Carnival, one of the most beloved and celebrated events in many cultures, has been around for several centuries. Its origin is rooted in ancient festivities that have undergone changes through the course of time and the influence of various cultures.
The roots of the carnival are found in ancient Roman Saturnalia celebrations, a festival of Saturn, the God of Seeding and Harvest. It was an annually celebrated event in mid-December that lasted for seven days with activities such as public banquets and carnival-style festivities. The use of masks and fancy costumes took place during the last day of the Saturnalia celebrations.
From Rome, the festivity spread across the Mediterranean region and was later adopted by the Catholic Church. The Church modified the festival and renamed it Carnival to connect it with the masses’ Catholic Christian beliefs. The carnival became a way to prepare for the period of fasting and introspection during Lent, a Catholic event where people prepare themselves spiritually before Easter.
By the 15th century, the procession of Carnival has gone through several changes, including a wider range of costumes and masks, as well as the addition of drums and music. In many countries such as Brazil and Trinidad, Carnival has been a source of cultural and national identity.
In Russia, during Soviet rule, all religious activities were limited and the Christian Lent, Carnival, and Maslenitsa (the Russian version of the Carnival) were banned. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Maslenitsa and other religious festivals were restored and Carnival regained its old customs and traditions.
Today, Carnival is celebrated in many parts of the world, from South America to Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. Masks, costumes, drums, parties, and parades remain part of the festivities in the celebration of Carnival, an event with a deep history and roots that continue to transcend through the ages.
Relics – The Metropolitan Cathedral was built over the course of centuries – in the period between 1573 and 1813, and it is not the first time that experts have found finds in the walls
Experts restoring the interior of the main Catholic cathedral in the capital of Mexico have discovered 23 lead boxes with religious inscriptions and relics such as small paintings, wooden or palm crosses, the Associated Press reported.
The texts on the boxes are dedicated to saints. A handwritten note was also left in one of them, which gives reason to believe that they were found in 1810, after which they were buried again.
The message said one of the boxes was found by masons and painters in 1810. The note asked anyone who found it to “pray for their souls”.
The finds were in niches carved into the walls at the base of the cathedral’s windproof lantern, which tops the dome. They were covered with clay slabs and hidden under plaster.
They were discovered at the end of December during restoration work. Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History says they may have been placed there to provide divine protection for the cathedral or the city.
Once cataloged, the boxes and their contents will be returned to the niches and covered with plaster again.
The cathedral was built over centuries – between 1573 and 1813. One of the reasons it took so long is that almost immediately after construction began, the massive, heavy structure began to sink into the soft soil characteristic of the city.
It is not the first time that experts have found finds in the walls of this temple.
In 2008, researchers discovered a time capsule from 1791 placed atop the cathedral’s bell tower. Its purpose was to protect the building from lightning. The lead box was filled with religious artifacts, coins and parchments.
One of them – perfectly preserved, describes the contents of the capsule, including 23 medals, five coins and five small palm crosses. A sign informs that “everyone is for protection from the storms”, notes AP.
Plastics have many useful applications, but the global production and consumption trends of these materials are currently unsustainable. Circular and sustainability practices throughout the lifecycle of plastics can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and waste. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis, published today, many such good practice examples already exist and would need to be scaled up to enable a circular plastics economy in Europe.
Using plastics in a smarter way include reducing unnecessary packaging and single-use products, as well as more circular design that makes products last longer and easier to reuse and repair. Other examples to use plastics in a smarter way also already exist across Europe in the form of gear rentals, car and tool sharing and, for example, reusing crates and pallets in the food sector, the EEA briefing notes.
Increasing circularity requires longer use and reuse of products and better collection, sorting and recycling of plastics. Good practice examples include stores that offer to take back their own products at the end of product life-cycle, which can improve the quality of recycled materials or enable some type of reuse. The role of consumers is also critical in choosing what to buy and ensuring proper recycling. Overall, many European markets of recycled raw materials, including for mixed plastics, are not functioning well, according to a recent EEA analysis.
