Eugène Vintras (7 April 1807 – 7 December 1875) was a French religious mystic who founded the controversial

sect A sect is a subgroup of a religion, religious, politics, political, or philosophy, philosophical belief system, typically emerging as an offshoot of a larger organization. Originally, the term referred specifically to religious groups that had s ...

known as the Œuvre de la Miséricorde ("Work of Mercy"). He claimed to receive divine visions and to be the reincarnation of the prophet

Elijah Elijah ( ) or Elias was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah defended the worsh ...

. Vintras's movement was marked by

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute (philosophy), Absolute, but may refer to any kind of Religious ecstasy, ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or Spirituality, spiritual meani ...

, ritual innovations, and opposition from both the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

and French authorities.

Early life and spiritual awakening

Vintras was born in

Bayeux Bayeux (, ; ) is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France. Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is also known as the fir ...

, Normandy, in 1807, the illegitimate child of Marie Vintras. He spent part of his childhood in religious institutions and later worked as a tailor and a traveling salesman. Financial struggles marked his early life, and he eventually settled in

Tilly-sur-Seulles Tilly-sur-Seulles (, literally ''Tilly on Seulles'') is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Population Events Each year, the international motocross takes place. See also *Communes of the ...

. In November 1839, while employed at a cardboard factory, Vintras claimed to have had visions of

Archangel Michael Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second ...

, the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

and

Saint Joseph According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern O ...

. This event was followed by what he described as miraculous occurrences and spiritual communications, including a letter from a secret monarchist society known as the "Saviours of Louis XVII." The letter recognized Vintras as a divinely chosen

prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divinity, divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings ...

, ushering in a new spiritual era for France.

The Œuvre de la Miséricorde and condemnation

The Œuvre de la Miséricorde grew rapidly, and 6,000 copies of a pamphlet on Vintras and his miracles were circulated. Liturgical innovations included the use of red hosts symbolizing blood and chalices spontaneously filled with wine—phenomena his followers believed to be miracles. These practices, however, aroused suspicion from Church authorities. Vintras was arrested in 1842 by French authorities and sentenced to five years in prison for fraud and moral subversion. In 1843,

Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI (; ; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in June 1846. He had adopted the name Mauro upon enteri ...

formally condemned the movement in the papal letter ''Ubi Primum'', denouncing it as heretical and dangerous. Following his release from prison, Vintras continued to preach and even spent time in exile in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England. Eugène Vintras died in

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

in 1875.

Influence

Vintras's teachings and controversial spiritual claims attracted the attention of several notable occultists of the 19th century.

Éliphas Lévi Éliphas Lévi Zahed, born Alphonse Louis Constant (8 February 1810 – 31 May 1875), was a French esotericist, poet, and writer. Initially pursuing an ecclesiastical career in the Catholic Church, he abandoned the priesthood in his mid-twenti ...

, a French ceremonial magician and writer, initially associated with Vintras but later distanced himself, denouncing him as a

false prophet In religion, a false prophet or pseudoprophet is a person who falsely claims the gift of prophecy or divine inspiration, or to speak for God, or who makes such claims for evil ends. Often, someone who is considered a "true prophet" by some peop ...

. In his writings, Lévi acknowledged the powerful magnetism of Vintras and the sincerity of his followers but criticized the movement's excesses and claimed that its mystical phenomena bordered on the diabolical.

Arthur Edward Waite Arthur Edward Waite (2 October 1857 – 19 May 1942) was a British poet and scholarly Mysticism, mystic who wrote extensively on occult and Western esotericism, esoteric matters, and was the co-creator of the Rider–Waite Tarot (also called th ...

, the English mystic and historian of

esotericism Esotericism may refer to: * Eastern esotericism, a broad range of religious beliefs and practices originating from the Eastern world, characterized by esoteric, secretive, or occult elements * Western esotericism, a wide range of loosely related id ...

, also commented on Vintras in his studies of occult and mystical traditions. Waite regarded Vintras as a complex and enigmatic figure, and included him in his broader analysis of mystical messianism in France.Arthur Edward Waite, ''The Holy Grail: Its Legends and Symbolism'', London: Rider & Co., 1933.

References

{{Authority control 1807 births 1875 deaths 19th-century mystics Founders of new religious movements