Christian Bernard | |
---|---|
Born | France | November 30, 1951
Organization | AMORC |
Title | Imperator of AMORC |
Term | 1990–2019 |
Predecessor | Gary L. Stewart |
Successor | Claudio Mazzucco |
Father | Raymond Bernard |
Christian Bernard (born 30 November 1951) is a former Imperator of AMORC, a Rosicrucian order. He became imperator in 1990, succeeding Gary L. Stewart. He was succeeded as imperator by Claudio Mazzucco in 2019.
According to the AMORC digest (publications given by the AMORC organization to its members periodically), he became a Rosicrucian at the age of 15.
Christian Bernard and his wife Helene have three children. The family is dedicated to the esoteric duties of AMORC. [1] He is the son of Raymond Bernard, who had previously been the leader of the French branch of AMORC; his father later distanced himself from the organization. He succeeded Gary L. Stewart as imperator after he was ousted from the organization in 1990. [2] He was replaced as imperator by Claudio Mazzucco in 2019. [3]
Rosicrucianism is a spiritual and cultural movement that arose in early modern Europe in the early 17th century after the publication of several texts announcing to the world a new esoteric order. Rosicrucianism is symbolized by the Rose Cross or Rosy Cross. There have been several Rosicrucian organizations since the initial movement was founded, including the Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross (1750s–1790s), the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (1865–present), and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (1887–1903).
The Order of the Solar Temple, or simply the Solar Temple, was a religious group, often described as a cult, notorious for the mass deaths of many of its members in several mass murders and suicides throughout the 1990s. The OTS was a neo-Templar movement, claiming to be a continuation of the Knights Templar, and incorporated a mix of Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, and New Age ideas. It was led by Joseph Di Mambro, with Luc Jouret as a spokesman and second in command. It was founded in 1984, in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Ancient and Mystical Order Rosæ Crucis (AMORC) is a Rosicrucian organization founded by Harvey Spencer Lewis in the United States in 1915. It has various lodges, chapters and other affiliated bodies in several countries. It operates as a fraternal order in the mystical Western Esoteric Tradition.
FUDOSI or FUDOESI was a federation of autonomous esoteric or mystical orders and societies, founded on August 14, 1934, in Brussels, Belgium, and disbanded in 1951. It was opposed by the similarly named Fédération Universelle des Ordres, Fraternités et Sociétés Initiatiques (FUDOFSI).
Gary Stewart may refer to:
Ralph Maxwell Lewis, was an American mystic and the second Imperator of the Rosicrucian organisation AMORC from 1939 to 1987. He is the author of a number of books regarding mysticism. His father, Harvey Spencer Lewis, was the first Imperator of AMORC.
Harvey Spencer Lewis, a Rosicrucian author, mystic and founder of AMORC. He lead AMORC as its first leader (imperator) from its creation in 1915 until his death.
Reuben Swinburne Clymer was an American occultist and modern Rosicrucian Supreme Grand Master of the FRC, perhaps the oldest continuing Rosicrucian organization in the Americas. He practiced alternative medicine, and wrote and published works on it as well as the teachings of Paschal Beverly Randolph (1825-1875), alchemy, nutrition, religion, sex magic and spiritualism. This led to a number of conflicts with Harvey Spencer Lewis (1883-1939) and the AMORC, FUDOSI, Aleister Crowley, and even the American Medical Association.
The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum (REM) is devoted to ancient Egypt, located at Rosicrucian Park in the Rose Garden neighborhood of San Jose, California, United States.
The Rose Cross is a symbol largely associated with the legendary Christian Rosenkreuz, a Christian Kabbalist and alchemist said to have been the founder of the Rosicrucian Order. The Rose Cross is a cross with a rose at its centre, which is usually red, golden or white. It symbolizes the teachings of a Western esoteric tradition with Christian tenets.
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The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem are a group of associations commonly originating from the revivalist Ordre du Temple which was formed in 1804 by Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat.
Rosicrucian Park is the headquarters of the English Grand Lodge for the Americas of the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, located in San Jose, California.
Jean-Marie Abgrall is a French psychiatrist, criminologist, specialist in forensic medicine, cult consultant, graduate in criminal law and anti-cultist. He has been an expert witness and has been consulted in the investigations of cults. Abgrall is known as a proponent of brainwashing theories.
Joseph Léonce Di Mambro was a French religious leader who founded and led the Order of the Solar Temple with Luc Jouret. Di Mambro had been associated with a variety of esoteric groups before founding OTS. He was previously convicted of several counts of fraud, including impersonation of a psychiatrist, leading him to flee France in the 1970s. He founded the Solar Temple with Jouret in 1984. He committed suicide in the Swiss village of Salvan on 5 October 1994 as part of a mass murder–suicide.
The Lectorium Rosicrucianum or International School of the Golden Rosycross is a Spiritual School which considers itself a worldwide school of Esoteric Christianity. It was founded in 1935 by Dutch mystics Jan van Rijckenborgh, his brother Zwier Willem Leene and Catharose de Petri. The school teaches a form of modern Christian Gnosticism which is based upon the ideas and iconography of Rosicrucianism, the beliefs of the Cathars and other forms of religio-mystical thought such as Hermeticism and alchemy.
Gary L. Stewart was the Imperator of AMORC from 1987 to 1990. After internal allegations of embezzlement of $3.5 million, Stewart was ousted as leader by the organization's board of directors. On August 10, 1993, the AMORC asked the Superior Court of Santa Clara County in California for the withdrawal of charges against him and paid for the existing legal fees. In 1996, Stewart founded another organization devoted to Rosicrucianism called Confraternity of the Rose + Cross of which he is the current Imperator. Gary L. Stewart is also the "Knight Commander" of the Order of the Militia Crucifera Evangelica (OMCE) Sovereign Grand Master of the Order of British Martinist (BMO)- British Martinist Order. Currently, the British Order Martinist is active only in the English-speaking countries. The other NGOs are active in the United States of America, United Kingdom, Ghana, Brazil, Australia and other countries.
Following the dissolution of the Knights Templar, or the Order of the Temple, several groups have claimed to have unbroken descent from the initial Order. The idea of the Templars' continued existence has been criticized by scholars of Templar history, and was described by French historian Régine Pernoud as "totally insane." These orders typically draw from western esotericism.
Julien Origas was a French Rosicrucian. In his 20s, he was sentenced to prison by the French government for collaborating with the Nazi occupation, for which he received several years in prison, though he was amnestied after serving two. Following his release from prison, he became interested in esotericism, and joined AMORC, a large Rosicrucian organization. He later split from the organization following criticism over ties Origas had with neo-Nazi groups and ideas, and other more controversial occult organizations.
Raymond Bernard was a French esotericist and freemason. He was the Grand Master of AMORC, a large Rosicrucian order, in Francophone countries. He separately founded several other esoteric organizations, including the Renewed Order of the Temple.