Legion under fire: why ask why?

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Just the bare facts here, folks: don’t stone the envoy . . .

Friends, the date is set for July 15th. The “liberal” feminine orders have been on notice recently, but the extreme “conservative” and “neocon” brands of Catholicism are far from being “off the hook” and will indeed be called to task for their half-century of, let’s just say, dubious methods and uncouth behaviors in a matter of days from now. As conscientious Catholic youth in America reel in stark confusion, apparently the Vatican has heard their shrill cry for help and for clarity and is loading up for what promises for many to be a new beginning for Catholic identity in mid-July.

catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=16431

Psalm 126 (NAB), A song of ascents.
  1. When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, then we thought we were dreaming.
  2. Our mouths were filled with laughter; our tongues sang for joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD had done great things for them.”
  3. The LORD has done great things for us; Oh, how happy we were!
  4. Restore again our fortunes, LORD, like the dry stream beds of the Negeb.
  5. Those who sow in tears will reap with cries of joy.
  6. Those who go forth weeping, carrying sacks of seed, Will return with cries of joy, carrying their bundled sheaves.
But in all of this let the faithful bear in mind: Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of Baltimore, one of the Legion’s few outspoken critics in the U.S. Catholic hierarchy, was interviewed by the National Catholic Reporter (Apr. 3). When asked if he were confident the Legionaries are truly ready to cooperate with the visitators [sic], he replied, “I really do hope so. . . . It just takes a few to try to block it and to mislead. I hope that the Legionaries will realize that, in the long run, this is going to help them.”

When asked what specifics the visitators should focus on, Archbishop O’Brien said, "In the first place, they have to look at Maciel himself. What are the facts, who knew them, when did they know them, and why did it take so long for them to become public? . . . Then, they need to look at the structure Maciel created. There was a good deal of secrecy in his own life, and there’s secrecy in the structures he created. It would be helpful to know why there is such secrecy.

“. . . I think it begins with Maciel, with the cult of personality around him, the secrecy. The saints don’t need that.” (Yes, these are the exact words of Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of Baltimore.) Legionaries and members of Regnum Christi, their lay affiliate, venerated Maciel as a “living saint,” even after his 2006 censure by the CDF.

So, with that in mind . . .

The assigned visitors/visitators (Pray for them!) include:

Bishop Ricardo Watti Urquidi
. . . of Tepic, Mexico
Archbishop Charles Chaput
. . . of Denver, Colorado
Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati Andrello
. . . of Concepcion, Chile
Bishop Giuseppe Versaldi
. . . of Alejandria, Italy
Bishop Ricardo Blazquez Perez
. . . of Bilbao, Spain

May you all have peace and remember the words of Our Precious Lord, “Worry is useless; what is needed is trust”!

A quick personal note: I have, over the years, found those bastions that do exist (here and abroad) of unmistakable and contagious Catholic spirituality. The links below hope to lead to healing and restoration for anyone out there who, like me, has been psychologically damaged by precisely those dangers the Vatican is this very month looking into. If anyone thinks me “biased” or somehow skewed in my motives, know that I love Mexico and Our Lady of Guadalupe, so this is by no means for me a “simple” or “easy” issue. I am a Knight of Columbus, I read Columbia Magazine, I love Carl Anderson’s commentary, and I really believe all Our Lady’s promises at Guadalupe, Fatima, Garabandal.

So, know this for certain in your heart of hearts: I am not trying to monger rants but only encourage healing. There is a time and a place for rants in the healing process, but evidently this forum isn’t it. Concordantly, I pray for the day when folks who purport to defend the Faith will be more zealous for the true, pure Faith and less zealous for some strange, tightly-knit organization that is known to consistently work unmentionable evils in the name of Faith. Remember: Cool-Aid is not a healthy beverage.

That is all I have to say in that regard, but I’ll divulge a little secret about me: whether it is discerned that the Legion must be dissolved or can march onward with the ranks thinned out, I can genuinely care less. What does interest me is their (purported) mission (per the opening words of the Constitutions of the Legion of Christ) and hopefully yours and mine: holiness. Anyway, please, if you crave orthodoxy as I do, consider the links below:

The Madonna House, Combermere, ONT: madonnahouse.org/

The St Irenaeus Center, Rochester, NY: siministries.org/

Catholic Therapists Directory: catholictherapists.com/

. . . and God bless!

Dossiers: legion of christ, marcial maciel, orthodoxy, neoconservative, child abuse
 
I have a friend who is in the Legion of Christ, he is about to profess his first vows. From what I hear the brothers and priests in the Legion of Christ truly love God and dedicate their lives to him. The Legion helps many, many people and I know that it won’t be dissolved. The members of the Legion know that their founder wasn’t a saint, which was a shock towards them. In fact I’m very interested in joining the Legion within the next two years or so. Yes Fr. Maciel engaged in sin, but don’t we all? He founded an order that truly shows God through their various ministries throughout the world. God Bless the Legion of Christ
 
ILet’s not trivialize what Marciel did.

