Exclusive interview: Macron’s government is banning any organization that stands in its way, and a peaceful traditionalist Catholic association is its latest target

 Having already banned 34 associations as of the end of November 2023 – a record number for a French president – Emmanuel Macron, through his government, and more precisely his Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, has announced further bans against civil society organizations, including one against the conservative Catholic association Academia Christiana. Academia Christiana’s chairman, Victor Aubert, talked to Remix News about his organization and the possible motives behind this ban.

 

What kind of organization is Academia Christiana, which France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has said is going to be banned?

 

It is an association functioning under the French 1901 law on associations. From a legal point of view, it fits in with the French constitutional law, which allows the creation of associations for different purposes.

 

In our case, the purpose is to provide young people with both spiritual and intellectual Christian formation in the traditional spirit of the Church. Academia Christiana was founded in 2013 by four students, including myself. Of the three others, two are now married, like me, and one has become a priest.

 

We act as a training institute that organizes universities and training sessions in history, philosophy, and literature, as well as, for the religious dimension, in catechism. Our association is also a think tank that publishes books, symposia, and video interviews on societal issues such as identity, ecology, culture, and anthropological decline.

 

 

The third dimension of Academia Christiana is to be a network of initiatives linking the young people who come to the events we organize with associations, companies, artists, and craftspeople, to inspire them to commit themselves to serving the common good in society. Over 2,000 young people have participated in Academia Christiana events since 2013.

 

We also organize traditional festivities such as bonfires on Saint John’s Eve and balls with traditional dances. By doing this, we try to create a little bit of cohesion, of community spirit, in a traditional atmosphere, among all the people who gravitate around Academia Christiana.

 

We are not a political movement. Strictly speaking, Academia Christiana does not have members; it is not a movement that organizes demonstrations, comments on current events, or really gets involved in the political arena. It is more of a cultural association, which is active in the intellectual field of training, culture, and ideas, but one that stays out of the electoral game.

 

It is said that you also practice martial arts at your summer universities, alongside attending the traditional Holy Mass and cultural training courses.

 

In fact, as part of our summer universities, which are full weeks of training for young people, with between 300 and 500 young people each time, there are various sporting activities.

 

There is mass every day, of course, the rosary, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, alongside conferences. We also have less intellectual activities: sports, which can be boxing, but also volleyball, soccer, pétanque, etc.; traditional dances; as well as workshops on sewing, the art of wine, and all kinds of less directly intellectual subjects.

 

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