As the Christian magazine"Tribune Chrétienne" reported on Monday, the archbishop is to accompany the community in its reorganisation, its relationship with the diocesan bishops and the handling of cases of abuse.
Hérouard is known in Rome for his "leadership of delicate missions". He had already been responsible for a visit to the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon. There, there was criticism of the care taken in the admission of candidates for ordination and the establishment of spiritual communities from the charismatic and traditionalist spectrum.
The Vatican had already announced an apostolic visitation of the Emmanuel community in March.
The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity in the Vatican, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, was of the opinion, based on the available documents, "that an apostolic visit would be the appropriate way to fulfil the request of the Moderator General and the International Council for external help", it said in a letter from the Community's Moderator General at the time.
Prior to this, there had been disputes in the movement's governing body about the future governance structures.
Dicastery wants to deepen "critical points"
According to the report, several bishops and members of the community submitted reports to the dicastery in which they expressed their concerns about the internal leadership, the centralisation of power and the difficulties of integration into diocesan life.
The handling of cases of abuse was also criticised.
The dicastery therefore considers it necessary to "deepen the critical points in a broader sense" and "provide the community with appropriate accompaniment", according to a decree signed on Friday.
The Emmanuel Community was founded in France in the 1970s and is charismatic in character.
Members of the community are mainly lay people, but also priests to a lesser extent.
Its spirituality is centred on Eucharistic adoration and praise, among other things.
Politically, the community has campaigned against the opening up of marriage in France in 2013, among other things.