New Report Released by L'Arche International on Jean Vanier Reveals New Findings about his Abuse - VIDEO
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Mandated by l'Arche International in 2020, the Multidisciplinary Study Commission published a 900-page report on the phenomena of psychological influence and sexual abuse relating to Thomas Philippe and Jean Vanier. This study confirms Jean Vanier's adherence to the deviant doctrines of his spiritual father, Father Thomas Philippe, and to the abusive practices related thereto. It details the circumstances of the founding of L'Arche in 1964 and points to the existence of a sectarian core formed around Father Thomas and Jean Vanier. 25 adult women, single, married or consecrated, without disabilities, have thus been identified for having experienced, at some point in their relationship with Jean Vanier, a situation involving a sexual act or an intimate gesture between 1952 and 2019. In this exceptional interview (See Video below), Stephan Posner, international manager of l'Arche, details the content of this study, its implications - particularly with regard to the teachings of Jean Vanier -, and the measures taken by l'Arche International towards the victims, in its internal procedures.
STUDY COMMISSION SET UP BY L’ARCHE INTERNATIONAL – JANUARY, 30th, 2023
Control and Abuse
Investigation on Thomas Philippe and Jean Vanier
Working since the autumn of 2020, the Study Commission set up by L’Arche International has endeavoured to shed light on the mechanisms of the psychological hold and sexual abuse of which Thomas Philippe and Jean Vanier have been accused. Composed of six researchers from different disciplines (history, sociology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, theology) and working independently, the Study Commission has been free to choose its methodology of research, its sources, make its own interpretations and draw its own conclusions. During their monthly meetings over the last two years, the members of the Commission were able to share the progress of their research in their respective disciplines, mutually benefitting from this interdisciplinary exchange.
Control and Abuse
Investigation on Thomas Philippe and Jean Vanier
Working since the autumn of 2020, the Study Commission set up by L’Arche International has endeavoured to shed light on the mechanisms of the psychological hold and sexual abuse of which Thomas Philippe and Jean Vanier have been accused. Composed of six researchers from different disciplines (history, sociology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, theology) and working independently, the Study Commission has been free to choose its methodology of research, its sources, make its own interpretations and draw its own conclusions. During their monthly meetings over the last two years, the members of the Commission were able to share the progress of their research in their respective disciplines, mutually benefitting from this interdisciplinary exchange.
(VIDEO below has English Subtitles)
The Commission obtained the support of all the archival institutions they approached. This provided a rich base of documents for the investigation to go forward.
The Commission’s study is also based on a vast corpus of interviews: 119 interviews with nearly 90 interlocutors, equivalent to more than 200 hours of listening. These include people who could be considered victims of abusive relationships on the part of Jean Vanier, Thomas Philippe or other initiates of the “mystical-sexual” beliefs and practices of the sectarian nucleus whose history the report describes; they also include witnesses to the history of L’Arche, particularly in the community to which Jean Vanier and Thomas Philippe belonged in Trosly-Breuil; and people close to Jean Vanier; or members of L’Arche who have held positions of responsibility. Jean Vanier’s books, which have been in wide circulation, have also been the subject of a careful critical reading.
Listening to better understand, re-reading to analyse: these were the aims of the authors of this report. The Commission wishes to make public, under its own responsibility, the results of its investigation in order to fully reveal the mechanisms of sexual abuse and control.
This synthesis summarizes the work of the Study Commission mandated by L’Arche international in the Autumn of 2020, following the revelation in February 2020 of the existence of the coherent and converging testimonies of six women declaring abuses by Jean Vanier, but also of the latter’s long-time knowledge of abuses implicating Thomas Philippe. The chief point of the mission letter given to the Commission are the following: shed light on the history of the foundation of L’Arche, identify the relational, cultural and institutional dynamics at work that may have fostered situations of abuse, highlight Jean Vanier’s personal trajectory, his connection with Thomas Philippe and his degree of belief in the deviant mystic into which he was initiated. The commission consists of six researchers of different disciplines: history, sociology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis and theology1 . It met every two months over a period of two years with a pluri-disciplinary approach. A scientific council, to which the commission could regularly present its works, was also set up.2 The investigation covers a period of over 90 years, from Jean Vanier’s birth in Geneva in 1928 till his death in 2019. The object of the Commission was not to retrace the history of L’Arche, nor to investigate the situations of hold or abuse that had no connection with Thomas Philippe or Jean Vanier.
The Commission obtained the support of all the archival institutions they approached. This provided a rich base of documents for the investigation to go forward.
The Commission’s study is also based on a vast corpus of interviews: 119 interviews with nearly 90 interlocutors, equivalent to more than 200 hours of listening. These include people who could be considered victims of abusive relationships on the part of Jean Vanier, Thomas Philippe or other initiates of the “mystical-sexual” beliefs and practices of the sectarian nucleus whose history the report describes; they also include witnesses to the history of L’Arche, particularly in the community to which Jean Vanier and Thomas Philippe belonged in Trosly-Breuil; and people close to Jean Vanier; or members of L’Arche who have held positions of responsibility. Jean Vanier’s books, which have been in wide circulation, have also been the subject of a careful critical reading.
