Efffetá and Emaus sold as “Catholic retreats.” Now his organizers are investigated for behaving as sects

Problems in the so -called Spanish “Catholicism”: the HAM, one of the associations behind the secretists Catholic retreats Efffetá and Emaus, is being investigated. After the complaints that support the actions of the archbishopric of Madrid, some mysterious and transformative activities that have been receiving close attention, not always positive, in the past months.

What happened. The Archbishopric of Madrid has decided in 2025 intervene and dissolve HAMan association that was falsely presented as a religious congregation. The reasons include numerous allegations of heresies, sexual abuse, spiritual and power abuses, as well as behaviors considered “sectarian,” how to separate the youth of their families. The investigation was led by the Rota court, with the support of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Civil Guard, which also analyzes a possible case of continued abuse.

The tentacles of the work. The measures affect not only Madrid but other Spanish dioceses, such as Toledo, Sevilla and Getafe, where the HAM had presence and convents. The HAM (acronym for merciful love sisters) had been approved as a public association of faithful in 2007 and came to have a secular branch of about 300 members. The association was famous especially for organizing retreats Efffetá and Emausspear heads (especially the first) of the known as “Catholicism Guay”.

Catholicism … Guay? Emaus are Contemporary Catholic retreats They have acquired Great notoriety In Spain and Latin America for its approach, its secrecy and its emotional impact. Emaus He was born in the seventies in Miami and is oriented to adults. Efffetá is inspired by its structure but is an activity aimed at young people between 18 and 30 years old. Born in Colombia in 2013 and expands rapidly, arriving in Spain only a few months later. Both retreats are Initiatives promoted by lay that have previously gone through the experience, and that they are called “servants.” Those who attend for the first time are called “walkers.”

Secretism is key. One of the key standards of these retreats is secretism: participants must deliver mobiles and watches at the beginning and are asked to reveal anything about the activities to “not anticipate surprise” to future assistants. The motto of retreats, in fact, is “what is said here, here stays.” And what is lived there? Testimonies of personal transformation, group dynamics, cults of worship and symbolisms such as masks, strings or the construction of symbolic “walls”.

In addition, these retreats cannot be repeated: it is only allowed to attend as a participant once in life. Subsequently, it can only be returned as a server, helping in the organization for others.

Serious complaints. Although its many defenders defend secrecy as an integral part of the experience, to the point of taking it to its famous motto, it is what raised suspicions from the beginning (the psychologist Miguel Pearl spoke of a “Emotional and ideological bombardment”), which have been confirmed with the case of HAM, dissolved upon receiving “multiple complaints of abuse of power, abuse of consciousness and affective-sexual incidents.” The intervention of the ecclesiastical authority responds, in addition to the complaints, to a concern for methodologies that can lead to emotional manipulation, families or thought control, all characteristics of the sects.

Hakuna connection. If we talk about “guay Catholicism” it is inevitable to refer to the group of Catholic pop mass hakuna. This new spirituality for young Christians has a lot to do with the activities of Efffetá and Emaus, and eldiario.es stands outIn fact, that the town of Las Rozas where the musical movement led by the priest and ex of the Opus Dei José Pedro Manglano carries out was the old headquarters of the daughters of merciful love.

At the moment, the archdiocese is erasing every trace of the Internet HAM: the Hamilías YouTube channeland his videoserie ‘GODIDIENCIAS“. Everything suggests that the popular retreats managed by the association could disappear or, at least, take a turn towards a less mysterious orientation.

Cabacera | Efffetá

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