Increasing the use of renewable materials involves, for example, using more recyclable, biobased plastics, instead of relying solely on fossil fuels and their imports. According to the EEA briefing, increasing the use of renewable materials should focus on the second- and third-generation feedstocks that do not compete with food and feed production.
Businesses, policymakers and citizens can all contribute to more sustainable and circular plastics production and consumption, the EEA briefing concludes. There is vast potential in scaling up circular business models, strengthening policies, increasing demand for sustainable products, reducing unnecessary consumption and improving recycling.
A complementary report, ‘The fate of EU plastic waste’, by the EEA’s European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Use, investigates the dynamics of plastic waste trade within the EU and exports from the EU. The report demonstrates that EU plastic waste exports continue to decline and are concentrated in few receiving countries. Raising environmental concerns, case study results also indicate that plastic waste leaving the EU is of much lower quality than that traded within the EU, and that receiving countries often lack proper waste management infrastructure.
The World Evangelical Alliance and FaithInvest have signed a collaboration agreement setting out how they will work together to increase faith-consistent investing globally to achieve a more just and sustainable world.
The aim is to inspire the Alliance’s network of 600 million evangelical Christians worldwide to take a deeper look at how and where their money is used as well as to support faith-based entrepreneurs and communities to develop investible enterprises designed to protect the environment and address social concerns.
As well as providing opportunities for WEA’s network to access FaithInvest’s training, services and expertise, the two organisations will work together on joint events and projects. One of the first of these is a proposed major event in Geneva, Switzerland, in January 2024 bringing faith-based investors together in an ‘alternative Davos’ to look at values-driven approaches to the economy, around the time of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting.
Other joint activities agreed include sharing knowledge and expertise – for example, in supporting faith groups to set investment policies and guidelines (FaithInvest) and in developing financial vehicles to fund faith-based projects (WEA Global Foundation Fund). They will also work together to identify investment engines that produce win-win-win scenarios (people, planet, profit) for values-driven investors, including members of the WEA Business Coalition which provides strategic and thought leadership for evangelical leaders of businesses, ministries and churches.
WEA Secretary General Bishop Dr Thomas Schirrmacher (left) and FaithInvest CEO Martin Palmer after signing the collaboration agreement. (c) FaithInvest
WEA Secretary General Bishop Dr Thomas Schirrmacher said it was vital for evangelical churches and institutions to consider whether their values were reflected in their investments. ‘I am deeply convinced that there is a need for evangelical churches and their many ministries to look into what we own, the assets we have – the many schools, the many buildings and all the gifts that have been given to us that, in the end, come from the hand of God,’ he said.
‘This money and these assets have to serve the same purposes that we ourselves serve and to have the same goals that we want to achieve with our overall ministry, such as a free society, a just society, a society that gets the good news that there is forgiveness, that we can start anew, that we can be reconciled. All those things have to be seen in our money and in how our money works for us.’
In FaithInvest, the WEA has a partner that understands that the way faith groups invest money is different to other organisations, Bishop Schirrmacher said: ‘So take this seriously as an offer. If you are interested as an evangelical institution to talk about this, connect to us and to our Business Coalition and we will connect you to FaithInvest, for training and for support to find the right place to invest your money.’
FaithInvest CEO Martin Palmer said FaithInvest was honoured and delighted to be working closely with the WEA, the second biggest network of Christians worldwide after the Catholic Church. FaithInvest is an international non-profit organisation founded to support faith groups to invest in line with their values by helping them develop values-driven investing policies and guidelines.
Martin Palmer said: ‘At FaithInvest, we talk about faith-consistent investing by which we mean: what do your teachings, your values, your beliefs lead you to want to see for the world? And is your money serving that purpose? What has impressed us about the World Evangelical Alliance is that it really wants to know how you can be faithful from beginning to end; not just at the points at which you have the money to do good but also how that money is generated and where it’s used.
