'Women were always crying': Leaked video confirms disturbing history of Amy Coney Barrett’s faith sect

Leaked video of a recent event hosted by People of Praise, a secretive Christian sect to which Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett belongs, shows one of its leaders admitting the group's teachings drove women into tears.

The video from the group's 50th-anniversary celebration shows Dorothy Ranaghan, wife of founder Kevin Ranaghan, telling members that women who first made a "covenant" to join People of Praise in the 1970s cried intensely in response to teachings about their roles in relationships with men, reported The Guardian.

“Some of the women – who are still in my women’s group, as a matter of fact – were wearing sunglasses all the time, because they were always crying and would have to hold on to their chairs every time somebody started teaching, because ‘What are we going to hear this time?’” Ranaghan said. “But it all worked out just fine in the end.”

The video was leaked to The Guardian by a source who wished to remain anonymous, and it's the first time a statement from the group has been issued about women's response to teachings about men's "headship" of the family and dominance over women.

Barrett lived with the Ranaghans when she attended law school at Notre Dame, although she has never publicly disclosed or discussed her membership in People of Praise, where her father served in a leadership role and she served as a "handmaid," saying only that she is a devout Catholic and her faith would have no bearing on her duties as a judge.

A former group member stated in a sworn affidavit filed in the 1990s that Kevin Ranaghan exerted almost total control over her when she lived in the family's household and made all decisions about her dating relationships and finances.