imported>Anonymous9012 at 14:47, 23 August 2025

2025-08-23T14:47:17Z

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{{Infobox Christian denomination
| name = Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary
| image =
| imagewidth = 200px
| main_classification = [[Christianity]]
| orientation = [[Catholicism]]
| polity =
| leader = Juliano Verbard
| fellowships =
| associations =
| area = [[Réunion]]
| website =
| hospitals =
| nursing_homes =
| aid =
| congregations =
| members =
| ministers =
| missionaries =
| temples =
| primary_schools =
| secondary_schools =
| tertiary =
| footnotes =
}}

The '''Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary''' ({{langx|fr|Cœur douloureux et immaculé de Marie}}) is a [[new religious movement]] with [[Catholic]] background founded in 2001 by Juliano Verbard in [[Piton Saint-Leu]], [[Réunion]]. The group, widely referred to as a [[cult]], was the subject of a substantial coverage in the media after several judicial cases involving the founder.

==History==
Born in 1982, founder Juliano Verbard calls himself "Little Lily of Love" ("Petit Lys d'Amour"). He claims that the [[Virgin Mary]] speaks to him every 8th day of each month at 22 in a [[coconut tree]]. Followers must pay 20 euro to attend to collective prayers.<ref>{{cite web |title=La secte "Coeur douloureux et immaculé de Marie" |url=http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/actualites/societe/20070804.OBS9383/la_secte_coeur_douloureuxet_immacule_de_marie.html |work=Nouvel Observateur |language=French |date=23 June 2008 |accessdate=7 October 2009}}</ref>

On 9 July 2007, he kidnapped Alexander, a 12-year child, in [[Sainte-Suzanne, Réunion]], in whom he saw his successor<ref>{{cite web |title=Enlèvement d'Alexandre : quatorze personnes mises en examen, douze écrouées |url=http://v.i.v.free.fr/spip/spip.php?article1850 |work=Le Monde |publisher=Vivre pour la vérité |language=French |date=8 August 2007 |accessdate=7 October 2009}}</ref> and who was released on 5 August 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=Secte: Alexandre retrouvé sain et sauf à La Réunion |url=http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/societe/secte-alexandre-retrouve-sain-et-sauf-a-la-reunion_465900.html |work=L'Express |language=French |date=6 August 2007 |accessdate=7 October 2009}}</ref> In February 2008, he was accused of [[child abuse]] and fraud and was sentenced to fifteen-year imprisonment for raping two children who were respectively 8 and 13. In April 2009, he managed to escape from prison by helicopter with two of his followers, Alexis Michel and his son Jean-Fabrice.<ref>{{cite web |title=Évasion spectaculaire du gourou de la secte du Cœur douloureux et immaculé de Marie |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2009/04/27/evasion-spectaculaire-du-gourou-de-la-secte-du-c-ur-douloureux-et-immacule-de-marie_1185801_3224.html |work=Le Monde |language=French |date=27 April 2009 |accessdate=7 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Yannick Vely |title=Un gourou en liberté |url=http://www.parismatch.com/Actu-Match/Monde/Actu/Un-gourou-en-liberte-92271/ |work=Paris Match |language=French |year=2009 |accessdate=7 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= |title=Le gourou s'est envolé |url=http://www.paris-normandie.fr/index.php/cms/13/article/147322/Le_gourou_s_est_envole |work=Paris Normandie |language=French |date=28 April 2009 |accessdate=7 October 2009}}</ref> He was recaptured in May of the same year,<ref>{{cite news | date = 6 May 2009 | title = La Réunion: le gourou pédophile évadé en hélicoptère a été arrêté | work = Libération | accessdate = 29 July 2015 | language = French | url = http://www.liberation.fr/societe/2009/05/06/la-reunion-le-gourou-pedophile-evade-en-helicoptere-a-ete-arrete_556505}}</ref> and eventually sentenced to an additional 13 years for the escape.<ref>{{cite news | author = RFI | date = 2 June 2012 | title = Cult leader jailed for prison escape by helicopter | work = RFI | accessdate = 29 July 2015 | url = http://www.english.rfi.fr/africa/20120602-cult-leader-jailed-prison-escape-helicopter}}</ref>

This movement was not recognized by the Catholic hierarchy. It was inspired by an Australian religious group named the Order of Saint Charbel, created by German William Kamm, known as "Little Pebble" ("Petit Caillou").<ref>{{cite web |title=Le groupe sectaire du ''Coeur douloureux et immaculé de Marie '' : une dérive locale de la foi catholique |url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/france/20070806.FIG000000238_le_groupe_sectaire_du_coeur_douloureux_et_immacule_de_marie_une_derive_locale_de_la_foi_catholique.html |work=Le Figaro |language=French |year=2007 |accessdate=7 October 2009}}</ref> It was also inspired by a French community named Amour et Miséricorde, located in the [[Jura (department)|Jura department]] in which Verbard lived in 2003.<ref>{{cite web |title=Quand Petit lys d'amour s'initiait en métropole… |url=http://www.lequotidien.re/actualites/faits-divers/24282-sectes-quand-petit-lys-d-amour-s-initiait-en-metropole.html |work=Le Quotidien |language=French |date=15 December 2008 |accessdate=7 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503022228/http://www.lequotidien.re/actualites/faits-divers/24282-sectes-quand-petit-lys-d-amour-s-initiait-en-metropole.html |archivedate=3 May 2009 }}</ref>

The religious group is criticized by French anti-cult associations, including [[Centre contre les manipulations mentales|CCMM]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Petit Lys d'Amour et son amant s'évadent de Domenjod par les airs |url=http://www.ccmm.asso.fr/spip.php?article2478 |work=Clicanoo |publisher=CCMM |language=French |date=27 April 2009 |accessdate=7 October 2009}}</ref> and [[Union nationale des associations de défense des familles et de l'individu|ADFI]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Gourou pédophile : 15 ans de réclusion |url=http://www.unadfi.org/spip.php?article734 |work=AFP |publisher=ADFI |language=French |date=28 February 2008 |accessdate=7 October 2009}}</ref> which considered it as a cult.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sorrowful And Immaculate Heart Of Mary}}
[[Category:Religious organizations established in 2001]]
[[Category:Christian new religious movements]]
[[Category:Religion in Réunion]]
[[Category:2001 establishments in Réunion]]
[[Category:Crime in Réunion]]
[[Category:Violence against men in France]]

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary (cult) - Revision history

imported>Anonymous9012 at 14:47, 23 August 2025