One Vow to Rule Them – How the Legion Lives Gospel Charity

Having been a member of the Regnum Christi Movement associated with the Legionaries of Christ, I can attest to the emphasis that the group put on “Gospel charity.” It was presented as the paramount virtue, essential to the smooth operation of the mission of the Legion, and deeply imbedded in our way of life through spiritual direction, confession, and apostolic dialogue. Gospel charity was so important that the priests took a private vow (and consecrated members made a “promise” before God) in addition to the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. Thus were they bound to its practice in a two-fold way: they promised never to criticize the Legion, and to report to their superiors anyone who did.

Even the rank-and-file members enthusiastically embraced this aspect of the “charism,” making sure not only that fellow RC members were entirely positive in their relationship to the Legion, but also pointing out to their directors Catholics friends outside the group who may not have “appreciated” the gift that the Movement offered the Church. Knowing how back-biting and idle gossip wounded Our Lord, we complied readily – for any criticism of a work of God (approved by the Church, we were always reminded) bordered on blasphemy. “Building the Kingdom” meant flushing out its enemies, who could be recognized by their words and attitudes.

Bullying Critics in Order Safeguard Love

Having explained Gospel charity as interpreted by this group, we come to an extraordinary application of it, in that the Legionaries of Christ have just sued a group called ReGAIN, offering a $1.5million bond for access to its data. ReGAIN – a loose association composed of former Legionaries and RC members as well as concerned family members and friends – offers assistance to anyone negatively impacted by this Movement, is being accused of undermining the Legion’s mission by means of discussing the rules and methodology of the group.

The action doesn’t come in a vacuum, of course, since the Vatican has in recent years taken much time to deliberate over the accusations against the Founder of the Legion of Christ, Marcial Maciel. After taking scores of depositions concerning his alleged sexual abuse of minors, his manipulative way of guiding souls, and his duplicitous way of “building the Kingdom,” the Church acted in May of 2006, issuing from the Holy See Press Office a Communiqué that eschewed a trial of Maciel, because of his advanced age, but retired him to a life of prayer and penance.

A key phrase in that Communiqué which both sides seized upon was the following: "Independently of the person of the Founder, the worthy apostolate of the Legionaries of Christ and of the Association 'Regnum Christi' is gratefully recognized." Legion supporters insisted it was a blanket endorsement of the Movement consistent with the support it had always enjoyed in the past. Others put more emphasis on the word “independent,” surmising that the support would now be contingent on the Legion’s effort to separate its mission from the personality of the Founder.

The Legion very quickly indicated what “independent of the person of the Founder” entailed. The response of members world-wide ran in sadly predictable streams. His devotees gathered about him in solidarity, comparing him to any number of saints and even Jesus Christ Himself, subject to another Passion – this time at the hands of Benedict XVI. The Register added to Maciel’s hagiography, noting, “He has always reacted the same way: seeing the cross as coming from God, refusing to defend himself, bearing malice toward none.”

Another stream of support launched a strong offense on his behalf, decrying any who could possibly think that the Legion’s methods were troublesome or that the Founder was capable of pederasty. Having been coached in Gospel charity for years, members of the Movement knew that defense of the Church often required a convoluted attack to undermine critics of its most esteemed congregation.

What Does the Legion Want from ReGAIN?

The Legion accuses ReGAIN members of “stealing’ various documents, such as letters from Maciel to his followers (many of which outline his intentions to prioritize recruiting and fundraising through established schools and apostolates), the Legion’s constitutions, and documents listing their “norms” of behavior (such as etiquette, mandates and prohibitions) – which the Legion of Christ insists must remain private. The complaint filed in an Alexandria, VA court states:
To carry out this mission, like any organization, the Legion creates and relies on proprietary materials, including letters and other documents compiled by Legion members intended only for internal dissemination and discussion. Certain of those private and proprietary materials have been stolen from the Legion, and portions of those stolen materials, including internal principles, norms, and private letters of the Legion’s founder are known to be in the defendant’s possession. In fact defendants, along with other co-conspirators, have intentionally taken out of context excerpts from many of the stolen materials and posted them on the internet as part of a concerted effort to wage a malicious disinformation campaign against the Legion.