‘We are very excited, through this collaboration agreement, to work together to support the WEA’s network of evangelical churches and institutions in ensuring their money and their assets reflect their purpose.’
FaithInvest FaithInvest is a UK-based international non-profit organisation founded to empower the faiths to invest in line with their beliefs and values, for the benefit of people and planet. We support faith-based asset owners to develop faith-consistent investing policies and guidelines to enable them to align their investments and their values.
The World Evangelical Alliance Over two billion Christians in the world today are represented by three world church bodies. The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is one of those, serving more than 600 million evangelicals belonging to churches that are part of 143 national Evangelical Alliances in nine regions. Launched in London in 1846, the WEA unites evangelicals across denominations for prayer, evangelism, mission, theological education, religious freedom, human rights advocacy and engagement in a wide range of social issues. It speaks with one voice to United Nations, governments and media in public or through behind-the-scenes diplomacy on issues of common concern to the Church.
Europe is a continent brimming with a rich and diverse cultural tapestry, woven together by centuries of history, art, and traditions. From the vibrant flamenco of Spain to the lively Oktoberfest celebrations in Germany, Europe offers a captivating journey through a mosaic of traditions. Embark on an exploration of the continent’s multifaceted cultural heritage, and discover the fascinating stories and customs that have shaped its nations.
Unveiling Europe’s Multifaceted Cultural Tapestry: A Voyage through a Mosaic of Traditions
As one sets foot on European soil, a world of cultural wonders unfolds. Each country boasts its own unique heritage, resulting in a mesmerizing tapestry of traditions. From the elegant ballet of Russia to the haunting chants of Gregorian monks in Italy, Europe’s cultural tapestry is a testament to the continent’s diverse history and influences. Exploring each nation’s customs and traditions is like peeling back layers of a complex and intricate artwork, revealing the beauty and depth within.
The beauty of Europe’s cultural tapestry lies in its ability to bring people together while celebrating their differences. Whether it is the lively carnival parades in Portugal or the solemn religious processions in Malta, these traditions have been passed down through generations, carrying the essence of a nation’s identity. Europe’s multifaceted cultural tapestry is a reminder of the power of diversity and the importance of preserving traditions for future generations to cherish.
From Flamenco to Oktoberfest: A Captivating Expedition into Europe’s Varied Cultural Heritage
Europe’s cultural heritage is as varied as the continent itself. From the passionate rhythms of Flamenco in Spain to the boisterous revelry of Oktoberfest in Germany, each tradition offers a unique glimpse into the soul of its people. The fiery spirit of Flamenco reflects the intensity and passion of Spain, a country known for its vibrant culture and zest for life. Meanwhile, Oktoberfest showcases Germany’s love for community, beer, and merriment, with millions of visitors flocking to Munich each year to join in the festivities.
Beyond the well-known traditions, Europe’s cultural tapestry is woven with countless hidden gems. The haunting melodies of traditional Irish music playing in a cozy pub, the intricate lacework of Belgian lace artisans, or the centuries-old art of Venetian glass blowing are just a few examples of the diverse heritage waiting to be discovered. Europe’s traditions are an invitation to step back in time, to understand the roots of a nation and appreciate the craftsmanship and creativity that have shaped its cultural identity.
Exploring Europe’s rich cultural tapestry is a fascinating journey that reveals the continent’s vibrant history and the interconnectedness of its nations. From the grandeur of historical landmarks to the intimate rituals of everyday life, Europe’s traditions are a testament to the resilience and creativity of its people. Embark on a voyage through Europe’s multifaceted cultural heritage, and you will discover a captivating world where the past merges seamlessly with the present, creating a tapestry that is as diverse and colorful as the people who call it home.
energy – Scientists in China have proposed and realized a new concept—barocaloric thermal batteries based on the unique inverse barocaloric effect. With this they can extract thermal energy from low-temperature waste heat sources and reuse it on demand, simply by controlling the pressure
A Chinese research team has developed a new concept for extracting thermal energy from low-temperature waste heat sources and reusing it on demand simply by controlling the pressure.
