Lectorium Rosicrucianum

It was founded in 1935 by Dutch mystics Jan van Rijckenborgh, his brother Zwier Willem Leene and Catharose de Petri.

In 1924, the brothers Jan and Wim Leene became members of the American movement Rosicrucian Fellowship, founded in 1909 by Max Heindel.

[8][9] Massimo Introvigne has defined the LR as a "dualistic and gnostic Christianity" which is not part of the New Age, but was able to find members in this movement.

In its statutes, the French branch stated that its goal is "the spread of the mysteries of the rosy cross, gnosis, and the holy grail", and rejected "the magic, mediumship, and all occult or astrological practice".

[5] The teachings of the organization are based on the New Testament, Catharism, the Corpus Hermeticum, the dualistic Gnosticism of the first centuries and the German literature of the first Rosicrucian trend, including Paracelsus.

[11] One of the aims of the Lectorium Rosicrucianum is to inform people about the source of this sense of yearning, and to explain the need for a return to the divine nature order by the process of 'rebirth from the spirit' (John 3:8), which was taught, for instance, by Jesus to Nicodemus.

According to authors Fahlbusch and Bromiley, Rijckenborgh taught that Christ never came on Earth and his sacrificial death is a mistaken teaching; they think that this can lead LR members to leave the Church.

Another fundamental Rosicrucian concept is the idea of the human being as a microcosm or world in miniature – a system of visible and invisible vehicles surrounded by a magnetic field and bounded by a 'microcosmic firmament', or 'lipika.'

The path of transfiguration comprises five main stages: The Lectorium Rosicrucianum has its own publishing section in the Netherlands, named Rozekruis Pers, which issues a large range of publications, including books by the founders which are also translated, books by authors dealing with Rosicrucian subjects, and a virtual magazine called Logon.

Morality Pupils are expected to adopt certain basic life reforms, such as vegetarianism and the abstention from tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

[25][26] On 27 May 2005, the 1995 annex of the French report and cult classifications in which LR was listed, were officially cancelled and invalidated by Jean-Pierre Raffarin's circulaire.

[27] According to French anti-cult association UNADFI, Lectorium Rosicrucianum "can put people in a state of weakness" by "marginaliz[ing] the applicant from the beginning and in the minute details" (vegetarian food, avoidance of television, prohibition of alcohol ...).

[28] Because of the inclusion of the group on the list of cults of the parliamentary report, the mayor of Poitiers did not allow the LR to participate in a public event called "Day of Associations", on 24 July 1996.

[30] About LR, delegate of the French episcopate for the study of cults and new religious movements Jean Vernette said: "The commission did not have reliable information.