life-after-RC

Short-circuiting justice

Trastevere has an explosive piece, which I'll be tweaking all day (help appreciated). For now, Googelle offers this:

The papal delegate for the Legion of Christ, Cardinal Velasio de Paolis, with the invaluable help of Alvaro Corcuera and other superiors of the LC, appears to be weaving a blanket to cover the lofty aims of the Legion, the sexual abuse of its pederast and criminal founder, and engage in a renewal of a system that is taking in water on all sides, without promoting a serious investigation of other cases of pedophilia and abuse--not only by the founder of the order--and, what is even more serious, by incomprehensibly neglecting to deal with the victims who reported abuse during their time in the Legion and are still crying and waiting for justice.

Madrid, January 24, 2012 (For Trastevere) .- Twenty months after the Vatican made public a harsh condemnation of the criminal activities of the predator Marcial Maciel that would put in question the very existence of the charism of the Legion of Christ, a report that was filed with the Pope Benedict XVI and reported by the Visitators, and after the very Reverend Velasio de Paolis, then still archbishop, was appointed by the pope as papal delegate to bring order to the Legion and Regnum Christi (we still awaiting the findings of the tour for this movement of lay people and consecrated by Bishop D Ricardo Blázquez, who has presented it in a timely manner to their superiors, and whose ife is practically the same in substance in the Legion).

First Hand Accounts

The other thread, once again, was too long. Let's focus on what we really know, rather than heard. Scipio asks:

Monk: I find your testimony quite accurate of the inner culture around Maciel. But maybe you could share with us something more. In your book you say you worked quite close to Maciel: did you ever see him celebrate Mass in a private chapel, say the breviary or pray the rosary? Did you notice lack of piety? Itis a very strong red flag against holiness

How to form a cult

An excellent article was noted on the last [now unwieldy] thread, so we'll start fresh. How To Start a Cult outlines the critical elements that may very well have been embedded in the Legion from the start. It usually begins with "quality, ambitious, hardworking" members of like mind, with "above-average intelligence" and "high ideals."

There is also mention of peripheral difficulties that allow the member to throw himself into the group whole-heartedly. While this doesn't have to be universal, it speaks to the comments at the end of the last thread which suggested that dysfunctional people are more comfortable in a dysfunctional group (the corollary being that very healthy people are often repelled by the atmosphere). I think that's generally true (I've written in the past about how being an adult-child of an alcoholic shielded me from grasping the red flags, and RC life was simply a baptised version of my previous existence.) But that said, there were plenty of wonderful people whom I would never accuse of being unhealthy -- I'll reserve all judgements to the system, not the people (and thus a system that made them do highly questionable things).

See what you think, and perhaps this article will jar a few more truths loose, so that we can assess our L/R experiences even better.

Kudos for Katie

For those of you who remember many common sense comments by Katie in recent years, thoughtful contributions that added to the depth of our discussions at LARC, you'll be edified by her article on marriage found on Catholic Lane. She and her husband have been working hard to forward the discussion on personalism here, and it would be well worth your time to peruse their content and participate in their ongoing disussion group. I suggest you bookmark Catholic Lane, where she and many excellent writers appear regularly -- and kindly spread the word. That and similar sites will contribute enormously to the New Evangelisation, not to mention advancing the cause of authentic faith and freedom.

Garza's version of events

The following account is from the RC State of the Section meeting held in Atlanta on Sunday, 9/25/2011, at 7:00 pm, during which Fr. Luis Garza, LC was asked: "Was there a cover up?" His answer is summarised as follows:

November 2004 was the 60th anniversary celebration in Rome and all was fine. But shortly afterwards, the Holy See began an investigation to finally lay to rest the accusations against Maciel. The Vatican began the investigation thinking that he was innocent and just wanted to clear his name for the sake of history, but later, as the investigation proceeded, they realized that he was guilty.

Garza said, “But we did not know this--we learned it later from the press.” Garza said that around this time Maciel was evasive and vague. He went to Cancun for two or three months. Then a lady appeared. (Garza was referring to Norma.) In September or August of 2005, Maciel went to Cotija and he stayed there for two or three months, but the lady was there too. Some consecrated ladies were staying with the lady (Norma.) Garza said that "very few thought this was an affair." Garza said "but Maciel's brother became concerned." The brother told Maciel that this would destroy his work, it would destroy what he had spent his whole life building.

But, according to Garza, dementia ensued for Maciel, and he wasn't thinking or behaving rationally. They somehow got Maciel's nephew involved [original notes not clear here] but Maciel went and spent time in Colombia, and then he went to Houston. And he would only allow the lady to travel with him.

Finally, in February 2006 Malen Oriol went to speak to Garza about her concerns. Malen asked Garza to intervene. She claimed that the lady was taking advantage of Maciel.

At about that time, the CDF called Fr. Alvaro and told him that Maciel was guilty [Garza did not say what he was guilty of] but the CDF did not provide proof and Garza did not believe the CDF. [Yes, that's what Garza said. He said "I did not believe the CDF." At this point Garza apologized, saying he was sorry he did not believe the guilt at that time.]

Then he mentioned John Allen [reporter for the National Catholic Reporter] and that there was a leak to the press, but Garza still thought Maciel was not guilty. So he said that the problem was where to take Maciel? Rome? No, that wouldn't do. Mexico? No, no good either. So they decided to send him off to Jacksonville, FL.

He mentioned that Maciel's uncle, San Rafael Guizar, was to be canonized on October 15, 2006, and Maciel was insisting that he would go attend the celebrations. Apparently LCs had a tough time keeping Maciel away from the event.

Then Garza described being in Jacksonville with Maciel and Norma and how he began to think that perhaps there WAS something wrong. He said that at one moment he looked at her and said, it's true, isn't it? And Norma broke down crying, so relieved to finally be recognized as Maciel's wife, saying, "We've been together for 28 years."

He described her as not very educated, and said that women were better suited for this type of situation -- so he had the consecrated women talk with her to get the rest of her story. He actually said that the consecrated women involved with taking care of Norma (they were assigned to be her companions/caretakers per Maciel's wishes) “deserve a statue or something." He said that this was all at the end of 2006.

So then in February/March 2007 they tried to start figuring out what to do, because Garza had done his own private investigation (including having DNA tests run.) He described being on an airplane and getting the email saying that the test results for Normita were "positive." He forwarded the email to Alvaro, who replied, asking "positive yes? or positive no?" Garza's point was that they still just could not believe that Maciel had a flesh & blood daughter.

Anyway, they started to think that they needed to "tone down" the Maciel image. But Alvaro was rather stuck, because everybody just wanted to hear more and more about Maciel. Garza said that he knew for certain (from DNA tests) that Normita was Maciel's daughter around September/October 2007.

In December 2007 Maciel got the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Garza was there and described Maciel's reaction as very strange to him. Said he did not act as someone who had just been told he had only a few months to live. Garza ordered a type of "lock down" at the Jacksonville house where Maciel was living. The LCs who were attending to him were told to stay put--they would not be given new assignments. It was not explicitly stated that Norma and her daughter were living there, but it did sound like it. In any case, they were around a lot. And Maciel had previously told Norma to stay away from Garza. (Maciel told Norma that Garza "would do evil" to her.)

So Maciel died on January 30, 2008. The LCs had asked Norma to convince him to confess before death, but he would not. At the very end, when Maciel was in a coma, Fr. Alvaro absolved him.

And Garza and Alvaro were wanting to keep things toned down on Maciel's passing, but unfortunately, there was a Men's Convention in Cotija at the time, so more people came than were wanted or expected.

Garza said that they started to tell some, about 50 LCs in November 2008, because they decided to make the truth known very slowly. He called it a "great miscalculation," because in January 2009 the news was leaked to the press. He said that the situation was very badly managed and resulted in "disenfranchising" many. He repeated that they did not try to cover this up, that that would have been like trying to cover the sun with your finger.

When asked if Maciel ever admitted to wrongdoing, he said no. He described Maciel as a psycopath whose moral knowledge was very weak.

It must be noted that this answer was met with a standing ovation from the RC members present.

Bringing others to heaven

A common theme in the Regnum Christi Movement is the task to bring others to heaven. For years we were told that our vocation to RC was a privilege and a duty -- and we had to live it faithfully not only for the sake of our own souls (to turn our back on the Movement was to turn our backs on God) but also for the sake of others -- because their salvation also depended on our fidelity. For example:

I have seen so many people happily, smilingly take on responsibility for every person's soul who crosses their path. I distinctly remember one talk where we were told that we would be asked in heaven, "And who did you bring with you?" meaning "Who did you save in your time on earth?"  And we should be able to pull a whole wagon full of people up to the pearly gates.

