Editing Antoinism (section)

===1912–1940: Wife Catherine as successor===
The illiterate wife of Louis Antoine, Catherine (born 26 May 1850, Jemeppe sur Meuse&nbsp;– died 3 November 1940, Jemeppe sur Meuse),<ref name="Deric2002">[[#Dericquebourg2|Dericquebourg, 2002]], pp. 42–44.</ref> called "The Mother" by the followers, was designated by him as his successor, but received no advice from him on how to manage the religion.<ref>[[#Dericquebourg|Dericquebourg, 1993]], pp. 22,25.</ref> In December 1918, then in September 1919, she sent letters respectively to the King of Belgium and the Minister of Justice to obtain legal recognition of the Antoinist worship;<ref>[[#Debouxhtay2|Debouxhtay, 1934]], p. 277.</ref> in the month of March of the following two years, Secretary of worship Ferdinand Delcroix sent two letters in the same purpose,<ref>[[#Debouxhtay2|Debouxhtay, 1934]], pp. 278,279.</ref> which resulted in 1922 in the recognition of public utility of the religion.

To seek to prevent any misappropriation of the charism of Antoine within the movement after his death, the Antoinist journal ''L'Unitif'' published articles which presented Catherine as the legitimate successor and also redefined precisely the limits of the healers' role.<ref>[[#Begot2|Bégot, 2000]], § 19,20.</ref> To avoid a succession crisis and to ensure the continuity of the religion, Catherine decided to promote a centralized worship around the person of her husband and thus established various rules between 1925 and 1930. For example, she placed, in the temple before the high platform, the photograph of her husband with the mention "The Father is making the Operation", then added her own portrait. She also authorized the ''desservants''—the members the most involved in the religion—to perform the General Operation from the higher platform, but wanted that the ceremony would be preceded by a statement that it is the Father who performs the Operation and that the faith must be placed in him to obtain satisfaction. She insisted that the ''desservant'' installed in the platform would be sat during the reading of Antoine's writings. She also organized the Father's day, on 25 June, and rituals such as baptism, communion and marriage, which transformed the group into an institutionalized religion.<ref>[[#Begot2|Bégot, 2000]], § 21,22.</ref> She ordered that nothing should be changed in her husband's writings and in 1932 closed [[Reference library|reading room]]s in which followers gave personal teachings.<ref>[[#Dericquebourg|Dericquebourg, 1993]], pp. 23,24.</ref> However, unlike the writings of her husband which can be sold by anyone, changes and rules established by Catherine are recorded in books only available to the ''desservants'', thus remaining confidential.<ref>[[#Begot2|Bégot, 2000]], § 24.</ref> From 17 June 1930, a faithful named Narcisse Nihoul replaced her to perform the General Operation at the platform of the temple.<ref>[[#Debouxhtay2|Debouxhtay, 1934]], p. 215.</ref>