Heat production accounts for more than 50% of the world’s final energy consumption and analysis of waste heat potential shows that 72% of the world’s primary energy consumption is lost after conversion, mainly in the form of heat. It is also responsible for more than 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Against this background, researchers led by Prof. LI Bing from the Institute of Metal Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed and realized a new concept—barocaloric thermal batteries based on the unique inverse barocaloric effect.
The study will be published today (February 17, 2023) in the journal Science Advances.
Barocaloric thermal batteries: Concept and realization. Credit: Institute of Metal Research
An inverse barocaloric effect is characterized by a pressure-induced endothermic response, in sharp contrast to a normal barocaloric effect where pressurization leads to an exothermic response. “A barocaloric thermal battery cycle consists of three steps, including thermal charging upon pressurization, storage with pressure, and thermal discharging upon depressurization,” said Prof. LI, corresponding author of the study.
The barocaloric thermal battery was materialized in ammonium thiocyanate (NH4SCN). Discharge was manifested as the heat of 43 J g-1 or a temperature rise of about 15 K. The heat released was 11 times greater than the mechanical energy input.
To understand the physical origin of the unique inverse barocaloric effect, the working material NH4SCN has been well characterized using synchrotron X-ray and neutron scattering techniques. It undergoes a crystal structural phase transition from a monoclinic to an orthorhombic phase at 363 K, accompanied by a volumetric negative thermal expansion of ~5% and entropy changes of about 128 J kg-1 K-1.
This transition is easily driven by pressure as low as 40 MPa, and it is the first inverse barocaloric system with entropy changes greater than 100 J kg-1K-1. Pressure-dependent neutron scattering and molecular dynamics simulations showed that the transverse vibrations of SCN¯ anions are enhanced by pressure and the hydrogen bonds that form the long-range order are then weakened.
As a result, the system becomes disordered in response to external pressure and thus the material absorbs heat from the environment.
As an emerging solution for manipulating heat, barocaloric thermal batteries are expected to play an active role in a variety of applications such as low-temperature industrial waste heat harvesting and reuse, solid-state refrigeration heat transfer systems, smart grids, and residential heat management.
Reference: “Thermal batteries based on inverse barocaloric effects” 17 February 2023, Science Advances. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add0374
This study was supported by CAS, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
This incredible image was captured on the International Space Station (ISS) on February 12, 2023. In it, NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Nicole Mann‘s image is refracted through a sphere of water flying weightlessly in microgravity.
Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one transparent medium to another, such as when light passes from air to water or from air to a glass lens. When light enters a new medium, such as water or glass, it changes speed and direction, which causes it to bend or change its path. The amount of bending that occurs depends on the angle at which the light hits the surface of the medium and the difference in the refractive indices (a measure of how much the speed of light changes in the medium) of the two media.
The phenomenon of refraction has many practical applications, such as in lenses used in eyeglasses or cameras, in the design of optical instruments, and in the study of the properties of materials. Refraction also plays an important role in the formation of optical illusions and mirages.
Nicole Mann is one of the Crew-5 astronauts that arrived on station on October 6, 2022, after launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on October 5. She conducted spacewalks on January 20 and February 2, accompanied by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, in construction work related to the installation of the International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs).
NASA
Established in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It is responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Its vision is “To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity.” Its core values are “safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and inclusion.” NASA conducts research, develops technology and launches missions to explore and study Earth, the solar system, and the universe beyond. It also works to advance the state of knowledge in a wide range of scientific fields, including Earth and space science, planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics, and it collaborates with private companies and international partners to achieve its goals.
SpaceX
Commonly known as SpaceX, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. is a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company that was founded by Elon Musk in 2002. Headquartered in Hawthorne, California, the company designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. SpaceX’s ultimate goal is to reduce space transportation costs and enable the colonization of Mars.