It is alleged that Marceil engaged in illegal sex with underaged boys, which, in addition to being a sin, probably a mortal sin, was also a FELONY. Pope Benedict, as Cardinal Ratzinger, was given the evidence for this, and believed it strong enough to censure Marceil publicly and prevent him form performing priestly functions. Marciel was then in poor health, and probably would have been censured further, if he has been in good health, and an ongoing threat. As it was, he died not long after.

So lets not say, “Well we all sin”. We all don’t all perform sins of that magnitude, with the potential to damage irreparably so many lives.
 
I myself can no longer afford to engage in this sort of emotional editorializing, because, as I’ve said (and you’ll doubtless think me jaded or sadduceical) I can only provide you with the facts. It was the bare facts that have gotten us to where we are now and will surely be the ally of the righteous in the coming days. I permit myself to say no more except - and I mean this - Pray hard, dear faithful Catholics.
 
anode said:
ILet’s not trivialize what Marciel did.

It is alleged that Marceil engaged in illegal sex with underaged boys, which, in addition to being a sin, probably a mortal sin, was also a FELONY. Pope Benedict, as Cardinal Ratzinger, was given the evidence for this, and believed it strong enough to censure Marceil publicly and prevent him form performing priestly functions. Marciel was then in poor health, and probably would have been censured further, if he has been in good health, and an ongoing threat. As it was, he died not long after.

So lets not say, “Well we all sin”. We all don’t all perform sins of that magnitude, with the potential to damage irreparably so many lives.
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I’m sensing a lot of anger in your post. I would like to say that all sin is bad. As a Christian we are taught to follow the way of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, remember to forgive, like Christ did. Yes Fr. Maciel might have engaged in mortal sin, but that doesn’t make him an evil man. Hate the Sin, but Love the Sinner. Every sin can affect our lives and other peoples lives. It is not our right to judge Fr. Maciel, only God can judge.

God Bless
 
Let me simply agree with what I believe to be the truest thing hxcCatholic413 stated: all sin is bad . . . but especially mortal sin . . . then again, especially Church-wide scandal . . . then yet again, especially trying for decades to cover it up, continuing to consume people like they were disposable diapers, as the Congregation in question blossoms and perpetuates itself. Yes, hxcCatholic413 has hit the nail on the head: we are called to hold the Legion to a higher standard than, say, another more secular corporation (or, in legal jargon, “juridical person”: the more you know . . .). Also, I agree that it is not our place to judge: if regret/repentance is possible for such a man - and with God all things are possible - I sincerely hope he has found it.

Let me also disagree with hxcCatholic413: I sensed no anger in anode’s post (unless you mean the justified kind better known as zeal for souls). This brand of genuine concern is all too rare - if indeed it exists - among Catholics today. If I may make bold, thank you, anode, for being such a beacon of light.

But, all zeal and all emotion aside, I again would like to redirect our focus to the evidence and try to strengthen what remains uninfected. Our Holy Father is doing so much good in so many sectors - clearly a work of the Holy Spirit - so, pray let us not risk thwarting this work by squabbling.
 
Briefly recapping (and this should constitute basic doctrine - the bare minimum of the Christian lifestyle - for all in this forum; if it isn’t, then the problem simply runs deeper, and we must prayerfully entrust you to Our Lord’s mercy):
  1. The height of Christian charity is to forgive (while certainly expelling from all public ministry) the pedophile and the rapist (not even Jesus is cited as forgiving such - prostitutes, yes, but they are in some sense quite frankly victims as well - yet we can nonetheless trustingly infer - without presuming on his mercy - that He can and does extend saving grace to such as these).
  2. a) The ends never justify the means.
    …b) People are always and end and never a means (cf. John Paul II).
    …c) Respect - indeed, reverence - for the individual is vital to the Christian path for life . . . and neither shall the Legion, while purporting to be a path to holiness, make even the slightest dispensation - whether written or de facto - of any of these essential truths, be she ever so influential and be she ever so "fruitful." I think - angry or not - we can all concur all this, hmm?
Again, if there is contention on this, know you are straying from the perennial magisterial teaching and thus simply put yourself in extraecclesial territory. That’s clear enough. And, as the Miss America contestant said so well, no offense to anyone.

(It is my personal sense that, were we to submit to such teachings - which constitute the boundaries of what can be termed “human” - we would hardly be having this discussion. But, even now, I’d be sincerely overjoyed - sincerely, mind you - to be proved wrong on that.)
 