It should be recognised, of course, that those who enter heaven do so by the Blood of the Lamb, and we are charged with sharing that salvific message.BUT, things are not what they seem. Grace flows where it will, and even when one person says something that resonates with a neighbour, there are so many other unseen collaborators praying and sacrificing that have paved the way for that moment. I find it sheer pride and folly to "count coup" as it were, and take credit for what is truly part of the divine mystery. (I touched on this somewhat in this column.) Ah well.

Could readers expand on this, their experiences with this in apostolic dialogue, spiritual direction and guided meditations? And could we put this unCatholic thought to bed once and for all?

ADDENDUM: Ok, this has jogged an old story loose:

I attended the Atlanta women's convention in the mid-1990's which was a lovely affair. Very inspiring in the usual RC way. It was stressed over and over that our vocation to RC was life-changing, world-changing, and that so much depended on our constant evangelisation. So much so that I knew that every personal encounter was laden with supernatural meaning and eschatological import.

Thus it began on the plane heading home. As I sat in my seat, waiting for someone to take the place next to me, I knew that failure to proselytise would mean that one less soul would know of his critical vocation -- and that vocation might even be to the Movement. It was a "seat of destiny!" A young man sat down, and I trembled with excitement (and fear) wondering if I would be responsible for a priestly vocation! I hardly knew how to begin, but knew I had to say something.

Long story, short. The man bolted off the plane as soon as possible, leaving behind a woman he probably considered certifiable. I look back on the exchange (even all these years later) with chagrin and embarrassment. Not only did I NOT bring a man to Christ, to the priesthood or even the Movement, but I'm sure it darkened his understanding of our faith and his ability to respond to any promptings of the Spirit. Rather than being "fool for Christ," I was a "goon for Maciel" and am appalled that I could have behaved so badly. And yet I did. God forgive me. I take full responsibility for my action, but I also know how I came to that perverse understanding of apostolic zeal.

Humility is an integral part of healing, and heartfelt repentance is the only way to grow.

Hearing from the new priests

From this source:

Rome .- It's been three hours since the Mass of ordination for 50 new priests (49 of the Legionaries of Christ and one Somascan priest) and inside the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, there's still a big party. For the last 13 hours hundreds of relatives who come from around the world are excited to find those guys who have just devoted their lives to the religious congregation that can not shake the memory of the sins of its founder, Father Marcial Maciel Degollado.

They hug, cry, laugh. They are excited because their loved ones achieved a dream: priestly ordination. They, the families, have just received communion from the hands of the new priests. Fathers, mothers, brothers, uncles, cousins ​​and friends have witnessed the promises they made before men and before God. They have seen the anointing of the hands with sacred chrism and believe in their Catholic faith, there is a new Christ among them, and that his hands are blessed. They want to receive his blessing and kiss his hands. Gone are the sufferings of knowing they are in another country, in other lands. Far away were the doubts of what they experienced when the world media reported that the chief of the Legion had sexually abused children and adolescents. Years passed, and, finally, came the great day.

They all look happy. There are Gabriel Abascal, Juan Pablo Aviña, Andres and Juan Pablo Botero, Jose de Jesus Bustos, Luis Eduardo Camarena, Julio Cesar Chaparro, Steven Costello, Dalla Vecchia Orivaldo, Javier de Anda and another 40 new priests. 50, still dressed in white just said "present" when the ordination ceremony was ready to begin, the ritual that just lasted over three hours.

It's Monday, December 12, 2011, day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and for many, perhaps the most important day of their lives. Only they know how many insecurities they had to fight, how many dilemmas they faced and how did they they found it possible to offer their body and soul to the priesthood within the congregation that in recent years has faced serious scandals because of Marcial Maciel, now repudiated by the Vatican.

Sacrilège à nouveau

Father Garza, settling into his new position as territorial director of North America, has issued a letter to members of the Movement, and I hadn't gotten past the fourth paragraph when I began to steam. Please understand that everything is slowing down, people are taking time away and I'm happy to leave the entire matter of reform on a back burner while they sort things out. But then we have a statement like the following, and must conclude that  n o t h i n g  will change -- the Legion has ever conflated itself with the Church, and they bluntly reiterate that a vocation to the Movement is no different with the very baptismal call itself. Consider this:

I have witnessed the love and self-giving of so many Legionaries, consecrated members, and other members of the Movement, and I know that everyone wants to live according to what God is asking of us. I know that everyone is making a big effort in this process through which God is leading us, and I admire each one's perseverance and fidelity to God's plan even though, in the concrete situation, the more "reasonable" option would have been to leave everything and go somewhere else. I know that God sees this faith and hope and that Christ is telling each and every one of us, "Blessed are those who believe without having seen" (Jn. 20:19-31). It hurts me to think that some have left, and I will continue thinking of them as brothers and sisters. In the end, we have all sought to do God's will and we can't forget all that we have shared and lived through together.

This is not even the meat and potatoes but the prologue, and already we find a slap at those who left, who didn't have the faith of the apostles remaining Legionaries, and a reminder of his own pain. As has been stated over the years, it's always painful for Legionaries to live (unless they're actually victims, and then they are marginalised and forgotten because of the sorrow caused by having to remember them).  

It's late, the link is here, and perhaps you can wade through it yourselves -- though their trials and difficulties seem to have nothing to do with expressing contrition (or making restitution) but are related to the "beautiful task" of "returning to a foundational charism." How that works when their history is what it is remains a mystery, but they are resting securely, knowing that Jesus' words seem to have been precisely tailored to this situation.

UPDATE from "AnonObserv" in the combox:

Garza's absolutes have been part of the nomenklatura's strategy for some time. Those absolutes: 1) To keep insisting on a pre-existing charism, perfect and beautiful, even glorious for those suffering the present humiliations because of its supposed existence. 2)Power and authority at the end of the day are more important than charism. "Togetherness", all being under the same tent, is achieved not by the charism itself ofcourse, but by the supreme moderator controlling all. Authority is how they keep unity since in effect there is no charism.

I find it odd that LG should all of the sudden appeal to the history of 3rd orders, when for decades the LCs insisted that the RC was not a third order. Ofcourse I would agree with the latter given you need a charism for that, and even now when the Holy See's delegate is asked what that is, his response is, "Una Bella Domanda."

So we see the cult dynamics in full force still in this writing, especially in the insistence on the exercise of surrender to God's will which always goes in line with the organization's self-interest. Those who leave are considered, subtlely or implicitly, failures, heretics to the great cause.  Note that everything is about the virtue of faith, nothing about the content of faith. The shot he takes at reasonableness is meant to keep membership from going there, from discerning the signs about whether God has been present in the historical witness of founder; about what really lies underneath the facade of orthodoxy and youthful glitter.

Fanaticism comes from suspending the judgement of reason enlightened by faith- and here we refer to the content of solid theological faith. Just as Jim Jones put his people above the Bible, so the LCs put themselves above an authentic charism shown in its witness.

UPDATE II: A recent comment has jogged this thought loose, or at least framed it in a way I hadn't adequately understood previously. As Christians, we submit to divine revelation and attach ourselves to manifestations of the Spirit, because we are weak, defective creatures. These gifts are treasures which guide us to holiness and invite us to be humble instruments in a larger plan.

Garza's premise is exactly backwards, because it says that the Holy Spirit hasn't made himself known yet, but since the members are good, well-intentioned and virtuous (being tenacious and charitable) then the Spirit is bound to follow and clarify the mission. Unfortunately, not only is "the cart before the horse" but there is grave pride and presumption in banking on their own human strength to drive the reform. It is backwards because they are not only not responding to a legitimate invitation (remember, their leader was "devoid of religious sentiment") but barging in, saying "we're here (and we're pure of heart!) so you must make room for us."

Rebounding after leaving

A long-time reader poses two important questions:

I am writing because I am writing a series on my blog about 'cult-life thinking' as I experienced YET ANOTHER cult experience after leaving RC. (You'd think I'd learn, right? ;) But I have gained so many blessings and insights into my own weakness through this last experience, which was actually a much worse personal experience than I had in RC as it was local and we were directly targeted when we left.

1. I was wondering if you had some links I could refer to that are general principles of cults that I could link to (and also research) for my blog. I know you have extensive wisdom on this topic, and I am still stumbling through even my own insights, and would love some 'back up; and 
2. I would also like to ask you if you have heard of a sort of 'rebound' after leaving a cult (like RC) where someone ends up in the same ditch again... I find my last three years' experience interesting.

For starters, I will always recommend Steve Hasson's "Freedom of Mind" site, which is filled with exellent information, anecdotes and data on many cults. Another source is ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) which has many ongoing activities, presentations, and workshops, as well as a comprehensive database. Their next international conference will be in Montreal this summer (5-7 July, 2012).

