Overview
- The three-day hearing began January 19 in Privas, with Father Bernard (Gérard Pinède) and the Famille missionnaire de Notre‑Dame facing charges tied to five former members.
- A Vatican visitation report from 2019 was cited in court, detailing restrictive practices such as tightly limited internet access, curated news, and rehearsed responses for outside questioning.
- Prosecutors and plaintiffs describe mechanisms of mental control, including isolation from families, surveillance, and threats of spiritual condemnation.
- The defense contests the case and sought a postponement, arguing it lacks access to roughly 9,000 pages of files, and has summoned 19 supportive witnesses for lengthy testimony.
- Proceedings spotlight the community’s scale and reach, with about 150–160 members across several dioceses and headquarters in Ardèche, as debate extends to the recruitment of very young entrants.