Auteurs : Jacques Garance et Maud Ratton (photographies de Stéphanie Rivoal)
Titre : Secret Paris
Éditions : Jonglez - Collection Local Guides by Local People
Versailles, 383 pages, 19 cm, 2013 (édition anglaise)
source : https://archive.org/details/secretparis0000gara_u0i4


    THE ANTOINIST TEMPLE
    34, rue Vergniaud
    Métro: Corvisart
    13th ARRONDISSEMENT
    · Readings of the Teachings of Father Antoine on Sunday at 10.00; other days (except Saturday) at 19.00 ·  "Operation" (through prayer) in the name of The Father on Sundays and the first four days of the week at 10.00


                    The Little House on the Prairie
This curious little yellow church belongs to the Antoinist movement, which believes in the fundamental healing power of prayer. A sense of great tranquility reigns in this small interior, worthy of something you might see in an episode of Little House on the Prairie: the men wear long black preachers' coats, while the women must wear not only a long black robe but also have their hair done in a style typical of the 19th century. Silence is de rigueur once you are inside; but if you want to, you may go into the cabinet with one of the "healers", who will pray with you for release from your mental or physical suffering. The struggle against pain is one of the main concerns of Antoinism, as one can see from the title of the principle work by "The Father" on sale here: Deliver Us from Evil.

THE ANTOINIST FAITH
Founded in Belgium in 1910, this takes its name from its founder, Antoine, known to the faithful simply as "The Father". In 1922 it was recognised as "A Foundation of Public Service" by the Belgian government. However, a parliamentary report into sects and cults in 1995 classified it as a 'healing movement', describing its beliefs in the following terms: "the very notion of sickness and disease is denied, as is that of death (belief in reincarnation). It is our intelligence which makes us suffer, and faith alone (not the intervention of doctors) which can suppress suffering." The Antoinists themselves deny any suggestion that theirs is a sect or cult: worship, they say "is a moral activity based on faith and self-sacrifice. It is public, and open freely to one and all". They also point out that "The Father" "received patients for over twenty-two years. When he started this activity, he had savings which enabled him to live without working; when he died, he no longer had any possessions". Today Antoinism has sixty-four temples and ninety reading- rooms worldwide, principally in France, Belgium, Australia and Luxemburg. There are around 2,500 believers in France and 200,000 worldwide.