The reason these larger bodies help so much is that they show the common elements that create cultish environments. Regain and LARC have not charged this Movement with cultishness lightly. There is a wide body of research and documentation that stands behind such allegations, and the data from decades of evidence in this case allows certain conclusions to be drawn regarding the Legion. In that respect, cult awareness groups can be very helpful in dissecting one's experience -- although the healing process requires that a person set aside his/her prejudices and engage in a humble pursuit of wholeness.

If others want to provide more resources (books, sites, videos) in the comboxes, I'll bring them up and begin a list.

The Chaput Approach

This letter stands on its own, and should be a tonic to those who welcome forthright speech, prudence and courage -- three elements that could have served the Legion well in the last three years. Consider how such an approach could have helped the Movement to establish an authentic reform which it seems the Holy Father thought was possible. Sadly, they have clung instead to obfuscation, sentimentality and dodging accountability for very serious and repeated harms to its  members. It would seem that given the current trajectory in the Movement, especially given that those capable of reform are leaving and those most wedded to the obtuse narrative spun by the Macielistas remain at the helm. 

For the record, there has been no restitution to the victims of MM, there has been no apology to the 3gf's who [now!] it seems were subject to 30 years of bureaucratic oversights, and there has been no credible explanation as to how MM had millions of dollars at his personal disposal, decades of depravity with no witnesses and even his own children enrolled in Legion schools (and receiving the sacraments from the Holy Father himself) without anyone noticing. But, there are enormous funds available for the Adizes business consultants to polish their corporate image and self-promotion skills.

December 8, 2011
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Dear friends in Christ,

Exactly three months ago, on September 8, I was installed as Archbishop of Philadelphia. In the weeks since, traveling the archdiocese, I’ve been struck by two things I encounter again and again: the reservoir of good will in our people, and the fidelity of our priests.

The Church in Southeastern Pennsylvania has deep roots and an extraordinary legacy of saints, service and public witness. These are profound strengths, built by the faith of generations of Catholic families. But all of these good facts depend on our willingness to sustain them by our actions in the present. Advent is a season of self-examination in the light of God’s word; a season of conversion and looking forward in hope to the birth of a Savior at Christmas. There is no better time to speak frankly about the conditions we now face as a community of believers.

Christmas Novena

Those of us who can still believe and pray should pray for those who cannot. And those of us who have found freedom can can now pray with confidence to destroy the remaining fetters--on ourselves and those who still don't know they are bound. This series of prayers is easy...

Thank you for all the kind Yuletide wishes. You were all in my prayers, and I hope that 2012 is a year of abundant graces. This was our homily today, and I found it comforting. May Our Lady enfold you in her loving mantle throughout this year and always. Cheers!

[Icon source]

NOR's "Super Catholics"

This is how some on the outside see members of this Movement:

The media spotlight has moved back onto the scandal-wracked Legion of Christ, and the themes of secrecy, servile obedience, financial irregularities, and spiritual abuse are again casting long shadows. For those who were hoping that the humbling of the order (a result of the fall of Legion founder Fr. Marcial Maciel) was having a cleansing effect, two recent events will likely bring them crashing back to earth.

The author then cites the Zenit debacle and the visitation of the Regnum Christi, which revealed that hundreds of women were living an illusion founded on lies (or just oversights?!) by their superiors. The full article requires a subscription (well worth it!) but here's a teaser:

How is it that decades can pass as Church institutions fumble about and fail to muster even basic levels of accountability? New orders rise partly in response to corruption in the local Churches, but the movements that grow “parallel” to parishes and dioceses are clearly not immune to vast and rapid corruption themselves. By now we can all agree that any Church institution that even hints of secrecy, impropriety, or abuse does harm to the faith. Any Church leader who comes across as above the law or even delusional — yes, they’re out there — does harm to the faith.

Unfortunately, we must conclude that those "leaders above the law" are not confined to this Movement, and nothing indicates that there will ever be an accounting in that regard. That said, we know that we need the Sacraments, and must do what we can to rebuild the faith -- for ourselves and others.

As we continue our Advent journey, keep in mind those with a shredded faith, those who worked diligently on so many beautiful Christmas rooms over the years, and who finally came to realise that much of their hard work was coopted by a paper kingdom. May all of these souls remember that True Love lay in a dingy manger--apart from the flash and frenzy of the "super Catholic" life we entertained for so long. God understands and will heal us when we're ready.

New Legionaries

One cannot fail to rejoice in the ordination of priests, and please know our hearts and prayers go out to the 49 new Legionaries (including ten from North America) found here. May they be led by the Holy Spirit to minister wisely, generously and selflessly throughout the rest of their lives.

For those wondering how the Movement to which they are currently attached sees itself, there is an audio file of Fr Garza's webinar found here. God alone knows where this will all lead, but if we stay close to the Sacraments, the Magisterium and our primary duties, we should be fine. More than that, we cannot ask. Prayers for all.

External Commissioner for the RC

As reported at Clerical Whispers:

As the Legionaries of Christ recover from scandal, Pontifical delegate Cardinal Velasio de Paolis has placed its lay branch, Regnum Christi, under the administration of an external commissioner and set out strict guidelines for its future conduct.

Cardinal De Paolis issued a letter with concrete guidelines for consecrated members of the 'Regnum Christi', after the apostolic visit which also placed the lay branch of the Legionaries of Christ under the administration of an external commissioner.

The movement currently has approximately 70,000 members, including young people, adults, deacons and priests, in more than 30 Countries around the world.

Cardinal De Paolis addressed five points: assistants’ duties with regards to consecrated members; the regulation that will be in force during the review phase; the central commission for the review of statutes and 'Regnum Christi' regulations; further study into certain fundamental topics, through conferences and study days and the necessary difference that exists between reflections, suggestions and formal decisions during the process that is currently underway.

The letter concluded with a call for prayer, dialogue and gratitude towards God, for the gift of consecration in the Church and in 'Regnum Christi.'

I'm checking on the significance of this (since it seems rather important) and yet no word of it on the RC site. Nor do we know who the assigned commissioner is. I'd like to know how they are receiving this news. Or have the rank and file been told yet?

Update on Catholic World Mission

A reader provides the following:

1. their new executive director Ricardo "Rick" Medina is strangely absent from their website, facebook and mailings. If he is gone, then that makes 3 directors in 1.5 years.  Thomas Clements left the organization & not a toot about why. The hushed departures look a lot like when the novices leave on a hike day or at midnight or something like that. Seems strange for a charity to have these hushed changes in their top spot...
When "Rick" Medina was initially interviewed he didn´t even thank Tom Clements which is normal practice in most places...weird.
2. they raised their Mano Amiga scholarship to $780 from $650. Since then the peso devaluated from 10.50 pesos per dollar to 13.7 pesos per dollar.  So now they say that the scholarship is 10,686 pesos instead of 6825 pesos. At the same time the Mano Amiga schools have lowered their assistance to each family by 40% or 50%. The families also have to buy their own books and materials when before they were free. that is 2500 pesos more per student for families that live in improvised homes. Mexico inflation has been about 2-3% so this is a totally ridiculous increase. However salary increase of CWM employees may be more to blame for the scholarship increase or of course a year end bonus for their mystery executive director...
3. CWM does not clarify that several other "charities" support the same schools & possibly the same students. We have Catholic World Mission, WorldFund (supported by Carlos Slim, richest man in the world, and others like him), Foundation Mano Amiga, Fundacion Altius, etc.
4. The Legion charges CWM about $80k a year in overhead costs when their original story was that the Legion gives them the use of their facilities, computers, etc for free (since it was a great charity). Being that CWM is two steps from the Legion´s US territorial director in Thornwood, it should be clear that this is quite an unholy alliance...

If you got an annual fund drive notification,  and still think they are a legit charity, ask them for a detailed report of money received for education vs how much is actually transferred to the schools.

Back to the "Kingdom"

ADDENDUM added below

Over the years, we've parsed the theology used by the Movement that sounds very orthodox at first glance, but then may not be so. For those inclined, could we reconsider the foundational use of the word "kingdom," for example used in Fr Oscar Nader's letter?

It is up to you to extend the Kingdom of God in society; the depth of that extension depends on the priests and consecrated members. You are called to make as many souls as possible participate in the richness of our faith, sharing it through your witness and apostolic action. Their task is to help you and the others to live it to the full.

From the Universal Catechism:

543 Everyone is called to enter the kingdom. First announced to the children of Israel, this messianic kingdom is intended to accept men of all nations. To enter it, one must first accept Jesus' word:

The word of the Lord is compared to a seed which is sown in a field; those who hear it with faith and are numbered among the little flock of Christ have truly received the kingdom. Then, by its own power, the seed sprouts and grows until the harvest.

