Église Gnostique de Lumière Illimitée

The first Gnostic church in modern times, The Église Gnostique de France was a neo-Gnostic Christian organization formed by Jules Doinel in 1890, in France.

While working as archivist for the library of Orléans in France, Doinel discovered a medieval manuscript dated 1022, which had been written by Stephen, a canon of the Orléans Cathedral, burned at the stake in 1022 for his pre-Cathar Gnostic doctrines. Doinel founded the Gnostic Church in 1890, a date which opened for him and his followers ‘the first year of the Restoration of Gnosis’. Doinel claimed that he had a vision in which the Aeon Jesus appeared and charged him with the work of establishing a new church. When Doinel attended a séance in the oratory of the Countess of Caithness, it appears that the disembodied spirits of ancient Albigensians, joined by a heavenly voice, laid spiritual hands on Doinel, creating him the bishop of the Gnostic Church.

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As patriarch of the new Church, Doinel took the mystical name ‘Valentinus II, Bishop of the Holy Assembly of the Paraclete and of the Gnostic Church’, and nominated eleven titular bishops, including a ‘sophia’ (female bishop), as well as deacons and deaconesses. The Symbolist poet Léonce Fabre des Essarts was named bishop of Bordeaux.

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In 1892, Doinel consecrated Papus—founder of the first Martinist Order—as Tau Vincent, Bishop of Toulouse. Other Martinists, such as Paul Sédir and Lucien Chamuel were also consecrated by Doinel.

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In 1908, a schism occurred when the Gnostic bishop of Lyons, Jean Bricaud, renamed his branch as Église Gnostique Catholique (E.G.C.; Catholic Gnostic Church). Then it changed again becoming the Église Gnostique Universelle (E.G.U.; Universal Gnostic Church) and became the official church of Papus’ Martinist Order.

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Église Gnostique de Lumière Illimitée is the "church" of the O:.M:.R:.,  the Ecclesiastical arm of order whose charge is to ordain Clergy and perform sacraments.

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Église Gnostique de Lumière Illimitée through its Grand Council carry valid Apostolic and Gnostic lineages of the original Église gnostique de France and Église Gnostique Universelle.

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