Legionaries of Christ and the Tridentine Mass?

[abbegirl]

Why do you need to respond with a personal attack? Sounds like the LC modus operandi for those who disagree with you. And, BTW, who is battering and beating the Church? Answer - Those who scandalize it and who are accomplices in the scandal.

Sorry, I was just responding to your thread. Yes, those who batter and beat the Church are the accomplishes in the scandal, certainly.

 

[cathguy]

From Fr Thomas Berg

Dear everyone —

Christ’s peace.

I write to you this Sunday morning with my heart in my hand…

But my heart aches because our best efforts have not been enough. I want to reach out to you as a brother and friend this morning and try to assure you, if nothing else, that we are here. I know further efforts are underway to attempt to respond more adequately and formally to the confusion you all feel, not to mention the hurt and betrayal. I beg you, in the midst of such pain and hurt, please bear with your directors.

At the same time, however, I also beg you forgiveness for the disastrous response which this crisis has received from our upper LC leadership. There is no other way to say it: in so many respects, Legionary superiors have failed, and failed miserably to respond adequately to this crisis, and not surprisingly, have engendered in many of you and understandable lack of confidence. Those are the facts and your reaction is natural and reasonable…

I am not making any excuses, however, for the fumbled media responses (which I believe have been too often unfairly attributed to Jim Fair our communications director… ), for the appearances of being less than forthcoming, for the lack of information, for the confusion of messaging. For that, there is no excuse in a way, and tragically is largely due to the ineptness of many of those in leadership positions to respond with expertise and diligence in a crisis management situation like this.

But it is more than just crisis management. The thing I am most pained about—I share this as a brother—is the near absence of but fleeting suggestions of sorrow, and of apologizing for the harm done, both to alleged victims of Maciel, and, frankly, to all of you. …

I understand your feelings of betrayal. For twenty-three years I have loved and tried to follow Christ in the Legion. I can say before God, in spite of my many human frailties, I have been faithful. I have also, more than many of you to be honest, gone out on limb after limb, trying to defend Maciel. I have lived my priesthood always with that cloud hanging over me, always having to essentially apologize for being a Legionary. You feel betrayed? You feel rage? I can only say that the rage, and raw emotions that I have felt these past days (the hardest days of my entire life, emotions like I have never experienced) are only a glimpse of the unspeakable hell that victims of priest sexual abuse must go through. My thoughts and my heart have been so often with them these days…

1. Most of you are going through the stages of mourning. Understand that and know what that means. This is a very useful site: cancersurvivors.org/Coping/end%20term/stages.htm
2. Keep talking to your section directors. Let them know how you feel. Let them know if you are satisfied with their response to you.
3. Many of you might find it to be a wonderfully freeing and healing experience to offer acts of reparation for those suffering the effects of priestly sexual abuse. You might also find it healing to reach out to persons who, in any way, have found themselves hurt by their experiences with the Legion or RC.
4. For your own spiritual needs right now:

a. Remember you are free to speak with anyone, inside or outside the Movement about your pain, your reactions to this tragic news, and for ease of conscience to speak to whomever you believe can best help you at this time. I would encourage you to reach out to and find guidance from priests whose holiness and sound judgment you trust, whether Legionaries or not.

b. Your spiritual experiences—even when they came through the letters of the Founder—are valid, and real. God was working through those instruments. The sad revelations about Maciel do not change that. Try to thank God for the past, and sing his praises for the way he has done in your lives through RC. Prayer of thankfulness will help you. Prayer of thanksgiving for this deliverance he has given us now, and for the purification which we are undergoing will also be very helpful.

c. If you still find the letters of the founder helpful in prayer, feel free to use them. But it is certainly OK to leave them aside. Remember that in many ways, the spirit and charism we have lived is Pauline. Continue to nourish your spirit on the letters of St. Paul.

d. In your meditation, go back to the bedrock truths of your life and ponder them serenely before God and let him use that meditation to soothe your hearts: the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Redemption, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, your Baptism, your call to a more deeply committed Christian life, and a loving meditation (“Mary meditated on all these things in here heart”) of all the wonders God has done in your life.

e. I also recommend using The Better Part by Fr. Bartunek, and any other spiritual writings be Legionary priests. You might find those helpful. Your section directors should also be able to point you in the direction of other sources on which to nourish your souls. Share your ideas with each other.

Finally, I encourage you to speak to Legionary leadership, and even in the form of petition letters, demand nothing less than full transparency regarding the case of Fr. Maciel. Demand that Fr. Alvaro seek an independent third party investigation (perhaps in the form of a temporary review board or Visitation team from the holy see) into uncovering any Legionaries who may have been accomplices to Maciel. Demand that a similar body guide Legionary leadership in introducing any needed reforms into the internal culture, methods and religious discipline of the Legion.

And remember: “Entrust your life to the Lord, and He will act.”

Let’s pray for each other. With all my love, gratitude to all of you for your fidelity.

In Jesus,

Fr. Thomas Berg, LC
.

This is a PRIEST OF GOD. Wow!

 

[cathguy]

Same old same old. He asks forgiveness - FOR WHAT? a poor response to the crisis by the leadership. Oh my, he doesn’t get it. I read lots of platitudes here, trying to keep the organization intact. What should be happening here is that every LC who defended Fr. Maciel should be in sackcloth and ashes and asking for forgiveness for those they offended, not for poor crisis management. I guess the LC manual must not say anything about repentence and forgiveness. Just say you are sorry and lets more on. Still lame.

You mis-read this post. There has been no one here who is has been as consistent in condemnation of Maciel than me. This priest says it all. If he is being honest (I think he is) I have nothing but praise for what he said.