2816 In the New Testament, the word basileia can be translated by "kingship" (abstract noun), "kingdom" (concrete noun) or "reign" (action noun). The Kingdom of God lies ahead of us. It is brought near in the Word incarnate, it is proclaimed throughout the whole Gospel, and it has come in Christ's death and Resurrection. The Kingdom of God has been coming since the Last Supper and, in the Eucharist, it is in our midst. The kingdom will come in glory when Christ hands it over to his Father:

It may even be . . . that the Kingdom of God means Christ himself, whom we daily desire to come, and whose coming we wish to be manifested quickly to us. For as he is our resurrection, since in him we rise, so he can also be understood as the Kingdom of God, for in him we shall reign.

I don't think we extend the Kingdom, per se, because it's already in our midst. It's all around us. We can explain it to those who don't know it exists, or invite them to enter, but I don't it's like an elastic band that grows the more people who step inside it. 

Furthermore, now that I look more carefully, I don't like the language of this, "[making] people participate," and "as many souls as possible." Both thoughts are insidious, as we cannot make anyone do anything, and the call for numbers harkens back to "efficiency" being a part of the charism.

Perhaps it's just me, perhaps it's semantics, but it would seem as this sort of language allows the pride and self-righteousness to enter in, no matter how good the initial intention. At least this is what happened with me.

[And offerings like this only add to the possibility of such pride. I cannot imagine any of the newer priests in our diocese publishing their vocation stories, and I doubt that these men would have done so other than out of sheer obedience. It reminds me of a certain young president who had written two autobiographies before he was 50.]

ADDENDUM: From today's Office of Readings (for Saint Nicholas)

When those who are tending Christ's flock wish that the sheep were theirs rather than his, they stand convicted of loving themselves, not Christ. And the Lord's words are a repeated admonition to them and to all who, as Paul writes sadly, are seeking their own ends, not Christ's.

Do you love me? Tend my sheep. Surely this means: “If you love me, your thoughts must focus on taking care of my sheep, not taking care of yourself. You must tend them as mine, not as yours; seek in them my glory, not yours; my sovereign rights, not yours; my gain, not yours. Otherwise you will find yourself among those who belong to the ‘times of peril’, those who are guilty of self-love and the other sins that go with that beginning of evils.”

So the shepherds of Christ’s flock must never indulge in self-love; if they do they will be tending the sheep not as Christ’s but as their own. And of all vices this is the one that the shepherds must guard against most earnestly: seeking their own purposes instead of Christ’s, furthering their own desires by means of those persons for whom Christ shed his blood.

I write the above with trepidation, for one can never judge the motives of others. I am making no firm accusation of anyone, only noting what struck me about my morning prayer. There are hints that the Legion conflates its mission with that of the Church, and then arrogates to itself the members of the Church, confusing the "vocation" the Movement with the foundational baptismal call.

Non nobis, non nobis, Domine
Sed nomini tuo da gloriam.

Whenever the Legion is glorified for its virtues, it should trigger alarm bells. And whenever the members speak of their own suffering as a reason for the group to be supported and glorified, they are robbing others. We all suffer, we all stumble, and we all need prayers -- but we cannot market those wounds for particular gain. These are the troubling signs I see in the kingdom of MM. Still.

More on "charism"

An important exchange in a recent interview:

The American Redemptorist Joseph Tobin, who has served a year and a half as Secretary of the Congregation for Religious Life, just below the Cardinal Bráz of Aviz, spoke with us about the sad cases that require discipline and discernment on the part of the Vatican ministry that oversees Religious.

- There have been cases of founders who were disciplined: Maciel of the Legion of Christ, Gerard Croissant in Beatitudes, Alphonsus Maria Duran in Miles Jesu ... Who supervises the supervisors? What we learn from these cases?

- Our Congregation, in order to approve an Institute, judges that its charism is an authentic gift of the Holy Spirit and that the Institute has the maturity to develop this charism. But there are cases (I'm not talking about these in particular) that I think misled the Congregation with lies, and likewise deceived the fellow brothers in the community. In addition, the Second Vatican Council, Decree Perfectae Caritatis always asks to see "the original spirit of the Institutes," and the example of the founder. But how can a founder who had a messy life remain a point of reference? I have no answer to this perplexity.

As we approach the crèche...

... I know we will continue to carry one another in our hearts and prayers, knowing that we've come a long way in the three years since the damning revelations exploded into full view. The Vatican investigation and two visitations have been completed, much has been brought to light that had previously been hidden, we've pulled together numerous novenas which have borne fruit, and so many people are inching their way successfully along the path of healing.

The Holy Father has just offered some critical words on the topic of evangelisation (which may have been one of the key magnets that initially drew us towards this group). Such work is an essential dimension of our baptismal commitment, but it need not be hierarchical, highly organised or fit under a snazzy title. Truly, it can be much simpler than that:

"[T]the new evangelisation is inseparable from the Christian family. The family is the Church's 'path', because it is a 'human place' in which we encounter Christ. ... The family founded on the Sacrament of Marriage is an individual microcosm of the Church, a community which is saved and saves, which is evangelised and evangelises. Like the Church, the family is called to live, irradiate and express to the world the love and presence of Christ."

Accepting and transmitting divine love, Benedict XVI explained, "comes about in the spouses' dedication to one another, in generous and responsible procreation, in raising and educating children, in work and social relations, in care for the needy, participation in Church activity and commitment to civil society." The Christian family "reflects the splendour of Christ and the beauty of the divine Trinity in the world" in the extent to which it manages to experience love "as communion and service, as reciprocal gift and openness to everyone."

Yes, "church activity" is on the list, but it ranks well below the steady work of love within families. It's the fidelity and mutual love therein that will speak most profoundly to a world, that is losing its understanding of the family hearth. Recall the words of John Paul II: "Families, become what you are!"

Let's continue to pray for one another and the healing that we need -- that all people need. Most importantly, we pray that in this holy season any remaining family wounds are tended to, relationships are restored and God's generous grace finds its ways into those areas most injured by this abuse of the faith. We cannot give what we don't have, and this may be a time for silence, contemplation and reflexion. God sees all, and awaits the simple gift of your hearts. Slow down and soak in every gift of Advent, so that each of us can kneel at the Holy Manger with childlike humility. God love you all!

[And for those still looking for a gift for a woman, humour me!]

Legion 500

That's a hybrid between the Legion and Fortune 500 companies -- meaning that the Legion seems to be implementing a proven business model in order to bolster sales recruit and fundraise. Take a moment and imagine Francis doing this (or Ignatius, or Benedict, or Bruno, or Dominic...):

The POC [Participatory Organizational Council] is a key element in the process being used by the North American Territory that is facilitated by the Adizes organization.  Adizes (named after the last name of the guy who started and runs the company) is a global consulting firm with a rather renowned reputation.  Google the name and you’ll find books, articles and all sorts of interesting things.  Adizes has helped the Legion with several projects, both in North America, but also in Brazil and Spain.

We started in March with 33 Legionaries, consecrated and lay members gathered at Thornwood for several days devoted to identifying areas where we need improvement.  It was a rather broad discussion, with more than 400 PIPs identified.  (A PIP is a “potential improvement point” and the group clearly thought we had some areas where improvement was possible.)  Then the group narrowed down the list and the POC was appointed to decide what opportunities to address first and get working on them.

Adizes helps an organization identify its strengths and weakness and make sure the organization is structured to be more effective.

[While this involves common sense] if we knew how to sort this all our by ourselves I guess we wouldn’t have found it so easy to identify more than 400 things that need fixing.

Here are a few specifics:

• Guidelines for a locality fundraising model
• Communications model/flow tool and message mat (if you aren’t familiar with these and would like to be, contact me personally and I’ll be happy to explain….if you have a team of people, I’ll be happy to set up a training webinar)
• Study about subsidiarity, what it really is and how we have implemented it in various places and levels of our organization
• Training on administrative procedures to a variety of centers
• Teams to support the development of the Dallas and NY localities
• First ever survey of all Legionaries, consecrated and lay members in North America, generating more than 1500 responses.  The results of the survey were critical in the creation of the territory’s Mission Action Plan.
• A Process for the implementation for the MAP.

Yes, I understand that parishes -- even bishops -- use such things as business models, projections and development teams, but they know what they're about and why they exist. I think what baffles me is that such a large amount of money and energy is being spent by a group that has yet to amend its constitutions or define its mission. Don't many of these things depend on charism and the structures of authority that are an integral part of the congregation -- structures that have yet to be defined and approved? Isn't this putting the cart before the horse? Or is the charism something that Adizes will find? They are a top notch crew:

Adizes is a worldwide consulting organization serving clients who are involved in many diverse industries, and range in size from start-ups to members of the Global 100. At the heart of the organization is the Adizes Institute where research, licensing and training in the Adizes Methodology™ is conducted. The Institute is also associated with the Adizes Graduate School, which offers master and doctoral degree programs in organizational transformation.