The Legion lawyers seem to have sidestepped arguing a copyright violation for two reasons: because there is no doubt that the use of the material for discussion entails a fair use of the documents, and because they would not want to be grilled on who actually wrote the material, which is highly debatable. To keep the case in state court, the Legion must prove that the letters were stolen, which is highly problematic, given that they were written at the time for the very members who now comprise ReGAIN’s board, that they’ve been widely circulated for years as a part of the “patrimony” of the Church, and that they’ve often been packaged and sold or given freely as gifts to certain members of the Church in past decades.

The constitutions pose a unique problem, in that the Legion hides them even from its own members as much as possible. While countless other congregations make their constitutions available to the public (even posting them online), men who join the Legion are not given access for years into their formation, although they are specifically charged with sharing the “spirituality” of the group. Later they are allowed to see portions of them – after already taking vows in the group (or making promises, in the case of the Consecrated).

Bishops in the dioceses where the Movement exercises ministries have a right to see the constitution, and withholding them from the local bishop is legitimate grounds for expelling the Legion from a diocese (an option that various bishops have had to exercise in the past). Personal anecdotes of Legionaries have confirmed that doctored versions have been supplied to bishops and cardinals in individual cases, which points to the fact that revealing the actual contents could pose serious credibility problems for the Legion. It has been ReGAIN’s contention that the constitutions are arbitrarily applied within the group, that they were changed several times over the years without following proper canonical procedures, and may not be in fact the document that the Vatican actually approved initially.

“Whistle-blowers” Must be Revealed

But the Legion wants more. It demands that the court seize computers belonging to ReGAIN members and that the leadership reveal the names and addresses of all who have corresponded with Legionaries over the years. What this underscores is that the Fourth Vow described above is still in effect – despite its dubious canonical status and rumors that the Vatican has recently released all members of the Movement from its constraints.

This reveals that the true motive of the lawsuit is to find detractors. It has been made clear that there is no official tie between ReGAIN and the Ex-Legionary discussion board, only a link from one page to the other because of the obvious shared interest. Moreover, the anonymity of the contributors to the discussion board is an essential element so that they feel safe enough to speak freely and work through their experiences with the group, which many found traumatic. The lawsuit mandates that these anonymous contributors be exposed because their criticism runs contrary to Legionary norms. The Movement insists that such discussions be banned because of the deleterious effect on its recruitment and fundraising. To that end, the Legion says to the head of ReGAIN: “Please produce all correspondence between you and the Legion.” In that way, the Legion will know who in its ranks have broken the Fourth Vow and collaborated with “enemies of the Church.”

ReGAIN has addressed the troublesome nature of such a methodology in a previous press release:
After research and several consultations on the matter, we have found that no other religious group has ever threatened suit in this way against anyone who has published their “spiritual writings,” with the sole exception of Scientology, which is considered by many to be a cult. Indeed, no other Catholic institution has ever done so.

However, if the writings of the Legion of Christ and its Founder are reserved for a “members only club” or for those few who are sufficiently enlightened to truly understand them as they climb the ladder of membership (degrees of Regnum Christi, stages of formation in the Legion), the Legion of Christ is creating a Gnostic Cult within the Church.

Most importantly, the “Cease & Desist Letter” [and now the ensuing lawsuit] only proves the point that ReGAIN has been making for years now: The Legion of Christ has cult-like qualities and is obsessed with secrecy, not with the saving of souls in communion with the Catholic Church.

“Independent from the Person of the Founder” is Impossible

The year that has passed since the Communiqué was issued has shown that the Legion will not let go of Maciel. LegionaryFacts.com defends itself and the Founder through extended excerpts his writing to explain the mission of the Legion. The recent conferences and retreats offered by the Movement have all had his quotes in the margins of their invitations, his directives at their heart, and his person praised as their driving force. Even at the largest yearly event, the Youth and Family Encounter, which was held in Atlanta, GA this summer, witnessed a key reference to the directive of the Founder:
This prayer of Christ could yield long and rich reflections, but I will limit myself to stopping briefly on the petition that is your motto: “Thy Kingdom Come.” Fr Marcial Maciel always taught you that this had to be the strongest desire and purpose in your lives and apostolates as Regnum Christi members: Thy Kingdom come! (Cardinal Rode).

This lawsuit indicates as strongly as any other action that the Legion insists that to carry out their mission effectively, the Legion relies on keeping certain letters of Maciel out of the hands of outsiders, guarding the Constitution that contains within it a mechanism to protect him from “calumny,” and intimidating by means of cult-like tactics any who dare criticize the methodology.

