The Special Forces need the Virgin’s protection

In the Bordeaux Cathedral, on April 1, 2019, Bishop Antoine de Romanet blessed a statue of Our Lady of the Special Forces that will accompany these elite French troops to their various operation fields.

Since 1992, the date of the creation of the Special Forces, 68 men have died during operations or training. These elite fighters belonged to the first infantry marines, the fourth Special Forces helicopter regiment, the thirteenth parachute dragoons regiment, the marine commandos, the GIGN (1) and the RAID (2). They all knew the risks involved in serving and protecting their country. Most of them died during secret missions abroad.

Praying for the dead and the living: the idea came from Benoît de Saint-Sernin, president of the Circle of the Crossbow (Cercle de l’Arbalète), the association of equipment makers that supplies the Special Forces. For this fervent Catholic, it was essential that elite troops place themselves under the protection of the Virgin before, during and after their mission. This is now possible. The statue of Our Lady of the Special Forces was blessed, and immediately afterwards, sent to Mali where Operation Barkhane is still ongoing.

This statue of the Virgin is made of resin and is 45 cm high. It was designed to be a pilgrim Virgin traveling between special units and can withstand shocks and travel in dangerous areas with combat swimmers or paratroopers. At her feet are depicted three soldiers in uniform: a sailor, an airman and an infantryman.

For the soldiers, the presence of Our Lady of the Special Forces is not a form of "proselytizing" but rather an existential support, because death is an ever-present reality for elite troops. The supernatural becomes natural under certain extreme conditions. A commando is a school of humility, said Bishop de Romanet, the chaplain of France’s armed forces. One must learn to measure one's physical and psychological limits. One has to know how to be humble in front of one's men, and in the face of enemies and danger.

(1) The GIGN (intervention group of the National Gendarmerie) is an elite unit of the French National Gendarmerie

(2) RAID is an elite unit of the French National Police.

Samuel Pruvot

Famille Chretienne