With elite backing, Legion of Christ has pull in Mexico

[Maranatha]

With elite backing, Catholic order has pull in Mexico

MEXICO CITY – Two years ago, a handful of Latin American billionaires and some of the world’s top financiers gathered at New York’s Plaza Hotel. They were honoring Mexican plutocrat Carlos Slim and raising money for schools for poor children run by the Legion of Christ, a fast-growing conservative Roman Catholic order.

Among those giving speeches at the black-tie gala were the Rev. Marcial Maciel, the 85-year-old Mexican founder of the Legion, and Citigroup Inc. Chairman Sanford Weill. Within hours, the diverse group of 500 well-wishers raised $725,000.

The Legion was in its element. Founded in 1941, the order concentrates on ministering to the wealthy and powerful in the belief that by evangelizing society’s leaders, the beneficial impact on society is multiplied. Like the Jesuits who centuries ago whispered in the ear of Europe’s princes, the Legion’s priests today are the confessors and chaplains to some of the most powerful businessmen in Latin America.

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[felra]

With elite backing, Catholic order has pull in Mexico

MEXICO CITY – Two years ago, a handful of Latin American billionaires and some of the world’s top financiers gathered at New York’s Plaza Hotel. They were honoring Mexican plutocrat Carlos Slim and raising money for schools for poor children run by the Legion of Christ, a fast-growing conservative Roman Catholic order.

Among those giving speeches at the black-tie gala were the Rev. Marcial Maciel, the 85-year-old Mexican founder of the Legion, and Citigroup Inc. Chairman Sanford Weill. Within hours, the diverse group of 500 well-wishers raised $725,000.

The Legion was in its element. Founded in 1941, the order concentrates on ministering to the wealthy and powerful in the belief that by evangelizing society’s leaders, the beneficial impact on society is multiplied. Like the Jesuits who centuries ago whispered in the ear of Europe’s princes, the Legion’s priests today are the confessors and chaplains to some of the most powerful businessmen in Latin America.

more

I especially like this article excerpt:

“The order’s critics say the Legion creates an oppressive climate for those who don’t follow orthodox Catholic teaching. Jose Zumaya, a psychiatrist who counsels couples in Monterrey, says some of his upper-class clients suffer from what he calls “Legionary syndrome,” referring mainly to a dread of social ostracism if they get divorced. “They feel their children will have to leave school, they will lose all their friends, and there will be consequences for the husband at work as well,” says Dr. Zumaya. WSJ(1/23)With Elite Backing, Catholic Order Has -2-”.

In the old days, this “Legionary syndrome” was referred to as “catholic guilt” when their was actually Church (and societal) pressure to uphold and conform according to the norms of Judeo-Chrisitian values.

A good sign of an orthodox religious order in line with the Magisterium is the persecution and accusations of hyper-orthodox oppression of it’s members.

These attacks and mischaracterizations against the Legionaires of Christ is nothing new to this orthodox order, to the extent that they have established a web page to specifically address and refute these types of unfounded accusations:

legionaryfacts.org/LOCRC.html

Here is a FYI article that gives vivid testimony to this order’s allegiance to the Magisterium:

**
27 new priests at the service of the Church

On Christmas Eve morning, 27 new priests of the Legionaries of Christ were ordained by his Eminence Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, Archbishop Primate of Mexico in the chapel of the Center for Higher Studies in Rome.
Cardinal Rivera conferred priestly ordination on these religious from ten countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and United States. The seven new priests from the United States come from New Jersey (2), Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Oregon and Washington.
**
legionariesofchrist.org/eng/articulos/articulo.phtml?se=91&ca=264&te=193&id=14191

 

[manualman]

A rather one-sided hack job of an article if I’ve ever seen one.

Why not discuss the credibility of Fr. Maciel’s accusers, instead of just bringing up the subject as mud-slinging?

I would rather agree that the Legionaires have become the Jesuits of the 21st century, but I find the derogatory attitude of the columnist to say more about the writer than the order.

If, for example, you start reading the article as a leftist with the attitude that the world’s troubles are primarily caused by the rich and that the solution is to impose governmental regulations that take from the rich and give to the poor, then sure! The article hits home hard.

But if you approach the subject with an attitude that the worlds problems are due to sin commited by ALL humans, then the article’s attacks make little sense. What is wrong with evangelizing rich people? Jesus certainly did it. What is wrong with encouraging rich folks to embrace the cross, give to effective private relief efforts for the poor, volunteer in educational efforts in poor areas, etc? What the average American reader might also not know is that targeting the rich is EXACTLY the strategy of protestant/evangelical missionaries in South America. It only makes sense for catholicism to offer a counterweight to those efforts. (Yet another parallel to Jesuits of old)

IMO, people like this author are frightened by the prospect of an army of believing catholics living life in a way that radiates the love of Christ (and along the way eclipses the efforts by those of the ‘fight poverty by discouraging achievement’ approach to fighting poverty).

We have two Legionaires run schools in Chicagoland. I wish I lived in commute distance to one of them. They teach like the Jesuits USED TO.

I find it ironic that whether Opus Dei, the Neocatchumenate Way, Legionaires, and on and on… Just about every emerging group that proposes obedient catholic living with a focus of faith in God and conformance of OUR lives to HIS will eventually gets a hatchet job like this article.