JAXA
Formed in 2003, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was born through the merger of three institutions, namely the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL) and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). JAXA performs various activities related to aerospace, from basic research in the aerospace field to development and utilization and is responsible for research, technology development, and launch of satellites into orbit, and is involved in advanced missions such as asteroid exploration and possible human exploration of the Moon.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Nicole Mann’s image is refracted through a sphere of water flying weightlessly in microgravity. Credit: NASA
The New York Times is suing the European Commission because to date its president Ursula von der Leyen has not made public the text messages exchanged during the Covid-19 pandemic with the CEO of Pfizer. Vaccine contracts still not made public
While civil society has been demanding for almost two years the publication of all the contracts signed between the European Commission and Pfizer, the case has been re-launched by the powerful American media, The New York Times, which has filed a complaint against the European Commission for refusing to publish the text messages exchanged between Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer and Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
The American media justifies its decision to sue the European Commission because it has the obligation to make public these exchanges which would contain information on the contracts of vaccines signed between the EU and Pfizer.
As a reminder, in April 2021, the New York Times published an article in which it reported that the Commission President and Pfizer CEO had exchanged text messages related to the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines. This prompted a journalist to request public access to text messages and other documents relating to the exchange. The Commission identified three documents as falling within the scope of the request – an e-mail, a letter and a press release – all of which were published. The complainant turned to the Ombudsman because the Commission had not identified any SMS.
In January 2022, the Ombudsman criticised the Commission’s handling of the request for public access to SMS messages. After his investigation, it turned out that the Commission, instead of requesting a search of SMS messages, asked his office to search for documents that met the Commission’s internal registration criteria (text messages are currently not considered to meet these criteria). She urged the Commission to “conduct a more thorough search for relevant messages.
“The handling of this request for access to documents leaves the unfortunate impression of a European institution that is not forthcoming on major issues of public interest,”
On 29 June, EU Transparency Commissioner Věra Jourová replied that the search for messages had “not yielded any results”.
Following this the European Ombudsman had severely criticised the European Commission and considered the lack of willingness to find these SMS messages a red flag.
The European Commission does not consider SMS to be part of its duty of transparency, and says it cannot retrieve them either. Oversight bodies such as the European Ombudsman and the European Court of Auditors have already denounced the opacity that the Commission continues to maintain. So has the European Parliament.
The vaccine contract affair has caused a furore in Europe, with many politicians calling for an investigation into an extremely opaque deal. In fact, on 16 December, seven Green MEPs declared war on the President of the European Commission.
The final report of the Independent Commission for the Study of Sexual Abuse of Children in the Catholic Church in Portugal, releases validated testimonies relating to abuse cases that occurred between 1950 and 2022 and points to over 4,800 victims.
By Linda Bordoni
Reacting to the final report of the Independent Commission charged with investigating sexual abuse cases of minors in the Catholic Church in Portugal, the President of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP) said his first thought is for the victims, and the second for the commission towards whom the Church is grateful for its competent, passionate and humane work.
The Commission’s 8-point report points to a minimum number of 4815 victims in 70 years. The body was set up by the Portuguese Conference to examine abuse in recent decades.
Bishop Josè Ornelas said the results will not be ignored and launched a message of reassurance to the victims pledging to work for transparency and justice.
“We have heard things that we cannot ignore. It is a dramatic situation that we are living,” he said, “pointing out that that the Bishops’ Conference was not in denial about the consequences of the outcome.
He asked the victims for forgiveness and apologized for the Church having failed to grasp the scale of the problem.
Child sex abuse is a “heinous crime,” Ornelas said in a statement, adding: “It is an open wound which pains and embarrasses us.”
Present for the press conference at the Catholic University of Portugal, in Lisbon, was a number of Catholic experts and leaders, including Father Hanz Zollner, a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
The report
Releasing the report at a press briefing, Commission coordinator and president, Pedro Strecht, said 512 testimonies have been validated, out of a total of 564 received, relating to cases that occurred between 1950 and 2022.
