In some ways, they have a tendency - especially among their lay branch Regnum Christi - toward a certain type of neo-Gnosticism: our way, in effect, or the highway.
As a member of Regnum Christi, I’m not exactly sure what you mean there. If your speaking concerning issues like abortion and other controversial issues, they do take a definitive stance, but only because there is a definitive truth, which is backed up by the Holy Father.
When you say that RC parents are favored over non-RC parents, that I can say is heresay. I don’t know how you got that vibe from the Legion, but I’d like to remind you that the Charism of the Legion and of Regnum Christi is above all, charity. So when it comes to showing favorites or making any group feel different, the Legion would be the last people to accuse of this.
Lastly, about your comment about their reverance of Pope John Paul II I have a few points to make. Firstly, when did reverence of you Pope become a bad thing? The Pope is the Vicar of Christ on earth, a man who has infinitely more knowledge and love of Christ then most of us could ever hope to achieve. Pope John Paul II has devotees all around the world, but you wouldn’t call them a cult. They simply recognize Christs presence in this incredibly holy man who had done so much for the world.
Furthermore, I’d just like to remind you of these words, “You shall know them by their fruits.” Any time the question arises of Fr. Maciel’s (our founder) innocence, I look to the unbelievable fruit of the Legion. The Legion has public ministry all across the globe, from their mega-missions to Mexico and other places, all the way to their formative groups and the new Institute of Psychological Studies. When I speak to a Legionary and hear the unbelievable love and dedication they have for Christ, the fruits of our founder’s dream are obvious.
One last point. Caesar, you say that it is extremely easy to get in to their seminarian program. The idea behind this is that no one can tell you if you have a calling to the priesthood. If you feel you have a calling, the Legion give you the opportunity to visit their seminary and test your call by living with the brothers and spending as long as you like in contemplative prayer speaking with Christ. LC priests spend between 9-12 years in formation, something that is key to their very essence and something which accounts for their great dedication to Christ and furthing His kingdom. At any point a seminarian can leave if they feel they are being called to something else. You also mentioned that they do not show a dedication to Pope Benedict XVI, which is false. My frequent contact with the Legion has given me the ability to say with 100% honesty that the Legion is strongly dedicated to the Pope, as they are strongly dedicated to Christ. The Legion recognizes that the pope is the Vicar of Christ, and therefore has the most precious words of Christ and can, as no other religion can, show to us as members definitively the position of Christ on any given issue.