The Legion of Christ, rather than detaching from their indicted Founder, reveals that its mission is unalterably tied to his corrupt and corrosive personality, which has caused psychological damage to so many. Stating their love of Christ, their Founders intention not to defend himself, and the importance of secrecy, the Legion of Christ offers a dubious methodology by which to build a curious Kingdom.

In conclusion, let’s review the salient points:

· The Legion states: “The Legion property is invaluable to its continued mission of service and ministry throughout the world. However for the purposes of this action, the Legion pleads that the property is worth at least $750,000;”
· The property in question has been in circulation in a variety of venues for decades, since the Letters have been published, the Constitutions have been shared and purportedly approved in one version or another;
· A federal lawsuit is deliberately avoided because “fair use of copyrighted material” has clearly not been breached; rather the members of ReGAIN are accused of theft and undermining the Legion mission;
· The inclusion of a demand for all emails and names of anonymous posters on a discussion board reveals that the Fourth Vow is still in operation and detractors from the Legion’s mission will be flushed out;
· The timing and nature of this lawsuit – in late August with a hurried demand to seize property of members of ReGAIN – reveals the Legion’s effort to harass ex-members with intimidating legal complaints;
· The success of the Legion’s mission by their own admission is contingent on secret communications, in-house policing of criticism and a recruiting plan that cannot be exposed without damage to the cause;
· The Founder’s personality permeates a methodology months after the Vatican directed the group to carry on its worthy apostolates without him.

The case calls to mind the disturbing story that Christ related about a wicked steward. He owed his master an exorbitant amount of money, which he could not pay. Pleading for mercy, he was relieved when the master graciously wiped away his debt; and yet he turned around and abused a fellow servant who owed him a mere fraction of that amount. One could imagine an application to the Legion, whose Founder was found to be credibly accused of grievous sins. Rather than suppressing the group or ending its work in toto, Benedict graciously allowed them to continue with the Church’s blessing – if they will simply separate themselves from their troubling Founder. Instead, the Legion touts the blessing, while continuing to use the Founders’ strongest weapon against his victims: the Fourth Vow.

No one may criticize the Legion, and those who do will be found out and punished. Poverty, chastity, and obedience are important – each in their own way, but one vow shall rule them, and it will not end as long as there is a Legion.

Comments

[Glenn]

WOW. The Legion never ceases to freak me out.

[Don Wright]

by all means I want my name published,, I have no fear whatsoever concerning the LC's.. my own son was an Apostolic in New Hamphire, and was unceremoneously dumped by them with no explanation by a Father Patrick, .. after I asked him ( by phone- I was paying ,, I was given a message to call him about an urgent message,, thinking that my son was hurt,,).. I asked him every question imaginable, why he was being sent home.. and they could not tell me,, ...finally ..I asked was it because we were poor and he denied it but I knew that being poor was really the reason why he was sent home ,.. that and the fact that I wouldn't and couldnt' join REGNUM CHRISTI, for the simple reason that I was already a tertiary of the THIRD ORDER OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL ,, ...they said " I could also be a tertiary of the Legion" and I told them that "according to the rules of CARMEL ,..which are a lot older than the Legion,.. ( in ROME ,.. the founder of every order is surrounding the main plaza of the Vatican .with sculptures by Bernini,if I am not mistaken ..and the statue designating the founder of the Carmelites is the PROPHET ELIJAH ..... anyway my son is now a full LT. in the ARMY ..but he doesn't go to CHURCH ..and my wife who was a convert.. stopped going that very day and divorced me 2 years later.. and has lost her faith,, and I have 7 other children most of who don't attend CHURCH anymore , all because of the shock and disappointment concerning how the LEGOION treated their beloved brother,. I honestly state that while he was going to the APOSTOLIC School that I never criticized the LEGION although they never once impressed me in the way they treated families who visited on FAMILY WEEKENDS , the word shabby and indiffernt would be too lenient,, there were many alarms and flags that went off in my mind and heart and soul... ,the minute I first encountered the LEGION .. more later,, DON WRIGHT

[Don Wright]