He explained that the testimonies, presented to the organization between January and October of last year, point to a “much more extensive” network of victims, calculated in a “minimum, very minimum number of 4815 victims”.
“It is not possible to quantify the total number of crimes”, Strecht said, given that some victims were abused several times.
However, he noted that it is important “not to confuse the part with the whole,” and said the number of abusers within the Church is “low”. “The percentage of its existence, as practiced by members of the Church,” Strecht explained, “is very small, on the reality of the subject of sexual abuse of minors in general”,
Work done with freedom
Strecht emphasized that the Portuguese Episcopal Conference “always supported” this work, and he thanked all the victims who “dared to give voice to silence”.
He spoke of work done with “freedom”, recognized as necessary by several of the testimonies.
A total of 25 cases have been passed to public prosecutors, many others fell outside the statute of limitations.
The alleged abusers who are still alive will be identified, and a list of their names will be sent to the Catholic Church and to Judicial authorities by the end of February.
The Independent Commission ceases the functions for which it was designated by the CEP.
Strecht said its members “reached the end of this long and also painful work with the feeling of accomplishment”, and stressed that “the pain of the truth hurts, but it sets you free”.
On March 3, in Fátima, an extraordinary plenary assembly of the CEP is scheduled to analyze the CI report.
In an interview with French magazine Le Figaro on January 30, Sonia Backes, deputy Minister of the Interior for Citizenship, announced that she intends to engage Europe on the issue of “cults” usage of social networks. To combat what she calls “sectarian deviances”, she thinks that “If we want to intervene with regard to social networks, the action to be taken must be at the European level.”
Sonia Backes is an interesting character. Coming from the French far remote province of New Caledonia, a former French colony in the Pacific Ocean that still belongs to France, where she made a name for herself by being a rabid anti-independence politician, she has been appointed as State Secretary for citizenship in the French government in July 2022, under the authority of the Minister of Interior. As such, included in her portfolio was the strange French agency called Miviludes (acronym for French Inter-ministerial mission for monitoring and combating cultic deviances), which has the task of combating “cults” in France, a vague term for religions that do not enjoy the French authority’s acceptance, i.e., mainly new religions. Backes, who defends “Christian values” when she is in Caledonia, and a hardcore “laicity” when she is in France, took her new role to heart.
While Miviludes has been highly criticized internationally for its stance against some religious movements throughout the years, it barely triggers any criticism in the French media. On the contrary, it gets a significant support from them for their anti-cult propaganda. A couple of months after being appointed, Backes went around almost all French media explaining her role as the senior of Miviludes, and the need to reinforce the fight against “cults”. What was most interesting was the narrative she spread, that she was raised “in Scientology” by a Scientologist mother, and that she had to escape Scientology and her mother when she was 13, after having “discovered” that she was in “a cult”.
Sonia Backes and Scientology
This narrative seemed well accepted by the French media, though for an outsider it may look rather strange that a Minister in a democratic country would engage into personal “familial” revenge against a specific religious movement, Sonia Backes went as far as to state that she was working on new laws that would permit the State to combat Scientology activities on French territories. (It might be interesting to note that outside of France, Scientology is recognized as a genuine religion and enjoys this legal status, in, to name a few, Spain, Italy, the UK, Portugal and The Netherlands where it recently received the official status of “public utility” by the authorities. Moreover, even in France, most courts have recognized the religious nature of Scientology). The reason she gave for this new task was that Scientology intends to open a large new Church building in the Paris area and the “authorities” had tried to prevent from doing so, but the Church won in court. Her ‘reasoning’ was, therefore, that this failure by the authorities demonstrates that existing laws are not sufficient. (The Church of Scientology indeed won in court after the City Hall of Saint Denis tried to prevent it from starting renovations of the building, and the Court of Appeal which decided on the case, convicted both the City Hall and the State for misuse of power, a serious conviction for State agents).
Quite unfortunately for her, Sonia Backes has a brother who is a Scientologist himself, and who gave an interview in which he provided a different narrative on Backes’ childhood. Per the brother, “The truth is that she never ‘escaped Scientology’ as she pretended in ‘Le Figaro’ (French neswpaper) and elsewhere”.