Since 1973, Adizes has provided thousands of organizations with a powerful and comprehensive change program that unlocks their hidden value and enables them to achieve leadership positions in their industries.

Btw, the whole Adizes site is fascinating, especially these courses, complete with methodology and integration workshops for managing people, change, and success. (There's even healing resources, which explains the "comparative principles of healing drawn from non-allopathic therapeutic systems, shamanism, Buddhism, Zen, and Taoism." I fully trust that the Legion will stick to the sacramental system -- no matter what the PIP data suggest.)

Let's revisit the "cult" word

Pete provides this valuable link on red flags in religous settings, which provides comparative lists of characteristics. One list includes:

1. The group is focused on a living leader to whom members seem to display excessively zealous, unquestioning commitment. 
2. The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.
3. The group is preoccupied with making money. 
4. Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
5. Mind-numbing techniques (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, debilitating work routines) are used to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s). 
6. The leadership dictates sometimes in great detail how members should think, act, and feel (for example: members must get permission from leaders to date, change jobs, get married; leaders may prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, how to discipline children, and so forth). 
7. The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s), and members (for example: the leader is considered the Messiah or an avatar; the group and/or the leader has a special mission to save humanity). 
8. The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which causes conflict with the wider society. 
9. The group's leader is not accountable to any authorities (as are, for example, military commanders and ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream denominations). 
10. The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify means that members would have considered unethical before joining the group (for example: collecting money for bogus charities). 
11. The leadership induces guilt feelings in members in order to control them. 
12. Members' subservience to the group causes them to cut ties with family and friends, and to give up personal goals and activities that were of interest before joining the group. 
13. Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group. 
14. Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

Do scroll through the various lists and see what applies to this Catholic Movement. Remember, even a few accurate points are enough to be problematic -- you don't have to hit 100% to be a cult.

ADDENDUM: to clarify how Regnum Christi fits the cult mold, consider this sleight of hand, which has only been exposed in the last year:

The pope’s envoy running the disgraced Legion of Christ religious order says the 1,000-plus rules governing the cult-like life of some of its members are invalid and will be whittled down to a core set of norms.

The rules that the Legion’s consecrated women and men live under cover everything from how to eat a piece of bread (tear off bite-size pieces, don’t bite into it) to what they can watch on television to how they interact with outsiders and family members.

The Legion scandal ranks as one of the worst in the 20th century Catholic Church since Pope John Paul II held the Legion’s late founder the Rev. Marciel Maciel up as a model, even though the Vatican knew for over a decade about credible allegations he was a pedophile.

One of the greatest scandals concerning the Legion’s consecrated members is that for years they were told that the 1,000-plus rules they lived by had been approved by the Vatican, when in fact only 128 general statutes had been approved.

Former members have complained that they were told that disobeying any one of the rules was tantamount to disobeying God’s will — a heavy onus that created an unhealthy striving for perfection over the most meaningless of norms.

But in a Nov. 21 letter, the pope’s delegate for the Legion, Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, said the rules had no legal status since they were never officially approved. He said a small commission would be formed soon to “extract” from the rules only those that are “strictly necessary” for the life and governance of the group.

This core set of rules will guide the consecrated until their whole governing statutes are revised, he wrote. Significantly, this revision process will be carried out almost independently of the Legion — part of the autonomy De Paolis envisages for the consecrated members.

The rules aren’t public but were at one point posted on Wikileaks. The etiquette norms specify how to eat specific types of food: an orange (with a knife and fork); spaghetti (cut, not rolled around a fork) and chicken (with a knife and fork, except on picnics when it can be eaten with fingers).

Members have defended the rules as a way to create unity in an international movement with people from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Critics have said the excessiveness of rules masks a lack of spirituality and constitutes a red flag about the cult-like nature of the movement.

"A proper autonomy"

From a 3gf living in Chile:

In September while in Rome, we had the opportunity to meet with the papal delegate, Cardinal Velasio de Paolis, who has been following Regnum Christi on this journey of personal and institutional renewal. From that meeting emerged the letter we recently received. This letter is a "sign" that we are unequivocally in the hands of the Church and the Pope. The Delegate together with his counselors came to tell us that the Regnum Christi is a work of God and that He is the first interested in her. He said that he wants to help take care of this work to reach the fullness of God and thus to remain for the Church and the world a tool through which many souls come to know the love of Christ.

For some, this letter says a lot and others may not say anything. What it is clearly expressed its desire that we be joined with the Church at this time: "You are not alone," he tells us. "We're here to help," were words that constantly repeated in this meeting.

The Bishop himself made that clear, and that "in the apostolic visitation was found that the consecrated members are grateful for our calling and live with joy our consecration to God according to the evangelical counsels, well aware that we offer a precious service to the Church."

The Regnum Christi should be a response to what the Church needs today. Therefore, the Cardinal does not speak of a relaunch or a separation, but a rightful autonomy, "generally perceived a positive assessment of the relationship between the Legion and consecrated persons in the Regnum Christi."

At the same time is saying it will ensure "a proper autonomy, in which consecrated persons should live a partnership with the Church", keeping with the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ "a link in the participation , albeit differently, in the same charism, spirituality and apostolate, keeping a precious treasure that they have inherited." Therefore, we seek "proper configuration, which corresponds to canon law, to safeguard, promote and further develop this treasure."

There are three levels to this insight, a personal one, which is placed before God with all your being so that you will be enlightened and make a decision and personal choice. Another, sharing with our brothers in their vocation, for while God speaks directly through His Word, He also speaks through our brothers ...

How enriching it is to listen to others living with you, who are on your side, who are part of your life because you are all living the same challenge! The third level concerns the superiors, whose decisions are to to be made with the participation of all who are engaged in the same orderly structure. This level is the one that the Church will consider in the coming months.

We are accustomed to a world of quick and easy answers, but we must trust our beloved Church and know that her answers are full of wisdom, deep reflection and prayer -- and seek always to please and serve God.

We must be aware that we are growing in "oneness" in "being a family", the family of Regnum Christi, which brings together many lay people, consecrated, and the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ. In this family we find supported, someone to listen and an attachment to an end that is the same for all, "come to Christ, definitely reach heaven."

We must pray, pray hard, pray for each and every one of us in the Regnum Christi, as Pope Benedict XVI recently said, "Where is God, no future, no hope."

Just a note that, while I admire her respect for the Church and perserverence in her chosen vocation, she provides the usual sleight of hand at the end, as though choosing this Movement = choosing Christ. To turn it around, to walk away from the RC is to walk away from Christ. Unfortunately, although that doesn't follow, it is the standard hook by which young, impressionable souls are nailed into this group.

It remains to see how much "wisdom, deep reflection and prayer" guide the superiors who are charged with forging their future. Prayers for God's most perfect will to prevail.

[The original text, written by Araceli Delgado, is found here.]

"Greetings from the Catacombs"

A Googelle translation from Trastevere [still needs work!]:

.
After carefully analyzing the bleak panorama of this congregation, and hearing the sentiments of many members and especially seeing the poor management that is taking place, I can only reach 10 conclusions:
.
1. There have been some slow, forced changes. The canonical rotation was only symbolic since the "eternal superiors" cling to their governing positions on the grounds that there are no qualified people, and that "charge is hard and difficult." They claim that those who serve in higher education carry a heavy burden, but that struggle means reveling in the "modus vivendi" and princely court of praise and flattery in which they move.
.
2.They proclaim to the winds a serenity of mind and explain that the great exodus that was caused by their negligence in the government is [actually] part of a necessary cleansing from God. They themselves--while recognizing the closure of houses, training centers and ministry, the loss of so many priests, consecrated persons and lay people--have come to the conclusion that since "we are less," that "it's a shame to see that many have gone" and "this is an opportunity to show love to our mother the Legion ..." What you really need in the congregation is, in the words of Pope Benedict XVI,"a change in structure from falling into the void ... "
.
They continue to spread the impression that "all good" or made known to the laity certain slogans like "this period has been a blessing from God," "God has shown His great goodness and mercy," "we are one big family and we live in a miracle," "we are the true founders, " "timely action [?] is the genuine charism of charity," "yet we continue with growing numbers in comparison to other congregations and religious groups," "we're not the only ones in crisis, the whole Church is,"and they seek to mitigate the public outcry or lessen the severity of the situation. If they knew what was coming when [the truth] came to light (if they have the courage to make it known) and the global financial scandal they have caused, it still does not solve the eternal question: Where is the money? And people close to them in their ministries or in their movements are beset with this awkward question ...
.
3. Within their internal communications is a misinterpretation and a partial view of the slogans of the Holy See. While intending to work on the changes proposed by the Pope and the Delegate, they filter them, and accommodate them to their interests [or an effective system of fruit]. The Legion also continues to act against the canon law in regard to spiritual directors (Canon 630, 1). There are still restrictions on the freedom of members through the creation of lists--short lists of priests loyal to the system who are without apostolic experience, and tax experts, members of the elite upper caste, and faithful conscientious drivers.
.
4. They find refuge in "this has been successful," "has been effective in our ministries," "always worked" in order to maintain a hieratic attitude, strengthen their armor and protect the system--and yet this method of working is at the cost of losing credibility, burning people of good will and playing with vocations.
.
5. The communal review of the constitution has meant an important introduction to the dialogue among LC's, which has never before existed because of repression, fear or lack of faith in them. The main result has been not able to draw more, avoid criticizing or demonizing those who think different. However, it results in labeling those who disagree with their superiors, for those who believe that change is more than a simple glaze are considered disloyal to the LC's. Those who still argue that change must be based on the code of canon law are criticised for seeking to change the Legion spirit, for not being faithful to tradition, and for trying to insert a charism of their own.
.
6. What bothers them most has been the discovery of evidence of the errors, oversights and omissions that have been a part of the LC, which have been pragmatically negative in inhumane to the members. Continually filtered reports are the straw that breaks the camel's back, becuase they do not conceive the possibility of being wrong and although some who are above have been exposed, most have enjoyed unconditional protection and immunity against attack. And they have tried to spread a sense of "self as superior because I did what I was asked for love of God and the Legion." That is the best proof that the spirit of Maciel is still present even in its structure and its system of government.
.
7. "Control, control, control" is the motto for all--no matter if they are priests or lay people, but especially if the person has been added to the list of "restless" members. At this time, those in education have been issued warning statements concerning members who have poorly controlled correspondence.
.
8. Superiors use the apostolic delegate's letter of May 19 (where he speaks of the "dissidents") as a means to flag individuals who have chosen to help with the change process; they're then separated from their communities to prevent them from doing damage with their "negative influence,"and they are given the reputation of infidels, since they are trouble-makering possessors of truth. Those who question are sent on the road, some have found evidence or have uncovered bugs, tampering, negligence or mafias. This is characteristic of an overbearing government, horizontal, convenenciero and sick.
.
9. The above know of dedicated family members, consecrated and lay people who call them "dissidents," and do not lift a finger to support them, for fear that they will jeopardize their own privileged positions or be stained by association with this bad example. They prefer to step aside, in order for the rebel to "fall off" and not fall with him. That is a sign of a false charity, which they defend and proclaim as their charism.
.
10. There is the clear and irrevocable arrangement of many members who live in passivity and suspense in this trial, awaiting to be told what to do and where to go. Under the sophism: "Do not rush the changes because the Holy See will tell us the way forward" or "We can not interfere with the modus of the Church" show that what they are experiencing is an atmosphere of confusion and despair which has led them to opt for silence, in which they repeat constantly: "Leave me alone, for I have work to do." But they do not realize that they live at the expense of others, his specialty is "delegate" the hard work in the secular or more daring Legionnaires and enthusiasm. The saddest thing is that the essence of pastoral and priestly life is subject to a life of luxury, false flattery, praise and subtle social forms.
.
May the Lord give you the clarity to realize the bubble in which they have lived comfortably so long and where it is now drowning in it. They are confident in their fragile living system and waiting for a false redemption that will never come until they awaken from their slumber and free themselves from the ineptitude of those who, blinded by power and pride, govern and are leading to a fatal outcome, or worse, at the end of their existence in the Church.

How to move forward

Perhaps readers will have some ideas on how to re-engage the Church after the RC experience.

I am asking you if you could start a new discussion for my family. We are ex R/C and deeply hurt from all our years of working like slaves giving money etc all our kids were in that L/C school. We got out years ago.

We are asking where we can come in to help the Church.
We are hurt, DO NOT TRUST anyone in the Church,wiil not get into any groups that we have to share or get to talk or know people.
Is there any thing we can do?
We thought of Adoration but that is led by a Consecreated young woman
Every thing I look at has R/C people in it except Pro Life and SVDP
Please does anyone know why they are all now so INVOLVED in Parish Church as their Apostolate.

Sincerely, Still Catholic and Looking for a Vineyard

I think it's important to consider a few points.

• If this were a patient being discharged from a hospital, no one would seriously ask him to participate in vigourous activities for a long time, until he has recovered sufficiently. It's the same for a new widow/er. Spiritual or emotional trauma is taxing, and there is no need to jump into the fray of daily life on your previous terms;
• Please remember that one of the problems with the Legion is its "busyness." We were always "building the Kingdom (!)" in tangible, visible ways (and taking tallies of our success). To quote a frequent contributor: That's. Not. Catholicism. Grace is more subtle, more gentle, more pervasive in quieter corners. If you feel as though you're less of a Catholic without appointments, meetings and a game plan, then perhaps you should give yourself a six-month moratorium on all three. Ours is a faith of primarily "being," not "doing."
• Finally, your whole family has been traumatised and your first responsibility it to them. Sit quietly when you can, listen to them (it may be very difficult for them to express themselves). Wait for the anger, which may be directed at you or the Church (who interestingly were victimised by this group). Hear them out, cry with them and have a low-key Christ-filled Christmas. Engage in the liturgy, pray in the evenings (if they're inclined) and play board games. Anything unplugged and unscripted. (We love Boggle.) Love each other and next year, when the dust has settled and each has made his peace with God and the rest of the family, perhaps you can look in your closets and muster a bag for Saint Vincent de Paul. And then ice cream -- because that will be a small victory.

Three items on the status quo

Aaron brings to our attention a few things, starting with another LC enterprise:

Integer Ethical Funds - Value Fund is a Sicav incorporated in Luxembourg. The Fund's objective is to provide long-term capital appreciation. The Fund will invest at least two-thirds of its assets in equity and fixed income securities issued by companies and governments. The Fund will invest in securities issued by companies previously screened according to Ethical Principles.

To be clear, this isn't Integer Group, but LC-related nevertheless. On another topic, he notes:

There is also a comment that many LCs simply have no confidence in Alvaro who seems to be breaking promises and giving false hopes. He is surrounded, at his own choice, by those that revere him.

And here is a letter from Carlos Skertchly asking for money because the LC diocesan seminary Regina Apostolorum cannot pay the electricity bill from a year ago and are being threatened to have their electricity cut off (which would be quite serious because the food in their fridges would spoil etc). If you make a donation via paypal you should identify it as a scolarship for diocesan priests.

I wonder if the bishops who sent these seminarians to Rome to be educated with the LC are aware of this situation? Do the LC educate them for free?

It strikes me that if you are that seriously in the red that you cannot pay your electricity bill after a year then you are a bad business and would be better to close. Where's chef ramsay when you need him?

I may remind you of another bishop who had sent his seminarians to the LC diocesan seminary Regina Apostolorum (either the one in Rome or its sister in Brasil or both):

"As for the legionaries, their structure did not convince me from some time due to the the lack of trust they have in freedom of people which I saw from inside", said the prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

"An authoritarianism that sought to dominate everything with discipline." "I had already removed the Brasila diocesan seminarians from its seminary, because I saw that things could not go ahead in this way", he added.

De: Carlos Skertchly LC (PROCURADOR GENERAL)
Asunto: S.O.S.
*
Queridos amigos,
*
Les escribo estas líneas para solicitar SU AYUDA de la manera más urgente.
*
Soy actualmente el rector del Colegio Internacional Maria Mater Ecclesiae en Roma, donde se forman 150 seminaristas provenientes de 77 diócesis de todo el mundo.
*
Desde hace tiempo hemos comenzado a sufrir una crisis económica muy fuerte, debido a la misma situación del mundo y también a la situación de nuestra Congregación.
*
Estos últimos meses han sido muy difíciles y estamos llegando al punto de no saber qué hacer para mantener el seminario.
*
Desde hace un mes nos han amenazado con el corte de la electricidad por estar arrastrando una deuda desde hace un año.
*
Hemos tratado de conseguir algunos donativos. Pero ahora hemos llegado al punto insostenible. Definitivamente: o pagamos o nos quedamos sin electricidad, lo cual sería gravísimo. Tendríamos a 150 personas: sin luz, sin agua, sin alimentos (los que tenemos conservados en refrigeración se echarían a perder).
*
Pidiendo ayuda a Dios se me ocurrió recurrir a la red de FB, a mis amigos. Actualmente debemos 32,000 euros (equivalentes a 43,500 dólares, o 600,000 pesos).
*
Haciendo cálculos de cómo me pueden ayudar los 1652 amigos en FB:
*
- Si cada uno da al Seminario 20 euros (27 dólares = 400 pesos) ¡Ya la hice!
- Si 800 amigos responden dando 40 euros (54 dólares = 800 pesos) ¡ya está!
- Si 400 amigos responden dando 80 euros (100 dólares = 1600 pesos) ¡YA!
*
Para efectuar su ayuda tenemos la siguiente posibilidad con el sistema de “Pay Pal” (con tarjeta de crédito).
*
1. Ingresar a la página: <a href="http://www.darvalemas.com">http://www.darvalemas.com</a>
2. Seleccionar “dona ahora…”
3. Y en las opciones que se piden:
*
Quiero que mi donativo sea para: “vocaciones”
Marcando el recuadro “Beca para sacerdotes diocesanos”.
Y en la ventanilla seleccionar:
“Pontificio Colegio Internacional Maria Mater Ecclesiae”
*
A nombre de los formadores y seminaristas de este Pontificio Colegio Internacional “Maria Mater Ecclesiae”, deseo agradecer su respuesta generosa ante la difícil situación económica que atravesamos.
*
A cada uno les tendré muy presentes en mis oraciones. Un abrazo en el Señor,
*
P. Carlos

Perhaps the money is not as straight-forward as it would seem, because why would the Legion fly dozens of members across the globe for a conference -- in the days of video conferencing and virtual meetings? And surely a congregation that takes such care to invest with integrity would not be led by a man who breaks promises and offers false hopes. [Aaron: if you provide links, I'll embed them forthwith.]

