Editing Antoinism (section)

==Practices==

===Worship===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right;font-size:10px;line-height:normal;"
|-
!rowspan=2|Day
!colspan=2|Country
|----
!style="width:15em;font-size:100%"|Belgium
!style="width:21em;font-size:100%"|France
|-----
|Sunday
|align=left|
* 10 a.m.: Reading
|align=left|
* 10 a.m.: General Operation + Reading
* 7 p.m.: Reading
|-
|from <br/>Monday <br/>to <br/>Thursday
|align=left|
* 10 a.m.: General Operation
* 7 p.m.: Reading
|align=left|
* 10 a.m.: General Operation + Reading<sup>1</sup>
* 7 p.m.: Reading
|-
|Friday
|align=center|—
|align=left|
* 7 p.m.: Reading
|-
|colspan="3" style="font-size:10px"|<sup>1</sup> "The Charity Moral" or "The Ten Principles of The Father"
|-
|}

The Antoinism worship takes place in temples. A dressed member welcomes anyone who enters the temple by calling them "brother" and "sister", even if they are just visitors. The service is very unceremonial and informal, as there is no liturgy, singing, or pre-set prayers,<ref>{{cite journal |title=La force de l'âme, rencontre avec les antoinistes caudrésiens |journal=L'Observateur du Cambrésis |date=31 May 2000 |page=3 |language=fr}}</ref> and lasts from 15 to 30 minutes.<ref name="Giltay8"/> Attendance at worship is not required and many people come sporadically. According to sociologist [[Régis Dericquebourg]], "the Antoinist worship is a ritual of intercession. (...) It is a time of big emotional intensity with an intimate aspect".<ref>[[#Dericquebourg|Dericquebourg, 1993]], p. 96.</ref>

The service is composed of two practices:
* "The General Operation" ("L'Opération Générale") : Established by Antoine in 1910,<ref name="Deric2002"/> it begins and ends with three strokes of bell. It is briefly announced by a dressed member. After meditating in a room on the back of the temple, a ''desservant'' climb to the highest platform, and the dressed follower goes to the other platform. Both are standing and pray for a few minutes to transmit the fluid to the churchgoers. Then, if the reading of the sacred texts is scheduled just after, as it is the case in France, the ''desservant'' whispers to the dressed follower to perform the reading.<ref name="D94">[[#Dericquebourg|Dericquebourg, 1993]], pp. 94,95.</ref> Originally Antoine practiced this form of worship only on holidays (except Sundays) and on the 1st and 15th days of each month,<ref>[[#Debouxhtay2|Debouxhtay, 1934]], p. 162</ref> before extending it to the first four days of the week.<ref>[[#Debouxhtay2|Debouxhtay, 1934]], p. 163.</ref> It was in 1932 that the General Operation was performed in all Antoinist temples, and no longer only in the one of Jemeppe;<ref>[[#Debouxhtay2|Debouxhtay, 1934]], p. 218.</ref> furthermore, on 3 December 1933, Catherine decided that the ritual would be also perform every Sunday.<ref>[[#Debouxhtay2|Debouxhtay, 1934]], p. 216.</ref>
* "The Reading" ("La Lecture"): It lasts twenty minutes and consists of the reading of Antoine's book ''L'Enseignement'' by the dressed follower. The reading ends when he thanks the audience.<ref name="D94"/>

There are few differences in schedules between the services in Belgium and that of France (see the table).

===Consultations by a healer===
[[File:Antoinist plaque.JPG|thumb|left|A plaque on the door of the temple indicates that suffering people can be received freely from morning to evening.]]
After the service, some people—regular faithful or visitors—may ask to consult a healer in one of the small rooms of the temple—although the ''desservant'' who lives in the apartment adjacent to the temple is always available to receive suffering persons. During these consultations, both are standing before Antoine's image: the patient expresses for a few minutes the request that he wishes to obtain, and the healer prays, sometimes while touching the consultant's shoulder or hand, presumably to convey the fluid.<ref>[[#Begot2|Bégot, 2000]], § 36–39.</ref><ref>[[#Begot|Bégot, 1997]], § 45.</ref> The healer's work is said to put again the consultant in the love of God that will allow him to find himself the spiritual journey leading to healing. For this purpose, the healer has to discover the origin of the consultant's problem, which is, in Antoinist beliefs, always linked to a person's own history, and to understand that he should bear the consequences of what was done in a preceding life.<ref name="D4">[[#Dericquebourg4|Dericquebourg, 1993]]</ref>

A 2001 survey reported by Dr. Axel Hoffman showed that an Antoinist healer had received 216 patients over a period of twenty days, that the reasons to consult were related to physical (47%), psychological (19%), sentimental (13%) and professional (13%) issues, and that most of these people also consulted a doctor.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Croire et guérir |url=https://www.maisonmedicale.org/Croire-et-guerir.html |first= Axel |last= Hoffman |journal=Santé Conjuguée |publisher=Fédération des maisons médicales |date=January 2007 |number=39 |pages=50–51 |language=fr |access-date=1 April 2013}}</ref> The Antoinist healing process does not include a doctrinal teaching nor a [[psychological manipulation]]. It does not necessarily imply the end of the problem or illness, and can be divided into three phases: the relief provided by the healer through listening and intercession with God, then acceptance of the problem which requires the recognition of one's responsibilities, and finally the inner peace that results. Whether immediate or gradual, healings are never considered as [[miracle]]s in the religion because they are supposed to occur inevitably when all necessary conditions, including the faith of the patient, are met. Even after several consultations, the consultant does not necessarily become a follower. Several sociologists deemed the Antoinist healing as "[[exorcist]]" as well as "adorcist".<ref>[[#Dericquebourg|Dericquebourg, 1993]], pp. 106–18.</ref>