He explains that their mother was indeed a Scientologist, that she took very good care of her kids, including Backes, and that Sonia waited for her mother to die (Backes mother died on July 23, 2022) before spreading lies about Scientology and her family. When asked why his sister would have to “invent” such a story, he answered: “a few days before she died, my mother showed and gave me a text message that Sonia had just sent to her. In the text message, Sonia Backes was explaining that she was going to have Miviludes in her portfolio as a Secretary of State, and she was afraid that Mediapart (a French online newspaper specialized in investigating politicians and potential scandals) would discover that our mother was a Scientologist. As you know, Miviludes has always promoted the discrimination of Scientologists. Then, Sonia added that for this reason, she would have to say that she had left the family because of Scientology, to avoid a scandal.”
In fact, the text message, which we had the opportunity to read in full, was dated July 9, 2022 and read as follows:
Sonia Backes: Hello, I also wanted to tell you something. In my Portfolio I have ‘the fight against sectarian deviances’. So it’s probable that Mediapart takes on the fact that you are a Scientologist. I am currently seeing how to tackle the topic so that it does not become explosive. But I will certainly have to say that I left your home because of this. And that I refuse that you tackle this topic with me… Let’s see each other when I have a bit of time!
That of course tends to corroborate the brother’s narrative more than Sonia Backes’ one. Then the mother answered to this text: “It would be better if you would tell the truth, which is that you live in Caledonia by choice.” Then Sonia invited her mother and stepfather, both Scientologists, to visit her at her new office in the Ministry of Interior, showing that she had not severed any link with her Scientologist family before her mother died.
Contrary to her expectations, Mediapart never took on the Scientology story, and it looks like they do not really care about that kind of religious controversy, being more interested in corruption affairs by members of the government. To our knowledge, the Church of Scientology did not comment on Backes’ childhood and her relationship to her deceased mother.
Sonia Backes with her Scientologist mother and stepfather in March 2022 in Paris
Miviludes’ links with Russian extremists
Miviludes has a long history of attacking new religious movements in France and while it nowadays continues to attack the Jehovah Witnesses, the Evangelicals, and other religious groups such as Scientology or Buddhist groups, it extended its scope to include conspiracy theorists, survivalists, ecological movements and alternative health practitioners, in a weird melting pot and drawing the most hazardous comparisons.
But more predominant are the links of Miviludes with Russian anti-Ukrainians propagandists, an alliance based on the similarity of targets (non-accepted religions), to the point that recently, 80 Ukrainian prominent scholars wrote to the President Macron to ask him to stop funding the FECRIS, a European federation based in France that has been a front line partner of the Miviludes for decades, and has many Kremlin hardliner propagandists in its ranks. Despite this, Miviludes and Sonia Backes continued to partner officially with FECRIS and even has in its steering Committee a former politician, Georges Fenech, who has traveled to the occupied Crimea with other parliamentarians in 2019, to meet with Putin and testify about how well Crimea was doing under Russian occupation.
A French delegation in Crimea in 2019, with Georges Fenech, current member of the Miviludes steering committee, in the back.
In 2020, FECRIS was identified by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bi-partisan US governmental body, as a danger for democracy and human rights, and pointed it out as being actively engaged in “ongoing disinformation campaign against religious minorities”.
Miviludes’ attempts to convert Europe
It’s not the first time that the French Miviludes tries to export its model to a European level. Their last attempt was in 2013-2014, when they had tasked a French MP (also a member of the Miviludes’ steering committee) Rudy Salles, to work onto the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for it to issue a recommendation and a resolution on the issue of “cults and minors”. In March 2014, Salles had proposed both a draft recommendation and a draft resolution, which aimed at exporting the French model to the 47 states of the Council of Europe and create an “observatory of cults” at the European level, a sort of European Miviludes which would oversee the repression of religious minorities in the continent.
