately 100 "little sisters," 30 "little brothers," and about 100 lay members, and has established a presence in France, Spain (Navalón, Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Zamora, and Valencia), Argentina, the United States, Italy, Austria, Poland, and Chile. Its motherhouse is located in Plavilla, in the Diocese of Carcassonne, France. The community should not be confused with the "Lion of Judah and the Lamb Slain" (the current Community of the Beatitudes) or with the "Little Disciples of the Lamb."
Despite projecting an ideal of evangelical poverty and mendicant life within the Dominican sphere, the community has been the subject of accusations since at least 2009. The allegations center on authoritarian and manipulative leadership by the founder, described as that of an “abusive mother.” Testimonies from former members detail a system of psychological control, isolation, extreme ascetic practices, and labor exploitation, all under a deliberately ambiguous ecclesiastical oversight structure that dilutes responsibility among various dioceses and the Dominican Order. Recently, the situation has evolved significantly: in 2023, a group of former members organized to denounce the events and offer support, and in May 2025, the National Canonical Penal Tribunal (TPCN) of France initiated a canonical process against the founder for abuse of authority.
The community's governance structure is a central point of criticism, characterized by a concentration of power in the founder and diffuse ecclesiastical oversight that has hindered effective accountability. Former members of the Community of the Lamb describe the founder as central and domineering. Her leadership is characterized as "authoritarian and ill-intentioned," and her method of control as "that of an abusive mother, through affection." According to those who were in the community, the founder runs it arbitrarily, convening impromptu "chapters" to discuss "secret matters," monopolizing the conversation in interminable meetings, and using emotional blackmail to ensure loyalty. Brother Jean-Claude Chupin, the founder's spiritual advisor, is a charismatic and admired figure. His Gospel-centered sermons often revolve around obedience. Despite his affable nature, he is considered complicit in the system, urging members to "convert" instead of addressing the dysfunctions. As for Brother François-Dominique, the prior of the friars, he is described as a comedian with an "actor's eloquence that masks an awkward rigidity."
Responsibility for the community is fragmented, which is considered a factor that has allowed the abuses to continue. Cardinal Christoph Schönborn (Vienna) is the responsible bishop, despite the geographical distance. The Bishop of Perpignan has authority over the incardinated priests. The Dominican Order has limited authority over lay people and nuns, but not over the apostolic sisters. This "triple dependency" creates a lack of legal clarity that, according to accounts from former members, has hindered any external intervention in the Community.
Testimonies from former members, particularly the detailed account of Julien Sapena (a former member between 2001 and 2002), describe a system of control and manipulation. Devotion to the founder and her advisor, Brother Jean-Claude Chupin, is fostered, and their homilies are recorded and transcribed for posterity. Little Sister Maria uses guilt and emotional blackmail, as when she insists that "you pray for me, even though I know you won't," provoking an immediate response of submission. An ideology centered on the idea of "wounded, yet I will not stop loving" is employed, so that anyone who expresses doubts or criticism is labeled as "wounded," thus neutralizing any opposition and denying the existence of serious faults. Unlike the Dominican tradition, an "hypertrophied" life of prayer is prioritized over study; intellectual formation is replaced by a communal ideology, which hinders the development of personal discernment.
Furthermore, the testimonies also describe a progressive isolation and break with the outside world. During Advent and Lent, for example, telephone or correspondence with family and friends is prohibited. External missions are always carried out in pairs, not only to imitate the apostles, but also so that members "mutually censor each other." The community operates as a "community entity, not as individuals." They also describe a life of promiscuity ("we live on top of each other"), with very few opportunities for genuine solitude, which hinders personal reflection and detachment.
Additionally, the experiences of those who were in the Community highlight strenuous physical and liturgical practices. Daily life includes washing with cold water year-round, washing clothes by hand, relying on meager food and begging, and sleeping on hard surfaces. Although these practices are presented as asceticism, testimonies suggest that they aim to "wear out the members" and "tame the flesh," strengthening group cohesion. The liturgies are described as excessively long and theatrical, sometimes lasting all night; they include incessant chanting, multiple bodily postures (sitting, standing, kneeling, prostrating, with arms outstretched in the form of a cross), and exhausting processions. These practices are considered to induce "submission and mimicry," with Little Sister Maria acting as a "frustrated stage director." Furthermore, new members sign a document pledging not to claim anything in return for the work they perform. The community undertakes large construction projects using the free labor of its members. Recruitment increasingly focuses on young people, often without prior professional experience. They are encouraged to "take the plunge" if they feel a calling, without proper discernment. The formation stages can be arbitrarily prolonged for years, ensuring the “perfect malleability” of the members.
Concerns about the Community of the Lamb are not new, but they have gained visibility in recent years, culminating in concrete actions. In 2009, the association AVREF (Aid to Victims of the Misdirection of Religious Movements) received the first inquiries about this Public Association of the Faithful. The following year, the magazine Golias published an extensive critical article, including the testimony of Julien Sapena, questioning the decision of the television program “Le Jour du Seigneur” to broadcast a Mass from the community. In 2022, a new testimony from Poland confirmed the previous allegations. In 2023, four former members contacted the Surveillance Unit of the French Episcopal Conference. In May 2025, the National Canonical Penal Tribunal (TPCN) announced the start of a trial for "abuse of authority" against Sister Maria, the founder. It remains unknown whether the trial will include other members who supported her actions or whether the ecclesiastical authorities will acknowledge their share of responsibility.
The Community, for its part, exercised its right of reply to an AVREF publication to "restore the truth" in the face of what it considers a series of "inaccurate, erroneous, and defamatory" reports. On the one hand, the Community of the Lamb categorically affirms that it is a fully recognized institution within the Catholic Church, and not a new religious movement or a sect. It emphasizes its canonical status as a Public Association of the Faithful, its direct dependence on the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life in Rome, and its official recognition as "a new branch" of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). Furthermore, they deny the existence of a "triple dependence" or "lack of legal clarity," asserting a clear and single line of authority. The Community defends its practices, such as long liturgies, mendication, and missions "in pairs," framing them within the monastic, evangelical, and mendicant order traditions of the Church. The Community considers descriptions of these practices as sectarian or controlling to be "malicious." As for the accusations of "authoritarian leadership," "emotional abuse," and keeping the sisters "locked up," these are dismissed as outright slander. Finally, the Community highlights the support received from high-ranking Church figures, such as Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna (their current bishop) and Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Pope Francis), who welcomed the Community to Buenos Aires. Regarding the claim that the National Canonical Criminal Tribunal has initiated proceedings against the founder, the Community responds that, if true, such proceedings would be confidential, and therefore, they believe that disclosing them would constitute a violation of the confidentiality of the investigation, the principle of presumption of innocence, and an attack on her honor.
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