I further think MARCIAL is a MASON , I was suspicious when I saw a statue of WILLIAM CASEY former director of the CIA , on their new wing at their seminary .. I asked the LC priests at the time .. WHATS WITH CASEY.?? ...they told me he donated millions to them.. and they erected a wall statue to him,,.... I questioned his troubling legacy , mentioning that.. one cannot commit an evil to thwart a greater evil.. , like assasination etc,... and was told by a Father Slatery,, " WILLIAM CASEY DID WHAT HE DID BECAUSE OF HIS CATHOLIC FAITH" ,,.. I then told them I was not impressed by CONSERVATIVES having twice worked for NATIONAL REVIEW magazine and being fired from the mag by the publisher..the late JIM McFadden. who was also editor of HUMAN LIFE REVIEW,, they told me that Jim and Bill Buckley were very close to them ..and I told them then that they hated me , having accused me of being a COMMUNIST, because I was living in the poor part of HARLEM and had always lived there,, ..they just couldn't believe that anyone could be a faithful CATHOLIC and a Republican ...who lived there,..also.. that I was friends with a lot of priests who they found too liberal,,... ( so did I, but that didn't stop me from being close friends with them and still doesn't ,.. we can agree to disagree ,) not so with McFadden,,.. anyway the first thing they ( FATHER SLATERY) wanted to know from me was .."did I know any MILLIONAIRES".??..when I produced thousands of references of men with money along with at least a couple of hundred millionaries,,.. he stated he "just wanted the top 4 or 5,,..".. after he contacted them , he called me.. upset that they didn't give him any dough,,.. I told him to go down the list ,, ( there were at least 25,000 names of good CATHOLIC men who were among the most successful men in the US and abroad,, ,,I think now that CASEY AND WM BUCKLEY AND THE REST OF THAT CREW ARE ALL MASONS, and frankly so is MARCIAL, look at BUCKLEYS FAMILY AND WEALTH from MEXICO ,,very shady,, read BLOOD DRENCHED ALTARS by BISHOP KELLEY,, about the MASON IN MEXICO)... BUCKLEY was a member of SKULL AND BONES ( the most secretive and so far still super secret MASONIC org,,in the US.. and... no CATHOLIC is allowed to be a MASON , an organization out to destroy the CHURCH OF ROME) and no matter that he claims ORTHODOXY ,.. over the years he attacted the POPE many times,, in his columm and his magazine,, THEY ARE ALL JUST RICH MEN,... McFADDEN lived on PARK AVE,.. CASEY was a MILLIONAIRE and so is BUCKLEY and the only thing that the LEGION was always bothering me about was money and lots of it,,and I didnt' have any,,,since when do you get judged as being a good CATHOLIC by the size of your bank account..???... I am a poor man,, ...very very poor and they didn't want my son because they didn't think I could get them any money DON WRIGHT

EVERY THING I HAVE WRITTEN ABOVE IS THE THE TRUTH SO HELP ME GOD.

[Glenn]

You may be interested to know that Fr. William Slattery left the Legion and is a priest in a diocese in Canada right now.

[Don Wright]

Good to know about Fr Bill, now , all the rest of them should jump the junk ship and board the ARK OF PETER DW

[Jack Ryan]

I have been in every one of the Legion's seminaries in the USA, Canada, and Italy, which one has this Bill Casey statue? I think Fr William was joking with you, bud. Maybe it's that horrendously large Mary statue, in Thornwood, lol.

[Gabon]

was a Legionary for 20 years. Not everything was good, not everything bad. That is the way it goes in all organized endeavors. However the results achieved by the Legion in today's Church are, for the most part, truly magnificent. I for one am very proud of my contribution. No major regrets! Regain's version of the "facts" is only one piece of a very complex puzzle. Regain is not lily-white pure - for instance, they (Glen F., Paul Lennon) have refused to take down an article written by me, from their website. It is conspicuously displayed, posted without my consent, against my wishes and my written requests to have it removed. This suggests to me that more of their their stories and allegations may be tainted. Regain seems to focus exclusively on the negative and to manipulate the context. The Legion was quite typical of traditional religious congregations of the 1940, 50s and 60s. I am willing to believe that Regain's motives are well-meaning. However, in my view, so much anger and bitterness, expressed consistently and so publicly by a small group, are now doing more harm than good. Kudos to the Legion for taking this modest action. I truly hope my former confrères, affiliated with Regain, find peace and a constructive way forward. The rest of us former Legionaries are busy getting on with our lives and keeping a sense of perspective. Many of us wondered why it took the Legion so long to react.

