Decree

The Community of the Beatitudes was founded by Ephraim Croissant and his wife Josette, with another couple Jean-Marc and Mireille Hammel, on May 25th, 1973 in Montpellier, France, under the name of Community of the Lion of Judah and of the Immolated Lamb. It is a new Community born in the line of the Second Vatican Council that arose out of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

The Community is comprised of lay people, celibates, families, consecrated individuals and Priests. Since the beginning, the Community of the Beatitudes grew rapidly and is now present in 32 countries on five continents.

The community of the Beatitudes received its first canonical recognition on January 19, 1979 by Mgr Robert Coffy, then Archbishop of Albi(France), as a Pious Union. On January 1st, 1985, it was recognized, in the same Diocese, as a Private Association of the Faithful of diocesan right, with juridical personality, and approbation of its statutes.

According to the Statutes, the members of the Community have "in common the desire to imitate, as much as possible, the model of the primitive Christian Community by living under the same roof, sharing their goods, seeking poverty voluntarily, living a sacramental life and an intense liturgy, in a close relationship to the Catholic Church and her representatives, along with an active commitment in the service to the poor and the proclamation of the Gospel" (n.2)

The Community of the Beatitudes seeks to live and express what the Second Vatican Council reminded: holiness is the vocation of all Christians (cf L.G, V.). The spirituality of the Community places prayer and the research of continuous prayer as their first priority. Consecration to the Virgin Mary, following the spirit of Saint Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort is also an integral part of the Spirituality of the Community of the Beatitudes. At the same time, it desires to participate actively to the new evangelization, to which the Pope John Paul II has called continuously.(cf the Apostolic Letter, Novo Millenio inuente, 40), through different charitable and apostolical activities, especially spiritual retreats.

The Second Ecumenical Vatican Council and the post council magisterium brought their special attention to the associative forms of participation to the life of the Church, showing a deep esteem and consideration(cf Apostolicam actuositatem, 18, 19 and 21: John Paul II, Christifideles laici, 29).

In the same line, at the threshold of the third millennium, Pope John Paul II wrote that "the duty to promote the various types of associations has a great importance for the communion, whether in the traditional forms or in the more recent ecclesial movements; these forms keep giving to the Church a vivacity that is a gift from God and that is an "authentic spring of the Spirit" (Apostolic Letter, Novo Millennio inuente, 46).

Therefore:

Answering to the request presented to the Dicaster by the General Moderator of the Community of the Beatitudes in which it is seek the International Canonical Recognition of the Association and the approval of its Statutes;

After an in depth work of the consultations and the study of the text of the Statutes;

Considering the letters of recommendations from Bishops from several countries addressed to the Dicaster, witnessing the radicalism of the evangelical life and the commitment in the missionary life and in charitable actions of the members of the Community of the Beatitudes in the local churches.

Looked upon the articles 131-134 of the Apostolical Constitution Pastor Bonus, of the Roman Curia, and thes canons 312, 1, of the Code of theCanon Law, the Pontifical Council for Laity declares:

1. The Recognition of the Community of the Beatitudes as International Private Association of the Faithful of Pontifical Right with Juridical Personality, according to the canons 298-311 and 321-329 of the Code of the Canon Law.

2. The approbation of the Statutes, clearly authenticated, one copy of which is put in the archives of the Dicaster, for a period of five years Ad Experimentum.

Given in the Vatican, the eighth of December two thousand and two, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

James Francis Card. Stafford, President Stanislw Rylko, secretary