 

[Franze]

Legionaries are very hated because they´re orthodox.

 

[Thomas_Jude]

Here’s my favorite quote from this article:

The Legion was a favorite of Pope John Paul II, who liked its mix of religious fervor and conservative doctrine. Over the years, the late pontiff often praised Father Maciel’s work. “John Paul used to talk about the Legion all the time, holding them up as examples while reading us the riot act,” says the Rev. Vincent O’Keefe, a former deputy director of the Jesuits, a prominent order which fell into papal disfavor due to the liberal beliefs of some of its members.

 

[prodigal-sun]

manualman:

A rather one-sided hack job of an article if I’ve ever seen one.

Why not discuss the credibility of Fr. Maciel’s accusers, instead of just bringing up the subject as mud-slinging?

I would rather agree that the Legionaires have become the Jesuits of the 21st century, but I find the derogatory attitude of the columnist to say more about the writer than the order.

If, for example, you start reading the article as a leftist with the attitude that the world’s troubles are primarily caused by the rich and that the solution is to impose governmental regulations that take from the rich and give to the poor, then sure! The article hits home hard.

But if you approach the subject with an attitude that the worlds problems are due to sin commited by ALL humans, then the article’s attacks make little sense. What is wrong with evangelizing rich people? Jesus certainly did it. What is wrong with encouraging rich folks to embrace the cross, give to effective private relief efforts for the poor, volunteer in educational efforts in poor areas, etc? What the average American reader might also not know is that targeting the rich is EXACTLY the strategy of protestant/evangelical missionaries in South America. It only makes sense for catholicism to offer a counterweight to those efforts. (Yet another parallel to Jesuits of old)

IMO, people like this author are frightened by the prospect of an army of believing catholics living life in a way that radiates the love of Christ (and along the way eclipses the efforts by those of the ‘fight poverty by discouraging achievement’ approach to fighting poverty).

We have two Legionaires run schools in Chicagoland. I wish I lived in commute distance to one of them. They teach like the Jesuits USED TO.

I find it ironic that whether Opus Dei, the Neocatchumenate Way, Legionaires, and on and on… Just about every emerging group that proposes obedient catholic living with a focus of faith in God and conformance of OUR lives to HIS will eventually gets a hatchet job like this article.

Nicely said! A christian life is just as much for the rich as it is for the poor!

Peace…

 

[nucatholic]

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. The eye of a needle refers to the small archway a camel would have to go through to enter a city. It was a huge hassel to try to get the camel through, but it was not impossible. The Gospel is for the rich and the poor, but once the rich accept the Gospel they won’t continue to be as rich for very long. When Jesus told the rich man to sell all that he owned and follow Him, the rich man went away downtrodden. The rich man followed the law precisely but he chose riches over the Kingdom of God. Just something to think about.

 

[Toni]

manualman:

A rather one-sided hack job of an article if I’ve ever seen one.

Why not discuss the credibility of Fr. Maciel’s accusers, instead of just bringing up the subject as mud-slinging?

I would rather agree that the Legionaires have become the Jesuits of the 21st century, but I find the derogatory attitude of the columnist to say more about the writer than the order.

If, for example, you start reading the article as a leftist with the attitude that the world’s troubles are primarily caused by the rich and that the solution is to impose governmental regulations that take from the rich and give to the poor, then sure! The article hits home hard.

But if you approach the subject with an attitude that the worlds problems are due to sin commited by ALL humans, then the article’s attacks make little sense. What is wrong with evangelizing rich people? Jesus certainly did it. What is wrong with encouraging rich folks to embrace the cross, give to effective private relief efforts for the poor, volunteer in educational efforts in poor areas, etc? What the average American reader might also not know is that targeting the rich is EXACTLY the strategy of protestant/evangelical missionaries in South America. It only makes sense for catholicism to offer a counterweight to those efforts. (Yet another parallel to Jesuits of old)

IMO, people like this author are frightened by the prospect of an army of believing catholics living life in a way that radiates the love of Christ (and along the way eclipses the efforts by those of the ‘fight poverty by discouraging achievement’ approach to fighting poverty).

We have two Legionaires run schools in Chicagoland. I wish I lived in commute distance to one of them. They teach like the Jesuits USED TO.

I find it ironic that whether Opus Dei, the Neocatchumenate Way, Legionaires, and on and on… Just about every emerging group that proposes obedient catholic living with a focus of faith in God and conformance of OUR lives to HIS will eventually gets a hatchet job like this article.

Very well said. If I might add for the sake of Father Marcial Maciel, the rich are the hardest people to convert because they feel they do not need anything else in their lives. As you stated Jesus himself forgave Zaccheus a wealthy tax collector, Matthew a tax collector. The poor of the world are well taken care of by Father Marcial as well. Recently I spoke to a Priest that is working in California helping the poor with a school. In Brazil a man asked the Legionaries to go and help the street children and so Father Marcial sent men there as well. Throughout the world Father Marcial has done an incredible job helping the rich and the poor develop a strong relationship with Christ. As far as the article it beats reading the front page of the Oakland Press on Sunday Divorce rate is higher than the rate of Marriage in Oakland County. Thats impressive. I say let Father Marcial help them all be accountable to save their marriages and stop taking the easy way out with no fault divorce.