In a recent development surrounding the construction of a new religious center in Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier, activists from the eco-group Les Amis de la Bourges clashed with members of the Missionary Family of Notre-Dame. The activists claim that the construction of the Catholic center will disrupt the environment and threaten rare plant species that have not been properly protected.
The incident took place on Saturday, when the eco-group attempted to protest the building of the religious complex. The construction site was surrounded by a group of nuns from the Missionary Family of Notre-Dame, who formed a human chain to prevent the activists from entering. Tensions escalated in the morning, leading to a viral online video showing a French nun tackling an environmental protester outside the construction site. Other protesters were seen stomping on piping materials.
Sylvain Herenguel, co-president of the association for the future of the Bourges valley, expressed surprise at the violent actions of the nuns, stating, "I expected the nuns to be a little reasonable for public order. The problem is that the religious people decided to resort to violence." Herenguel himself was attacked three times by five people during the altercation.
After the confrontation, the nuns resumed a more peaceful stance, singing while blocking the surrounding protesters. Approximately ten police officers were also present at the scene. Les Amis de la Bourges argue that the construction threatens rare plant species, including the reseda of jackfruit, which has been noted by the French Biodiversity Office. They claim that the proper environmental authorizations have not been obtained, calling for the suspension of the construction until all necessary permits are in place.
The Notre Dame Missionary Family, a traditionalist Catholic religious congregation, aims to build a large-scale religious complex in the small village of 400 inhabitants, including a chapel with 3,500 seats. The construction project has faced significant backlash from environmental organizations since it began in December 2018, with several demonstrations halting the process. Activists installed a Zone to Defend (ZAD) in June 2020 to protect the area, resulting in the construction being halted by October of the same year. However, construction has now resumed in 2022 following additional environmental studies on the site.
The group Les Amis de la Bourges released a statement to Fox News Digital, translated from French, stating, "The missionary Family is ready to do anything for this 'miracle' to be accomplished, even to send young sisters into battle. We are a pacifist ecological movement, simply preventing the construction from being carried out before obtaining the correct environmental studies." They accuse the congregation of arrogance and highlight that even the bishop and the Vatican do not approve of a project of this magnitude.
The Missionary Family of Notre-Dame and Les Amis de la Bourges have not yet responded to requests for comment. This ongoing conflict between the religious congregation and the environmental activists highlights the clash between development and conservation priorities and raises questions about the environmental impact of religious projects.