[giselle]

Gabon said "Many of us wondered why it took the Legion so long to react."

I would imagine with 20 years experience of how the Legion treats critics, it would have been a question uppermost in your mind.

[irishmexican43]

Gabon,
Dear Jack,
you name me, i name you.
We have been back and forth with the Gabon article. I already gave you the reasons on the abcnews.com Blotter. Once you send a letter or document to anyone, it becomes that person's property, and you cannot control what they are going to do with it.
You did send that letter to Fr. Peter Cronin, to be published in Network. That letter already went out to about 20 people. Now you want REGAIN to take it down, and put the Genie back in the bottle.
Your complaint, strangely enough, is similar to the complaint being brought by the Legion VS ReGAIN & John Paul Lennon. They were willing to post a bond of One and a Half Million dollars to get a pre-trial injunction against REGAIN and me and seize our property...
Even if the Legion's money wins the case, it will not be just.
You, my good friend, may have some created interests in wanting your words back and re-writing your own history with the Legion. Not truthful. Not fair. Others in your position just keep quiet. Their nobility and sense of honesty prevents them from telling me or REGAIN what to do.
The Legion sows winds and harvests storms. Not everyone can be bought over or role over. Some of us have little to lose and are therefore more difficult to control by la Cosa Nuesto Padre

[irishmexican43]

And please, do not lecture me.

[eugenia]

I think people who invest time and other resources to share their experiences, to tell the truth of what they lived, with the intention of informing others so that maybe they can avoid suffering, deserve our admiration. We should never be afraid of telling and knowing the truth. We should be afraid of lies and secrecy, since Satan is the father of the lie, while Jesus is the Truth. Gabon, if you once felt that sharing your experience might help others, why don´t you want to share it now? It´s the truth of what you lived. You say that in the Legion "not everything was good, not everything was bad". Of course not everything could be bad! Of course the Legion has done good things for the Church! But I am deeply grateful to the people that have shared their experiences and tried the LC constitutions to be known; I have children, if one has a vocation to the priesthood, and I will encourage him to follow it, I would not like him to enter a congregation that hides its constitutions from everyone, and I would like to know the good and bad experiences of the ones that are and have been there.

[Gabon]

Paul: the Gabon article, at this stage, is water under the bridge. I respectfully asked that it be taken down very shortly after Regain first published the 1st installment. The legality of what you did is irrelevant; I've not debated that. By refusing to respect my request you show little regard for the privacy of former Legionaries. What I wrote then was written in the aftermath of leaving - a time when emotions run high and perspective is blurred. We both know that "breaking up is hard to do" and inner peace only comes with time. Facts are facts but I believe that it is most unfair that you co-opt my story, against my will, to further the aims of your organization. I have NEVER told you what to do (I know you too well for that!). However, Regain, does not reflect my views. That is an opinion that I am entitled to. For my part I have no interest whatsoever in re-writing my history with the Legion; I am proud of, and quite reconciled with my experience. I was hurt too and there is much that I disagree with; but I believe that the Legion does great work for the Church. There are two sides to the Legion story; Regain only focuses on the negative; that is entirely your prerogative. Using my article, many years after it was written, and against my wishes is unfair and misleading. I have no doubt at all that Fr. Peter - our mutual friend - who spent a weekend at my home, just two weeks before his untimely death, would have respected my wishes. That is the only reason why I have posted to this and the ABC forum. If you consider this "telling you what to do", you sadly mis-interpret. I expect more after 20 years of friendship in the Legion and some pleasant times following our mutual exodus. I bid you peace.

[Don Wright]

In reply to Jack Ryan, whose flippant dismisal of my comments was contemptuos at best, and trivial at least,;; I do apologize for mistaking the Bill Casey Wing with statue at the Seminary at Chesire,, for indeed its not there but it is at the Legionary Apostolic School in Centre Harbor New Hampshire, Yes the Casey wing of the school is huge and is at least a 6 million dollar structure with a dedication to William Casey at the entrance. Ryan, you should answer my comments abouut the issues I raised and not cavalierley dismiss the whole story of what happened to my famiy and my son at the hands of the good Fathers of the Legion.