Catholic religious and Miviludes sign convention against sectarian deviations

The Conference of Religious and Nuns of France (Corref) and Miviludes, the interministerial mission for vigilance and the fight against sectarian deviations, have signed a convention to jointly combat sectarian drifts. This agreement follows a similar one signed with the Protestant Federation of France in November.

The newly signed convention outlines four key areas of cooperation: the exchange of information on at-risk situations, joint analysis of factors that foster sectarian deviations, the dissemination of prevention messages, and the sensitization of leaders within religious institutes. Patricia Mirallès, president of Miviludes, stressed that preventing sectarian deviations is a shared responsibility.

Jean-Pascal Lombart, president of Corref, affirmed that religious life is not exempt from issues concerning the rights and dignity of individuals. He highlighted Corref's past efforts, including the adoption of a guide on the rights of religious individuals and an ethical charter in 2023. Miviludes noted that information can sometimes be harder to reach individuals within these communities, and their role is to proactively reach out and inform them of their rights.

Within religious communities, principles of renunciation and obedience, while central to spiritual life, can sometimes be exploited. Mirallès pointed out that 35% of the alerts and information requests handled by Miviludes between 2022 and 2024 pertained to cults and spiritualities. She emphasized that no religious group is immune to these risks, although the majority of sectarian deviations occur within autonomous movements not affiliated with established religions.

This convention strengthens Miviludes' cooperative efforts with various religious denominations. The mission aims to ensure that religious communities are aware of and protected against potential abuses, reinforcing the importance of vigilance and shared responsibility in safeguarding individuals.