Fiat Lux (Latin for "

let there be light "Let there be light" is an English translation of the Hebrew (''yehi 'or'') found in Genesis 1:3 of the Torah, the first part of the Hebrew Bible. In Old Testament translations of the phrase, translations include the Greek phrase (''genēt ...

") is a neo-revelationist

UFO religion A UFO religion, also called a UFO cult or flying saucer cult, is any religion in which the existence of extraterrestrial (ET) entities and communication with them is a core belief. Typically, adherents of such religions believe the ETs to be i ...

whose members are primarily located in the

Black Forest The Black Forest ( ) is a large forested mountain range in the States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is th ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. It is led by Erika Bertschinger-Eicke, who goes by Uriella.

Background

Erika Hedwig Gessler was born in Zurich on February 20, 1929. She grew up in conservative Catholic family. As an adult, she travelled to England and the US. After a first marriage, she married Max Bertschinger, who himself died on January 12, 1980.

History

The 'religious order' of Fiat Lux was founded in 1980 by

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

-born Erika Bertschinger-Eicke who adopted the name Uriella as its spiritual leader and

trance medium Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between familiar spirits or spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as "mediums" or "spirit mediums". There are different types of mediumship or spiri ...

. According to members, Bertschinger receives divine messages from

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as well as

Mary, mother of Jesus 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 ...

. The group also believes the

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is coming, and that alien ships will arrive to evacuate adherents, followed by the transformation of the earth into a new paradise, called "Amora". According to Bertschinger, the end of the world was due to arrive in 1998, but has since been postponed "due to the immense praying energies of the faithful". Characterized as a cult, Fiat Lux has been estimated to contain an "inner circle" of approximately 135 members in addition to 800 "dedicated followers" and 2000 "sympathizers". Devotees reportedly follow a monastic lifestyle, including scheduled prayer times, the wearing of white ceremonial robes, and adherence to a strict vegetarian diet. The order's founder, Uriella (born 20 February 1929 in Zurich, Switzerland), died on 24 February 2019.Uriella ist tot: Sektenführerin aus Ibach stirbt im Alter von 90 Jahren
According to German newspapers, Bertschinger called for the release of accused pedophile Beat Meier.

References

Works cited

* * * {{Authority control UFO religions 1980 establishments in West Germany Religious organisations based in Germany Religious organizations established in 1980 New religious movements established in the 1980s