Just to empower the faithful by means of a couple deceptively simple insights (revelations?) I’ve had:
  1. Humanly speaking, it may well be speculated that the current erosion of the “capitalist heresy” (see legiondemaciel.faithweb.com/rich_text_3.html) and that of the more dubious elements among the Legion’s earlier members/founders are, well, just as interrelated as the timeline suggests!
  2. It’s becoming so clear as to be inescapable now (to all non-stakeholders at any rate) that the not underwhelming sensus ecclesiae is boiling down to: Well, we are a bit lack for zealous apostles of late . . . but not like this, no.
 
I will pray that all goes well with the visits. Any LC priests or regnum christi members that I have ever known are beautiful God loving people. They may have been miss-led by a very imperfect sinning founder but that does not make them deserving of having their order dismissed. Let’s see…Australia was founded by criminals…does that make all Australians criminals?? Many saints have had parents who were bad sinners. Come to think of it, Adam and Eve were pretty bad sinners.
God bless all LC priests and regnum christi members. You will be in my prayers
 
onetruechurch said:
Australia was founded by criminals . . . does that make all Australians criminals? Many saints have had parents who were bad sinners. Come to think of it, Adam and Eve were pretty bad sinners.
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Wow, so these are some interesting comparisons, and every fresh perspective is a welcome challenge. That said, let me assure you that these are both unnecessary to and unprovoked by the foregoing discussion. I mean, were you to cite a case where a child-molester founded a community that actually helped the Church long-term . . . but - again with this sensus ecclesiae or even just well-rounded sensus iustitiae - we all know (be it by history, common sense or conscience) that God - eager as He may be for proactive apostles - seldom bestows on them any good lasting spiritual fruit, which (again I reiterate) kinda stands to reason: after all, what could entice a God who hates scandal more than anything to perpetuate this particularly nauseating scandal even further than it already has been broadcast? We are talking about a diseased branch of the vine that, if we do not follow the Vatican’s lead in being extra-watchful, is darn-near guaranteed to continue to spread: there is no sense trying to turn a blind eye to this pattern we’ve just a few years ago witnessed in the diocesan clergy.

In conclusion, discernment presupposes some objectivity. For example, I am sure the LC priests made you feel safe and important. But that simply isn’t at all what the Vatican visitors intend to investigate, can you ever understand that? Your feelings are your own, and I am on your side in wanting to feel good, for goodness’ sake! Moreover, I can tell you with certainty that God takes no delight in our trials and afflictions, but rather in our ability to forbear all things and still remain in his love! So there is very much more at stake than your own impressions of certain Legionaries, dear friend: there is simply more involved here than the experience of those upon whom the Legion has deigned to look with favor.

Simply put, rather than forget our place, let us all tread lightly - whatever our subjective opinions - and try to keep our flakier sides (and we’ve all got 'em!) in reserve, at least for the time being.
onetruechurch said:
They may have been miss-led [sic] by a very imperfect sinning founder but that does not make them deserving of having their order dismissed.
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I am glad we are at one in praying for discernment (which, again I stress, means not living in a “we’re special and the Church owes us a get-out-of-jail-free card” bubble that fears all who question the internal group-think). Can you not see how opposed that is to true humility and faith?? Let us have peace as we pray for discernment. Our Holy Father has only ever strengthened the truly Catholic elements thus far . . . thus, my prayer is: May no one’s hubris take him so far as to interfere with Peter as he prunes the vine. Amen.

Apropos, by means of praying for more light, I personally invite anyone who would like to make the DeMontfort Consecration with me starting Monday and ending on the Feast of the Assumption:

Day 1: St. Matthew, Chapter 5
Day 2: St. Matthew, Chapter 6
Day 3: St. Matthew, Chapter 7
Day 4: Imitation of Christ, Book 3, first half of Chapter 40
Day 5: " Book 3, second half of Chapter 40
Day 6: " Book 1, first half of Chapter 18
Day 7: " Book 1, second half of Chapter 18
Day 8: " Book 1, first half of Chapter 13
Day 9: " Book 1, second half of Chapter 13
Day 10: " Book 3, Chapter 10
Day 11: " Book 1, first half of Chapter 25
Day 12: " Book 1, second half of Chapter 25

Also, remember: August 5th is Our Lady of Divine Mercy. We are not alone; courage!!
 
