A controversial Marian sect excommunicated by the Vatican for its heretical teachings, including the belief in the reincarnation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Community of the Lady of All Nations, also known as the Community of the Lady of All Peoples or the Army of Mary, is a religious group founded in 1971 by Marie-Paule Giguère in Quebec, Canada. It originated as a prayer group and gained recognition as a Roman Catholic “pious association” in 1975, although this status was later revoked due to emerging controversial beliefs. The founder, Marie-Paule Giguère, claimed to be the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary, challenging Catholic doctrine which teaches that Mary was assumed body and soul into Heaven, making reincarnation impossible.
The group introduced and promoted unconventional doctrines such as the “Marian Trinity,” suggesting a spiritual union among the Immaculate Mary, Marie-Paule, and the Holy Spirit. This concept, along with other teachings, precipitated significant doctrinal disputes with the Catholic Church. In 1987, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared the movement’s writings to be in severe error, and by 2001, the Catholic Bishops of Canada distanced themselves by declaring the group was not a Catholic organization due to its “spurious new doctrines.” The tensions escalated until 2007 when a six-year investigation culminated in the excommunication of the group and its members, including its branches and several nuns in Arkansas by the Catholic Church.
Despite the controversies, the group maintained a distinct presence with practices and rituals centered around the Spiri-Marie Center in Lac-Etchemin, Quebec, where they built a church and facilities for their activities. They continued to sell devotional materials and promote a unique Marian devotion, adapting Catholic symbols and texts to align with their doctrinal views. However, they were barred from using Catholic Church properties and had to find alternative locations for their gatherings.
Over the years, the Community of the Lady of All Nations evolved into a controversial religious movement that clashed significantly with mainstream Catholic doctrines. It positioned itself as having a “Providential Work with Universal Dimensions,” yet its theology diverged sharply from traditional Catholicism, incorporating esoteric, millennial views, and presenting Giguère as a savior figure akin to Jesus Christ. This led to a distinct separation between adherents and the broader Christian community, with the sect’s theology integrating heretical and gnostic elements.
The Vatican consistently rejected the group’s teachings, emphasizing their departure from Catholic doctrine. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith affirmed the non-Catholic status of the group and upheld the excommunications of its leaders. Additionally, communications from the Vatican, including those from the papal nuncio in Lebanon, have reiterated the non-supernatural nature of the apparitions and revelations claimed by the group, confirming the decisions of the Dutch bishop endorsed by the Vatican.
Despite official excommunication and doctrinal disputes, the Community of the Lady of All Nations remains active outside the official boundaries of the Roman Catholic Church, maintaining a network of followers and continuing its practices independently.
image via Wikimedia Commons
