The priest Antoine Coelhofounder of The House of the Holy Spirit in the south of France, has sparked controversy in the religious community by confirming his intention to marry a woman of Spanish nationality, whom he describes as “the incarnation of the Holy Spirit”. According to sources close to members of the charismatic group, the ceremony is scheduled for March 19 in Krakow, Poland.
The news, which began circulating in early March, prompted the Fréjus-Toulon diocese to conduct a canonical investigation. The diocese confirmed that, for “doctrinal and moral reasons”, Antoine Coelho has been suspended and disqualified from exercising the priesthood by Bishop Dominique Rey.
The diocese also decided to dissolve The House of the Holy Spiritfounded by Coelho in 2017, and prohibit him from leaving the territory without the prior written authorization of the Prelate. The leader of the congregation You cannot carry out any type of “teaching, direction or spiritual and confessional accompaniment”. Furthermore, he cannot practice public ministry, except for private Mass, without the participation of the faithful, particularly exorcisms.
The situation has led the religious community to take drastic measures. Monsignor Rey, from the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, received the members of the private association of faithful of The House of the Holy Spiritto listen to them, offer them support and inform them of the immediate dissolution of the association.
Valentin Gögele, Territorial Director of the Legion of Christ and member of the Regnum Christi Territorial Board of Directors for Western and Central Europe, also spoke on the matter.
Gögele confirmed the reasons for the suspension of Coelho for affirming that he is in a relationship with a 26-year-old girl from Barcelona, Spain. In addition, he declared that “the behavior that he (the priest) himself professes and the way in which he justifies it, seriously contradict the morals and teachings of the Catholic Church.”
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