Two guys, who have co-authored the same book on the same subject write the same story in two different papers two days apart. Coincidence?
Never has another journalist or newspaper other than the NCR or Hartford Currant ever reported the story. Not the Boston Globe, New York Times, LA Times, etc. Just this lonesome pair. Renner and Berry have been “investigating” the Legion and Fr. Maciel for at least 10 years; all fruitless, with cloudy sources 50 years old and innuendo.
It is not at all uncommon for founders of religious orders to be persecuted in this manner. A quick reading of Church history will show that the many founders of orders (and later Saints) have been persecuted during the foundation of their order or during a renewal of their order.
These include Ignatius of Loyla, Theresa of Avila, Don Bosco, Edmund Rice, John Baptist de la Salle and Alphonsus Liguori.
“What is most common is that the scandal the Saint was accused of was best calculated to the culture of the day to best damage the reputation of the founder, the founder, would to a casual observer appear at least suspect and the greater the positive impact the institute has on society, the more severe the accusation.” See
catholicfounders.org/
This site is no more biased than the NCR or Hartford Currant, at least it has a bibliography and openly referenced sources.
A brief review of the a handful of the accomplishments of Fr. Maciel easily shows why he would be such a wonderful target for those intent on injuring the Church or his order.
- He has personally provided for the education of about 600 ordained priests and 2500 seminarians. More than probably any other individual in the last 100 years.
- He has opened at least four or five universities, including the last two in Rome. No one is even close here.
- He had funded the Basilica of OL of Guadelupe in Rome. (The only basilica this century)
- He has received several accolades (related here in this forum recently).
- The Legion of Christ was given some poor, backwater diocese in Mexico as a missionary diocese in the 1970’s. It had 18 churches for a million people. Today it has 343 churches, 18 schools and 2 universities.
- An so on.
To me, this accusation is perfectly in line with the experience of other successful Catholic order founders, has no “legs” and is no more than dust in the wind.
To quote the NCR Rome Reporter, “I think the only honest answer is that the pope and his senior aides obviously do not believe the charges.” (direct quote).
As to Flynn kicking them out over this accusation, his letter does not suggest so, rather it seems like a conflict over style and method (or maybe content as Flynn is quite nuanced with respect to the Church’s position on the public acknowledgement of homosexual activity and I do not think the Legion is quite so nuanced on fornication - just a guess). Bishop Flynn’s letter was quite vague with respect to his rationale but clear as to his intention. This is his right. Every religious order, parish, and Catholic agency works at the pleasure of the Bishop who can remove them without cause.
What did the Legion do in response? They immediately and quietly obeyed the bishop without sit ins, whining about their imaginary “rights” or stealth press releases. Contrast that action with other “renewal” groups of the day. Their meetings and typical reactions are disrespectful whine-a-thons.
But even so, it seems that where the Legion is active, the Church thrives, the laity seem energized, schools are built and the poor educated. Catholics evangelize. Other orders and other dioceses in this era do not seem so successful at energizing the faithful, building schools, educating the poor or evangelization.
