Editing Pilgrims of Arès (section)

==Structure and practices==
===Members and geographical area===
The Pilgrims of Arès are organized in a decentralized manner. According to a critic of the group, the movement has about "500 to 2,000 followers".<ref name="Report">{{cite web |title=Rapport fait au nom de la Commission d'enquête sur les sectes — ''Les sectes en France'' |url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/rap-enq/r2468.asp |publisher=Assemblée Nationale |language=fr |year=1995 |access-date=26 December 2009}}</ref> According to another critic of the movement, the Pilgrims of Arès live sometimes isolated, sometimes in groups or missions. Legally, they form regional assemblies as the "Workers of the Harvest" ("Les Ouvriers de la Moisson"), "The Eye Opens" ("L'Œil s'Ouvre," created in Bordeaux on 4 March 1987, dissolved in 2001), "The Brothers of the Dawn" ("Frères de l'Aube"), "The Torrents" (created in Paris in 1989), or larger associations, such as "The Work of the Pilgrimage of Arès." Also according to the same association, the Pilgrims of Arès would develop missions in Germany, Belgium (Liège), France, United Kingdom, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Russia and Switzerland (Geneva, Neuchâtel, Zurich). The movement begins to expand outside Europe, with members in Africa, Australia, New Zealand and America (U.S. and Canada).<ref name="Vigi">{{cite web |title=Les Pèlerins d'Arès |url=http://www.vigi-sectes.org/visage_decouvert/pelerins_ares.html |publisher=Vigi-sectes |language=fr |access-date=26 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406094332/http://www.vigi-sectes.org/visage_decouvert/pelerins_ares.html |archive-date=6 April 2010 }}</ref>

===Organization and meetings===
The believer has a spiritual and individual freedom. The Pilgrims may be defined as any person who accepts the word of the ''Revelation of Arès''. Two essential elements provide yet cohesive movement, otherwise very disparate and that reject any idea of centralized organization: ''The Revelation of Arès'' and their prophet, Michel Potay. Publishing and disseminating the message of this book is one of the main purposes of the movement. The House of Revelation, in Arès, publishes ''The Revelation of Arès'', and provides bookstores and libraries. Periodicals ''The Pilgrim of Arès'', ''Brothers of the Dawn'' (''Frères de l'Aube''), ''The Egala'h'', ''The Bul'fda'' and pamphlets are also published.<ref>{{cite web |title=Que sait-on de... Arès |url=http://www.prevensectes.com/ares1.htm |publisher=Prevensectes |author=UNADFI |author-link=UNADFI |work=BULLES |language=fr |year=2000 |access-date=26 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420222835/http://www.prevensectes.com/ares1.htm |archive-date=20 April 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The associative structure then responds to these needs.<ref name="Chantin">{{cite book | first=Jean-Pierre |last=Chantin |title=Des sectes dans la France contemporaine : 1905–2000, contestations ou innovations religieuses |place=Toulouse |year=2004 |isbn=2-7089-6855-6 |pages=94–98}}</ref>

As a [[prophet]] who claims that God spoke to him directly, Potay is the founder of the movement, and is the coordinator between the various associations. Sociologist [[Jean-François Mayer]] thinks there is a tendency in sanctifying Michel Potay, but after having invested heavily in conferences and meetings, he is more discreet now. The continuation of the movement is mainly done by believers themselves.<ref name="Chantin"/> Potay died on 9 March 2025.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://michelpotayblog.net/254.html/254-entree.html | title=254 }}</ref>

The Pilgrims of Arès believers are free<ref>{{cite web |title=Religions > Mouvements divers > Mouvements divers – 1 |url=http://www.quid.fr/2007/Religions/Mouvements_Divers/1 |publisher=Quid |language=fr |year=2007 |access-date=26 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130121512/http://www.quid.fr/2007/Religions/Mouvements_Divers/1 |archive-date=30 November 2009 }}</ref> but they are grouped into associations of local mission, called "Assemblies of God." Legally and for practical purposes, they are formed as [[voluntary association]]s. The first assembly was founded in Bordeaux in 1976, followed by a second in Paris in 1978.<ref name="Chantin"/> It was created sixty associations linked to the faith in France, in twenty French cities. These associations publish periodicals, pamphlets, organize conferences and meetings. However, no association represents Pilgrims of Arès in full. One of them, named The Work of the Pilgrimage of Arès, organizes the pilgrimage to the House of the Holy Word.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

===Pilgrimage===
[[File:Maison de la Sainte Parole. Arès, France..jpg|thumb|right|250px|Maison de la Sainte Parole, Arès, France]]
A [[pilgrimage]] in Arès was founded in 1974. Followers go to the House of the Holy Word (Maison de la Sainte Parole), the place of supposed [[theophanies]] received by Potay, to pray and receive the Fire, a strengthening of his faith.<ref>{{cite book |title=Michel Potay et la Révélation d'Arès |first=Jean-François |last=Mayer |url=http://htba.free.fr/integral/Mayer.pdf |publisher=Les Trois Nornes |place=Fribourg |year=1990 |language=fr |isbn=2-88210-004-3 |page=12}}</ref> The pilgrims practice "free" prayer, which is to chant softly extracts of sacred books: the Bible, the Quran and ''The Revelation of Arès''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Michel Potay et la Révélation d'Arès |first=Jean-François |last=Mayer |url=http://htba.free.fr/integral/Mayer.pdf |publisher=Les Trois Nornes |place=Fribourg |year=1990 |language=fr |isbn=2-88210-004-3 |pages=19–21}}</ref><ref name="Melton">{{cite book |first1=J. Gordon |last1=Melton |first2=Martin |last2=Baumann |first3=David B. |last3=Barrett |first4=Donald |last4=Wiebe |first5=Diana |last5=Eck |title=Religions of the world : a comprehensive encyclopedia of beliefs and practices |volume=1 / 4 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |place=Santa Barbara, California |date=September 2002 |isbn=1-57607-223-1 |pages=71–72}}</ref> To access the House of the Holy Word, each pilgrim must answer three questions:
* "Do you believe that the Bible, the Quran and the Revelation of Arès are from God?"
* "Do you love all humans?"
* "Do you forgive the sins?"

However, what is important is mainly the pilgrim's motives. The pilgrim is then allowed to enter the House of the Holy Word, but he must remove his shoes and wear a white tunic. He then puts his hand down the front, and prostrates himself to kiss the ground.<ref name="Chantin"/><ref name="Melton"/>

The House of Revelation (Maison de la Révélation) is the place where Jesus allegedly appeared in 1974. During the pilgrimage, seminars, public missions and film screenings are organized.<ref name="Vigi"/>