Listening to better understand, re-reading to analyse: these were the aims of the authors of this report. The Commission wishes to make public, under its own responsibility, the results of its investigation in order to fully reveal the mechanisms of sexual abuse and control.
This synthesis summarizes the work of the Study Commission mandated by L’Arche international in the Autumn of 2020, following the revelation in February 2020 of the existence of the coherent and converging testimonies of six women declaring abuses by Jean Vanier, but also of the latter’s long-time knowledge of abuses implicating Thomas Philippe. The chief point of the mission letter given to the Commission are the following: shed light on the history of the foundation of L’Arche, identify the relational, cultural and institutional dynamics at work that may have fostered situations of abuse, highlight Jean Vanier’s personal trajectory, his connection with Thomas Philippe and his degree of belief in the deviant mystic into which he was initiated. The commission consists of six researchers of different disciplines: history, sociology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis and theology1 . It met every two months over a period of two years with a pluri-disciplinary approach. A scientific council, to which the commission could regularly present its works, was also set up.2 The investigation covers a period of over 90 years, from Jean Vanier’s birth in Geneva in 1928 till his death in 2019. The object of the Commission was not to retrace the history of L’Arche, nor to investigate the situations of hold or abuse that had no connection with Thomas Philippe or Jean Vanier.
It was not within its
sphere of competence either to draw a portrait of Jean Vanier that would
balance his faults with his merits nor to establish what the position of
L’Arche with regard to its founders should be.
1. Florian Michel and Antoine Mourges are historians, Claire Vincent-Mory sociologist, Bernard Granger psychiatrist, Nicole Jeammet psycho-analyst, Gwennola Rimbaut theologian. Two members of the Commission are not authors of the report : Alain
Cordier brought in his experience as member of the CIASE and Erik Pillet, retired
from L’Arche, acted as coordinator.
2. With the help of Marie Balmary, Céline Béraud, Guillaume Cuchet, Karlijn Demasure, Véronique Margron, Christian Salenson and Jean Guilhem Xerri. Presentation
document of the Study Commission and Scientific Council : https://intranet.larche.
org/documents/10181/2994508/Study-commission_scientific-committee_AI_final_
EN.pdf/95e55b3e-f431-4b79-810f-f74bc0fb3b31
4 Hold and abuse Synthesis of the Study 5
The report is organized into 7 parts. The first part, historical, aims at
examining some of Jean Vanier’s biographical elements, by specifically
verifying the different stages of his training and studying the human
and ecclesial network which he fits in. The next part, historical too.
assesses the human, spiritual and cultural continuities between L’Eau
vive and L’Arche. The third part, sociological, ponders the practices
and representations of governance and the authority at L’Arche with
Jean Vanier. Thomas Philippe’s and Jean Vanier’s abuses are analyzed
in the fourth part. Given its importance, the choice was made to develop
it more at length than the other parts of this synthesis. The fifth part
presents the psychiatric hypotheses concerning the two men. The sixth
part proposes a psycho-analytical look on Jean Vanier’s trajectory and
the seventh a critical analysis of his spirituality.
The investigation rests on a solid documentary basis: the archives
of L’Arche, of the Congregation for the doctrine of the faith, the dioceses and religious congregations concerned, from the Dominicans
to the Carmelites, from the “Little Sisters of the Holy Virgin” to the
Brothers of Saint-Jean, etc. The investigation is also based on a corpus
of interviews led according to the methodological rules proper to each
discipline represented in the Commission, viz. 119 interviews with 89
persons. As to it, the study of practical theology is based on the reading
of 15 books by Jean Vanier, covering his whole period of activity.
Fruitful dialogues have been led with the Dominicans of the Province of France and the Brothers of Saint-Jean who have themselves also
set up study commissions, the first concerns Thomas Philippe and the
second his brother, Marie-Dominique Philippe.
Being independent, the Commission was free to choose its method
and interpretations. Nothing is stated without a careful checking of the
sources and testimonies.
The researchers have been determined to make the result of their
work public, under their scientific responsibility, so that the culture
of secret carefully maintained for decades should be done at last. The
report is an academic work, with the scientific exigence and the academic rules that go with it. It rests on very numerous excerpts from
correspondences and testimonies that this synthesis only partly quotes,
without mentioning the references present in the report. Whereas the
synthesis recounts the main conclusions and hypotheses of the report,
only the latter, with its in-depth, carefully documented analysis, is
authoritative and commits its authors.
Source: https://commissiondetude-jeanvanier.org/commissiondetudeindependante2023-empriseetabus/index.php/en/home-english/
Source: https://commissiondetude-jeanvanier.org/commissiondetudeindependante2023-empriseetabus/index.php/en/home-english/
Photo by Kotukaran, cropped by Gabriel Sozzi - Cropped from File:Wilbur_Sargunaraj_meets_Jean_Vanier,_May_2012.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38953853
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