===Marriage, communion, baptism and funeral===
Catherine established rituals such as [[baptism of infants]], blessing of couples and communion of young people. They simply consist of an "elevation of thought" that take place after the services in a consulting room of the temple. These rituals have no particular meaning in the religion and are not considered sacraments;<ref>{{cite book |title=Enciclopedia de las creencias y religiones |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QL06hOJFSwAC&q=antonismo&pg=PA50 |first=Jorge |last=Blaschke |publisher=Ediciones Robin Book SA |year=2006 |language=es |page=50 |isbn=970-732-158-X}}</ref> they are performed only at the request of followers, including young people, who want to provide a religious dimension to the important moments of their lives.<ref>[[#Dericquebourg|Dericquebourg, 1993]], p. 103.</ref> [[Funeral]]s are also performed at the request of the concerned person, unless the family asks for rituals of another religion. The procession always takes place at the cemetery or the funeral home, and the deceased person is never brought to the temple. ''Desservants'' read the "Ten Principles of the Father", then an Antoinist text on reincarnation, to help the soul to come off the body to be reincarnated. Sociologists note that many people who never attend the Antoinist services asked for funeral rites of that religion.<ref>[[#Dericquebourg|Dericquebourg, 1993]], p. 104.</ref>

===Holidays===
As Antoine decided to model Antoinist holidays on Catholicism, followers celebrate [[Christian holidays]], including [[All Saints' Day|All Saints]], [[Christmas]], [[Easter]], [[Easter Monday]] and [[Feast of the Ascension|Ascension]]; on these days, appropriate portions of Antoine's works are read during the services. There are also three special days in Antoinism, and attendance at worship is generally higher at these moments:<ref name="Deric2002"/><ref>[[#Dericquebourg|Dericquebourg, 1993]], p. 93.</ref> (1) 25 June, the Father's Day. It was established by Antoine's wife shortly after his death. At first, from 1913, all the temples except the one in Jemeppe were closed that day in the purpose that followers came to attend the ceremony in that city.<ref>[[#Debouxhtay2|Debouxhtay, 1934]], p. 220.</ref> So many Antoinists performed a pilgrimage to Jemeppe-sur-Meuse to participate in a procession through the city which outlined the main events of Antoine's life. The procession was withdrawn in 1937 and the pilgrimage seems to be no longer organized. That day, the faithful pay homage to the founder in the temples.<ref>[[#Dericquebourg|Dericquebourg, 1993]], p. 91.</ref> (2) 15 August, the consecration of the temple's Day, which commemorates the consecration of the first temple. In 1911, on that day, the General Operation took place at the temple, then the ceremony continued into a public hall, which shocked followers; therefore, the following year, the whole ceremony took place exclusively in the temple.<ref>[[#Debouxhtay2|Debouxhtay, 1934]], pp. 226,227.</ref> (3) 3 November, the Mother's Day, as anniversary of Catherine's death.

===Religious clothing and symbols===
Wearing Antoinist [[religious clothing]] indicates an intense involvement in the religion by the person who makes this choice. Although not mandatory, it is devoted to faithful who perform the worship, celebrations and other tasks in the temple—all of them are called "moral work", as they are expected to participate in the moral elevation of followers.<ref name="B0812">[[#Begot3|Bégot, 2008]], p. 12.</ref> It was in 1906 that Antoine wore special clothes for the first time, and it was the case of the faithful in 1910.<ref>[[#Debouxhtay2|Debouxhtay, 1934]], p. 240.</ref> Entirely black, the dress for men was designed by Antoine, and that for women by Catherine, who precisely codified their dimensions in their writings. There are also dresses for young people of both sexes, but they are never actually worn. Historically, the wearing of the dress was the subject of a debate among the first Antoinists, some of them refusing to wear it,<ref>[[#Dericquebourg|Dericquebourg, 1993]], p. 97.</ref> and even generated a scandal so that Antoine had to justify himself on this subject, saying it had been revealed by inspiration.<ref>[[#Debouxhtay2|Debouxhtay, 1934]], pp. 245–50.</ref> In the past, the dress was also worn in the street, and that was how the followers were immediately identified by the public.<ref>[[#Vivier|Vivier, 1989]], p. 330.</ref> Currently, it is generally only worn in the context of worship, and it is put and removed in the locker room of the temple. Clothing for men is composed of a dress which resembles the one worn by Catholic clergy in the monastery, and closed by 13 buttons, plus a cashmere top hat. Clothing for women is a wide dress accompanied with a cape and a [[Bonnet (headgear)|bonnet]] with a veil. In the Antoinist view, the [[Collar (clothing)|collar]] is important as it is believed that the fluid resides here.<ref>[[#Dericquebourg|Dericquebourg, 1993]], pp. 98,99.</ref>

The only emblem of Antoinism is the tree of science of the sight of evil that features on the facade of the highest platform in the temple. It has seven branches which represent the [[seven deadly sins]] (although sin is rejected in the religion), two eyes which symbolize the view of the sins, and the tree roots which are the symbol of the intelligence which links man to matter. In the branches the mention "Culte Antoiniste" ("Antoinist worship") is written.<ref>[[#Dericquebourg|Dericquebourg, 1993]], p. 87.</ref>