The draft documents caused an outcry internationally, and the PACE received protestation letters from all over the world, from Jewish Israelian scholars to the well-known Moscow Helsinki Group to Muslim human rights federations as well as Christian (Catholic and protestant) and atheist human right defenders. Even the former Jurisconsult of the European Court of Human Rights, Frenchman Vincent Berger, was outspoken and declared in the premises of the Assembly that the French model described in the draft documents would “seriously undermine religious freedom and freedom of association guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. Indeed, they cast aspersions on all new religious and spiritual groups that have emerged in Europe alongside traditional churches and denominations…”
Vincent Berger, former Jurisconsult of the ECHR, speaking against the Rudy Salles proposals at the PACE on 8 April 2014
Unsurprisingly, the day of the vote by the Parliamentary Assembly, the European parliamentarians rejected the recommendation and decided to transform the resolution into its opposite, erasing from it any discriminatory proposals, and replacing them with the following statements:
The Assembly calls on member States to ensure that no discrimination is allowed on the basis of which movement is considered as a sect or not, that no distinction is made between traditional religions and non-traditional religious movements, new religious movements or “sects” when it comes to the application of civil and criminal law, and that each measure which is taken towards non-traditional religious movements, new religious movements or “sects” is aligned with human rights standards as laid down by the European Convention on Human Rights and other relevant instruments protecting the dignity inherent to all human beings and their equal and inalienable rights. (…) The Assembly does not believe that there are any grounds for discriminating between established and other religions, including minority religions and faiths, in the application of these principles.
This was described internationally as a huge failure for the Miviludes and a victory for freedom of religion or belief, and for years France has not tried to export its model abroad again. Nevertheless, it might be that Sonia Backes is not aware of this embarrassing incident for France and will try to reiterate the failure.
European Court of Human Rights case law
One important factor to take into account is that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has considerably increased its case-law on this topic these last years. The most recent decision on this issue was “Tonchev and Others v. Bulgaria.” In that decision, rendered on December 12, 2022, the ECHR convicted Bulgaria for violation of article 9 (freedom of religion or belief), after 3 evangelical Churches had been stigmatized by a circular letter as “dangerous cults”, and considered that “these measures may have had negative repercussions on the exercise of religious freedom by the members of the churches in question”.
The most recent case law on State sponsored “derogatory language and unsubstantiated allegations” against religious beliefs includes a decision from 7 June 2022 (Taganrog LRO and Others v. Russia) which stated:
“After the introduction of the new Religions Act which required religious organisations to apply for new registration, Jehovah’s Witnesses appear to have been singled out for a differential treatment, along with other religious organisations deemed to be “non-traditional religions”, including the Salvation Army and the Church of Scientology. The Court found that they had all been denied new registration on spurious legal grounds and that, in doing so, the Russian authorities in the capital city of Moscow had not “acted in good faith” and had “neglected their duty of neutrality and impartiality”.
Already in 2021, Russia had been convicted for “failure to protect Krishna religious organisation’s beliefs from hostile speech used by regional State authorities in “anti-cult” brochure”, in the decision “Centre of Societies for Krishna Consciousness in Russia and Frolov v. Russia”. As far as the right to proselytism is concerned, the Court reminded the Russian authorities that “that freedom to manifest one’s religion includes the right to try to convince one’s neighbour, failing which, moreover, “freedom to change one’s religion or belief”, enshrined in that Article, would be likely to remain a dead letter”.
So, in other words, it’s likely that French Deputy Minister Sonia Backes is not really aware of these widely covered issues which has made France a pariah in the international scene as regards its anti-religious policies and stances for decades now. It might be that she is inclined to fight hard for making it an issue again. If so, it would unfortunately once more shed a sad light on her country, as it has in the past, which would no doubt trigger a strong response from human rights activists from all over the world. The only question, in a period when war and human rights have once more entered the European theatre, with all the crisis that it brought to us, is: does France wants to engage in such an outlandish and discriminatory battle?