Speaking of the Regina Apostolorum

A kind Brother wishes to explain what the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum is all about:

Let me give you a quick explanation and then explain our athenaeum.

“Athenaeum” comes from a school in ancient Rome for the study of the arts but the Church adapted this name for an institute of a certain level. The Vatican grants the title “Pontifical” to four levels of institutions: institutes, faculties, athenaeums, and universities.

• A faculty is just what you and I would think of at any university.
• An institute
• A pontifical university has to have 3 ecclesial faculties, a certain number of students, longevity, and an intellectual reputation based on published articles and having eminent professors.
• · From the time a second faculty is opened until it is a full university, it is an athenaeum.

Now for a little history: we started back in 1993 and got definitive canonical status back in 2004. We started with Philosophy and Theology but then added the world’s first – and still only – faculty of bioethics to confront the problems of today. We have the main requirements for becoming a Pontifical University but we have to work on some of minor things and an official decree.

These things take time, for instance the Salesians got their decree from the Vatican in 1940 but were not a University until 1973; we got the equivalent decree in 2004. Hopefully, in a few years we will be able to say Pontifical University Regina Apostolorum.

What does he mean that they have the only bioethics faculty in the world? And if the Salesians took 33 years to become a University, why would the Legion have one in a "few years?" Furthermore, "eminent professors," "longevity," and "reputation" don't sound like minor details, but perhaps I'm a "glass half-empty" sort of girl.

Hugh Hefner 2.0

Christopher West got into a lot of trouble when he compared the way that John Paul II and Hugh Hefner dealt with repression. This was part of the ABC News coverage:

The seeming paradox of West's position is captured in the unlikely pairing of his two big heroes -- his muses, you might say. They are Pope John Paul II, and Hugh Hefner. A saint and a sinner.

"I actually see very profound historical connections between Hugh Hefner and John Paul II," said West.

And it's not just the red slippers?

"No, it's not just the red slippers." Each man in his own way, West insisted, rescued sex from prudish Victorian morality.

There was a firestorm from Catholics and CW withdrew from public for several months to reflect on his message. He's been back for a while (I saw him when he came to RI last year) and this weekend he was in Rome to headline a major event at Regina Apostolorum. It sounds like his presentation was the same as what I saw here, but there was a new twist:

Legionaries of Christ Brother Daniel Turski drew a striking contrast between Blessed John Paul II and Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, the disgraced Legionaries founder, while asking a question after a talk by chastity author and speaker Christopher West.

At a conference on the “Theology of the Body” today at the Legionary-run Regina Apostolorum University, in an auditorium full of Legionary brothers and priests, Turski held up the late Pope John Paul as a model of chastity in contrast to his order’s founder, Father Maciel, who who was discovered to have sexually abused seminarians and fathered children.

In responding to Turski, West encouraged the Legion to be honest about its weaknesses and not try to hide the wound of Father Maciel’s transgressions. “There is a new humility in you,” West said of the Legion, adding that he saw great hope for the Legion as “the army that will bring Theology of the Body to the world.”

I think that the Legion has positioned itself for this for years, supporting and promoting the CW brand of TOB (which has been seriously questioned by a well-placed bishop). While we've been frustrated with the inability of many members of this Movement to grasp the toxicity of their founder (and his enduring grasp on their foundation) this bizarre effort to explain away MM as repressed is startling. Perhaps "wounded" will enter the vocabulary and fortify the perduring notion that the NP was well-intended but flawed.

Note that all the 3gf's were flown to Rome for this presentation (more evidence of the Legion finding money when they want it) and perhaps others were brought in from other houses of formation as well. Beyond that, the idea of a "flawed" congregation (still looking for a charism and a mission) being tapped to promote a "flawed" theology is deplorable, but it makes perfect sense given the present state of affairs.

Does the new "illustration" help?

I moved this up because of another relevant quote that I found. Posted below.

No one can overestimate the stature of the Nittany Lions, nor the reputation of the coaching staff there. But here we have another sordid expose of "good men" doing bad things -- bad things to children. On cue, thousands of students expressed their outrage at Coach Paterno's firing, indicating that his achievements in the world of college football far outweighed his neglect of duty in the case of this abuse.

Perhaps those who are too close to the Maciel saga can sit back and watch this tragedy unfold with less personal investment:

In April, Pittsburgh radio host Mark Madden wrote a story revealing Penn State for much of the cover-up of Jerry Sandusky's alleged child rape that has been exposed in the past week. While it didn't raise many eyebrows back then, six months later it looks to be incredibly accurate.

On Thursday morning, just hours after legendary head coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier were fired by the school's board of trustees, Madden was asked on The Dennis and Callahan Show what he believes the next piece of news will be.

What he said was twice as shocking as anything that's been released thus far.

"I can give you a rumor and I can give you something I think might happen," Madden told John Dennis and Gerry Callahan. "I hear there's a rumor that there will be a more shocking development from the Second Mile Foundation -- and hold on to your stomachs, boys, this is gross, I will use the only language I can -- that Jerry Sandusky and Second Mile were pimping out young boys to rich donors. That was being investigated by two prominent columnists even as I speak."

Yes, just like the Legion story, the rumours were there, the facts were available to those who wanted to know the truth, and the protagonists were "too big to fail." Can you imagine the frustration of an abused inner city boy trying to take on the mammoth Penn State? All the football titles in the world, all the careers launched from their field cannot compare with the corruption of "these little ones." We, as Catholics, should know that.

While realising that football and Catholicism are in entirely different categories (and yes, all analogies limp) let this illustration help to add critical perspective. Notice that those in charge when the abuse happened had to go -- immediately. Their moral duty was clear and for the school to clear its reputation, they need to jettison those who were in any way complicit. God will not be mocked, the truth will make itself known eventually, and even this secular institution can see what it takes to restore confidence.

ADDENDUM: Fr James Martin, SJ compares the Penn State case to the overall abuse crisis in the Church, and points out two characteristics of abusers: narcissism and grandiosity. And then this chillingly familiar point:

But there is a further problem, one that is not often spoken about.

In my experience, after the conviction or removal from office or ministry, those two qualities merge in the person with the terrible consequences. And these consequences make it far more difficult for the institution to address such cases. The grandiose narcissist now focuses almost exclusively on his own suffering. His removal from office, or from ministry, he believes, is the worst thing that has happened to anyone, and he (or she) laments this fate loudly and frequently. Because of his narcissism he focuses almost entirely on his own troubles; because of his grandiosity he inflates them to ridiculous proportions. He suffers the most.

Even more dangerous: he draws others into his net, and the suffering of the real victims, those whose lives have been shattered, is overlooked-even by otherwise intelligent and well-meaning people. The focus of those within the institution is shifted onto the person they know, rather than the victims that they may not know. “Poor Father,” some parishioners may say, “how he suffers.” It is difficult for a diocese, a religious order, a school, or indeed members of any institution to resist the powerful pull of the grandiose narcissist. Indeed, people often seem unaware that they are being deluded into an overblown sympathy for the wrong “victim.”

I think we've noticed as much here when discussing the Legion, and it's been all too true: the Legion has responded from the outset with, "Poor us," and "We're suffering so intensely now." Always followed with, "Please pray for us." And we do, but what is sad is that the Legionary-Victim echo chamber reverberates so loudly with the sound of their pleas that it's nearly impossible for members of the Movement to pay attention to the primary victims -- the boys caught in MM's web. They are still out there. They will always be the primary victims. And they have yet to  be properly addressed. And all the "good fruit" in the world cannot justify any of this.