(Oops, there’s more . . . this should start yesterday [the part above, that is] to conclude on the Assumption)

Day 13: St. Luke, Chapter 11; Imitation of Christ, Book 3, Chapter 7
Day 14: St. Matthew, Chapter 24; Imitation of Christ, Book 3, Chapter 13
Day 15: St. Luke, Chapter 13; True Devotion to Mary, # 78 - 82
Day 16: True Devotion to Mary, # 227 - 228; Imitation of Christ, Book 2, Ch. 5; Book 3, Ch. 8 & 20
Day 17: St. Luke, Ch. 16; Imitation of Christ, Book 1, Ch. 24
Day 18: St. Luke, Ch. 17; Imitation of Christ,Book 3, Ch. 47
Day 19: St. Luke, Ch. 18; St. Matthew, Ch.25; Imitation of Christ,Book 3, Ch. 30
Day 20: St. Luke, Chapters 1 & 2
Day 21: St. John, Ch. 2; Secret of Mary* # 23 - 34; True Devotion to Mary # 1 - 11
Day 22: True Devotion to Mary, # 90 - 93, # 105 - 119***
Day 23:****************** "**************** # 120 - 143
Day 24:****************** "**************** # 144 - 164
Day 25: * * * * * * * * * " * * * * * * * * # 165 - 182, # 213 - 225
Day 26: * * * * * * * * * " * * * * * * * * # 12 - 48
Day 27: St. John, Chapter 13; True Devotion to Mary, # 61 -67,183, 212, # 226 - 230, # 234 - 242
Day 28: St. John, Chs. 14 & 15; St. Matthew, Ch. 26; Imitation of Christ, Book 3, Ch. 56
Day 29: St. John, Ch. 16; Imitation of Christ, Book 3, Chs. 5 & 6
Day 30: St. John, Ch. 17; St. Matthew, Ch. 27; Imitation of Christ, Book 2, Ch. 12; Book 4, Ch. 1
Day 31: St. John, Ch. 18; Imitation of Christ, Book 4, Ch. 8; True Devotion to Mary, # 243 - 260
Day 32: St. John, Ch. 19;**************** "************ , Book 2 Chs. 7 & 11
Day 33: St. John, Chs. 20 & 21; Imitation of Christ, Book 4, Ch. 13; True Devotion to Mary, # 231 - 233, 261 - 265
  • Secret of Mary can be found on the internet
“The truth will always ouch.” (Mark Twain)

This morning’s headlines - coupled with Fr Berg’s heavy-hearted admissions - were instructive:

THE LEGION’S LAST STAND: chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1339296?eng=y

THIS IS MORE THAN JUST A CRISIS IN MANAGEMENT: patrickmadrid.blogspot.com/2009/02/this-is-more-than-just-crisis-in.html

INTERVIEW: FR THOMAS BERG ON THE FUTURE OF THE LEGION OF CHRIST: catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=34046

Look, here’s the way I view the problem at the level of the individual hearts and minds: we all see some fulano out there “doing stuff” and we all go ga-ga assuming that because it’s saturated with all this hype and charisma and these ecclesial trappings - they wear collars for goodness’ sake! - that it’s unquestionably “Christ-like” (to the detriment of Jesus’ example of and words of utmost caution regarding sheep-rustlers) because it has all the earmarks of something we think we lost in the ‘60s . . . yet the Holy Spirit - when and where we permit Him to act - has no more use for shallow nostalgia or backtracking than he has for acedia, or spiritual apathy. What Maciel most obviously lacked was the human maturity to be a spiritual leader in the viable sense (only in the megalomaniacal, self-styled and sharply counterevangelical sense of the word). In other words, in a manner of speaking, the emperor had no clothes on. And what happens now to that Legionary mantra of “First the man, then the saint”? Is Maciel such a demigod that it can no longer be applied to him? No, I’m sorry: they have gone out of their way to make a mockery of precisely that “human formation” in which they claimed to have such expertise! And as for Jesus’ words . . . “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin” (St Luke 17:1-2). And again, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe (in me) to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea” (St Mark 9:42). What could I possibly add to that? Does a piece of paper from the Vatican offset all of this? Hardly, and remember: we all know that Jesus called Judas . . . even kept him “under his wing,” reproaching him on occasion, while he still had a chance to change his ways. Perhaps had we reproached Maciel instead of giving into his manipulative policies that the Vatican finally decried subsequent to his “entering eternity”! We played his game well, and the contrite players - such as Fr Berg - are just now beginning to awaken some objectivity. Brothers and sisters, you’ve sometimes got to take one step back in order to take two steps forward. I remember the stockbroker Chris Gardner, on whose life is based the film The Pursuit of Happyness, stating plainly on Fox News that there is no saving this economy, that it has been infected as with A.I.D.S. (Interesting imagery, being from San Francisco.) No damage control there. Where is this heroic realism in the Church now? Realism is always painful, but that is the pain that heals. Do not fear pain. No one wants to “take down” any establishment here. We just want the Church to remain Holy!! As Mark Twain put it, “The truth will always ouch” (italics added.)
 
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