A Christchurch-based Catholic order has had its authority removed and its priests have been stripped of their religious faculties, after an investigation by the Vatican into allegations of unauthorised exorcisms and spiritual and psychological abuse.
Priests for the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Transalpine Redemptorists or simply The Sons, previously had permission from the Catholic church to preach the Traditional Latin Mass from a chapel in St Albans in Christchurch.
They have now been banned from practicing and told to leave the Christchurch diocese.
The leaders, Father Michael Mary and Father Anthony Mary, have faced claims of manipulating and controlling their followers and interfering in the lives of families.
Priests were accused of tying people up during exorcisms and screaming at them for hours.
Leader father Michael Mary described the bonds as a “safety harness” which he said was sometimes required when the devil sought to overpower and possess a person.
It was claimed exorcisms were performed on young children – the leaders argued they were only “minor exorcisms”.
Former church brother, Mark Robinson, claimed he had been forced to lick the ground in the shape of a cross as a form of penance.
On other occasions, he said he was instructed to lie on the floor while others stepped over him on the way to dinner.
Catholic Church rules mean any exorcism must only be carried out with permission from a bishop and it’s been alleged some of the priests failed to get proper authority.
Both the leaders, Fathers Michael and Anthony Mary, deny any wrongdoing.
The Vatican ordered Australian Bishop Robert McGuckin to fly to New Zealand in November to investigate after the allegations were exposed on TV3′s Paddy Gower Has Issues programme.
As part of the investigation, 17 people raised concerns about the group’s leaders.
One young person who was formerly a congregation member told the programme her mind was shaped into holding extreme beliefs.
“That self-harm under the guise of physical penance pleased God, and that I could not trust anyone except the Sons’ priests, not even my family.”
“The children were given very extreme examples of saints who hurt themselves. Due to the monks’ teachings, I started cutting my skin when I prayed.”
The Bishop of Christchurch, Michael Gielen, said in a statement he had received a series of recommendations from the Vatican which have been accepted.
“I am removing the faculties of the priests of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer to exercise sacred ministry in the Christchurch Diocese,” Gielen said.
“All professed members of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer have been asked to leave the Christchurch diocese.”
Massey University religious expert Professor Peter Lineham told the Herald removing an order from a diocese is “highly unusual”.
“They’ve been ordered out of the Christchurch diocese. They will find no friends in other dioceses in New Zealand and this will have been circulated to all other diocese as well automatically.”
He said the priests will no longer be able to perform normal priestly duties.
“So it means that they can no longer preside at the mass, they can no longer baptise, they can no longer exercise any of the strict technical rights of the church. This is very serious for them because it’s quite an important aspect of priestly life is to say the mass by yourself.”
Father Michael Mary has been approached for comment.