SECOND ADDENDUM: This is a brief comment by David French, who responds with disbelief to reactions to his first column on Sandusky. He explains the moment when one has to process an unbelievable event, and then react. How one reacts determines his courage and character:

It is a sad irony that a graduate student who was part of the fake military culture that pervades football could not summon even a fraction of the warrior ethos when confronted not with mortal danger but danger to his career and reputation. If you read the grand jury report and honestly take from it that you would have responded the same way when confronted with the reality of child rape, you shouldn’t question the moral imperative of intervention. Instead, question yourself.

This applies in a particular way to the Legion, which prides itself on a militaristic view to the faith and embracing one's vocation. Furthermore, their sleight of hand has misplaced the courage, so that the brave remain in a flawed institution while painting those who leave as cowards. And finally, Mr French makes clear that there is no justification for going soft on child rape:

I was surprised at the number of individuals — both in the comments and via e-mail — who admonished me for my rush to judgment of the young graduate assistant who failed to stop Sandusky and failed even to call the police. “His career was at risk” some said. Others noted that Sandusky was likely a “father figure” to the young coach. Still others said that telling Joe Paterno many hours later was “enough.” But what does all that say about the inherent selfishness of the rationalizer? How important is your career? How much will you allow perceived authority to intimidate you? Do you respond to a crisis by asking what is “enough,” or what is right?

Yes, all the pieces are there: weighing priorities, dealing with a "father figure," rationalising "good fruit" despite the child abuse, and saying that as long as MM was caught "later" was good enough. Justice delayed is justice denied, and we cannot tolerate current members insistence that "they got a lot of good from the group." 

Last line of defense

Just in case you were wondering, there are still those few dear souls who are not yet convinced that this "late, great unpleasantness" has anything but a misunderstanding. When asked if she could now retract her support of the NP, Lucretia demurred:

No, Brother Nelson, there has been no retraction on my part, because the "evidence" has not shown proof of any guilt. Photographs in which he appears, already an old man, accompanied by some Legionaries and a woman (40 years younger than him) and a girl on a boat. Does this picture mean something embarrassing? Nothing.

There has been no evidence of his guilt and instead there are hundreds of examples of his innocence: His letters, every word embodied in them (which could only spring from a pure heart and full of God), his works, which have been the conversion of thousands of people and especially the Legionaries, who testified the same Bishop Watty, along with the other Visitators, who are extraordinary people, full of zeal and great spirituality.

Here the quote from the statement: "We found a number of exemplary Religious: honest, full of talent, many of them young, who seek Christ with genuine zeal and offer all their lives to spreading the Kingdom of God."

So, no, Brother Nelson, I do not retract anything I have said so far about this topic:

1. Speaks another daughter of P. Maciel
http://www.es.catholic.net/escritoresactuales/825/2862/articulo.php?id=40553

2. Talk about loyalty
http://www.es.catholic.net/escritoresactuales/825/2862/articulo.php?id=43233

3. Interview about the apostolic visitation
http://lacomunidad.elpais.com/lplanas/2009/7/20/radio-amanecer-entrevista-lucrecia-rego-planas-la-otra

4. Marcial Maciel, "an enigmatic figure" for Benedict XVI.
http://lacomunidad.elpais.com/lplanas/2011/1/31/marcial-maciel-una-figura-enigmatica-benedicto-xvi

I totally agree with the Pope and again I say, this 'enigmatic figure' as did the man born blind: "If you are a sinner, I do not know. Just know that I was blind, now I see."

I send greetings and the assurance of my prayers for you and your beautiful book "Food of Faith."

I think that Benedict, Lucretia and I are all in agreement about abundance of good will, zeal and talent that was drawn into Maciel's web, but beyond that we part company. She attributes it to MM's own pure heart, while most others realise that it was the cleverest part of his scheme. I do wish her peace.

Why LARC?

Contrary to the thinking in many circles, LARC was created to be a forum where the people who once got caught in the Legion net (by contributing in some way to its enterprise) can assess how and why it happened. In particular, they want to understand how our Church (headed by a man invested with the authority of Saint Peter and guided by the Holy Spirit) could fall for such a scam. Does this undermine her claims to infallibility? Does this make the faith less true? Could this justify putting a distance between ourselves and Holy Mother Church?

My sense has always been that this didn't touch on faith and morals, that the faith is still true and that we need the Eucharist, which is only available to those who embrace the authority of the teaching Church. So here we are, after many years (this site was set up in May, 2005) older, wiser, and perhaps more at ease with some things, while still exasperated about others.

Having assessed many facets of the Legion during that time, and witnessed its enduring obstinacy -- through a refusal to show remorse or a sincere desire to change -- "Little Light" reminds us of the heart of the matter. (This is in response to whether it is to the Legion's credit that they fire poor teachers):

"Solid Catholic education" (schools) = "solid Catholic formation" (seminaries). LC/RC is basically about presenting an image, recruiting & fundraising. If someone becomes a shark in the fishtank and the fish are scared, they will not be easily recruited or be big $$ supporters. This auto-defense mechanism is not about "Catholic education" but about results which are the results the LC/RC camp wants to achieve. So running off a "bad teacher" can be proof of protecting Catholic teaching but also can be a useful tactic within the LC/RC methodology to circle the wagons and keep their prey closer as these families are building trust in LC/RC.

When LC/RC burns too many bridges & there ain't no more to get, they blow out of town faster than a devil from holy water. As their fanatical base builds they invest more. Just look at St Louis vs Atlanta.

My recommendation for all LC/RC people is take a step back, take a deep breath and look at things from an objective viewpoint free of knee-jerk reactions. The simple point is that maciel created the legion to have access to boys. lots of boys, who he could manipulate as he wanted. He build around the legion an aura of holiness & Catholic tradition. Over time he refined his abilities & eventually it looks & smells Catholic but in the end it was all about money, manipulation, abuse & protection from the "church's enemies".

I personally know that LC leaders lie to achieve their goals. They abused the vows by recommending people to profess whether temporal or perpetual to continue as LCs only to harvest their dreams, manual labor & skills. They lied to benefactors about projects to get large donations based on falsehood. They lied to parents to get their children to an apostolic school. So, so many lies. & who is the father of lies?

At one time we believed the lies & now we are here to tell others the truth... as we saw it & experienced it. So it is not hard to believe that the LC/RC people have a hard time believing us but you will be thankful to us when you do.

So yes, subpar teachers are let go, but so are any who will not submit to the methodology, not necessarily for the sake of education, but for growing the Movement. Likewise, there is a shunning process for all who populate the apostolates, which are more about growing the parallel structure than actually benefiting Holy Mother Church. To the degree that there is an overlap, the real Church does benefit, but that is not the primary motive, only part of the window dressing.

[Btw, here are the second and third posts. One can see that nothing has changed, given recent pep talks within concerning fidelity and discernment.]

Whisper campaigns

Highlighting a recent comment:

There's a legion run school in the US which continues to manipulate, lie to and slander families, priests and RC members who choose to leave the school. If people keep quiet about what they see wrong, they're said to have left on "good terms" to everyone in the community. If they speak out or make a complaint about any injustice whatsoever, they are branded and slandered.
Thank you Giselle. No one can ever call you a wimp.
Pray for those who leave so that they find the strength to endure the betrayal of their Christian brothers and sisters who remain in the cult.

The good news is that the landscape has changed significantly over the last decade. If one leaves now on good terms with the Legion, it may not be a good thing; and if one has a squabble with the Legion, that can actually be a badge of honour in many circles.

The problem is that the disagreement in question (which may have simmered over months or years) often translates into a whisper campaign that cannot be traced directly to the source, so the rumours circulating about the problematic member (drinking problem, lack of professionalism, marital discord, wayward children, etc.) come from "the rafters" and just seep into the minds of friends, coworkers and collaborators.

Alert to Christians:

• please be aware that this tactic has long been associated with this Movement (like most cults) and is done with practiced finesse by many, many members;
• let's stop these rumours when we hear them and call out those who spread them. I've heard my share of them (about myself and others) and can attest to the truth of the comment above;
• let's remember to pray for those who are leaving this Movement, understanding that when one's livelihood has been tied to such a group, future options can be severely impacted.

Marriage question

From a concerned reader:

I've been thinking the last few days about the high incidence of marital infidelity in our small section. Off the top of my head I can think of seven 2nd-degree members who have either separated from or divorced their spouses in the last five or six years. While I know that a number of RC members were unhappy in their marriages when they joined, it seems that the methodology has a way of increasing the rupture by inserting itself between the member and his/her spouse. It would be totally understandable if only one spouse was in RC, but three of these ruptures involved couples who were BOTH in RC. Curious. Have you noticed similar trends with the marriages your sections? What are your thoughts about the RC-and-infidelity link, dear readers?