Fiat Lux (Latin for " let there be light") is a neo-revelationist UFO religion whose members are primarily located in the Black Forest of Germany.

History

The 'religious order' of Fiat Lux was founded in 1980 by

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

-born Erika Hedwig Bertschinger-Eicke who adopted the name Uriella as its spiritual leader and

trance medium Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between familiar spirits or spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as "mediums" or "spirit mediums". There are different types of mediumship or spi ...

. According to members, Bertschinger receives divine messages from Jesus Christ as well as

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

. The group also believes the

apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...

is coming, and that

alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...

ships will arrive to evacuate adherents, followed by the transformation of the earth into a new paradise, called "Amora". According to Bertschinger, the end of the world was due to arrive in 1998, but has since been postponed "due to the immense praying energies of the faithful". Characterized as a cult, Fiat Lux has been estimated to contain an "inner circle" of approximately 135 members in addition to 800 "dedicated followers" and 2000 "sympathizers". Devotees reportedly follow a monastic lifestyle, including scheduled prayer times, the wearing of white ceremonial robes, and adherence to a strict vegetarian diet. The order's founder, Uriella (born 20 February 1929 in Zurich, Switzerland), died on 24 February 2019.Uriella ist tot: Sektenführerin aus Ibach stirbt im Alter von 90 Jahren

Controversy

According to German newspapers, Bertschinger called for the release of accused pedophile Beat Meier.

References

{{Authority control UFO religions 1980 establishments in West Germany Religious organisations based in Germany Religious organizations established in 1980 Black Forest