Read it and weep

We weep for the lost years, the lost vocations to truly serve the faithful and for the scandal to Holy Mother Church, but we cannot let this slip down the memory hole:

Rome/February 28, 1997

Mr. Clifford L. Teutsch
Managing Editor
The Hartford Courant
285 Broad Street
Hartford, CT 06115

Dear Mr. Teutsch,

Regarding the accusations made against me in the Hartford Courant of Sunday, February 23, I wish to state that in all cases they are defamations and falsities with no foundation whatsoever, since during the years these men were in the Legion never in any way did I commit those acts with them, nor did I make any such advances to them nor was the suggestion of such acts ever mentioned.

During the time that these men were in the Legion of Christ and even after they had left, I spared no sacrifice to help them as much as I could-as I have always done with every person the Lord has put under my care. I do not know what has led them to make these totally false accusations 20, 30 and 40 years after leaving the congregation. I am all the more surprised since I still have letters from some of them well into the 1970s in which they express their gratitude and our mutual friendship.

Despite the moral suffering that this has caused me I bear no ill will toward them. Rather I offer my pain and prayers for each one of them, in hope that they will recover their peace of soul and remove from their hearts whatever resentment has moved them to make these false accusations.

Yours respectfully in Christ,

Marcial Maciel, L.C.

Visual aid here with expanded lies. I know confrontations are unpleasant, but these are essential portions of the Legion's MO. They have to be held accountable.

Comments

[Anonymous]

Read it and puke. That's what I feel like doing when I read this garbage. Makes me absolutely ill to see this man further abusing his sexual molestation victims by writing this crap. And to think of all the great pillars of our church who jumped right on the bandwagon with Maciel, heaping verbal abuse on the victims.

Oh yes, it makes me absolutely nauseated. What is WRONG with our Church that nothing could be done to stop this evil man for 65 years? People KNEW. But nobody could do a damn thing about it. I'm outraged.

And if the Church doesn't learn something from this, it could very well happen again.

[unapologetic]

My breakfast just came up.

[HH]

I need a shower with lots and lots of soap

[Still RC - For Now, Anyway]

This was the letter that made me realize that MM was either the most holy of men or a complete diabolical monster. No in between it was going to be one or the other. At the time I was certain that it was the former. But I knew that it couldn't be anything other than one or the other.

Then in May 2006 I began to realize it was the other. The truth came home for me when I noticed the complete lack of any statement from the Holy See upon MM's death in early 2008. One of the other founders (I think the foundress of Focolare) had died shortly afterward and I noted (I think on ZENIT, of all places) that the Holy See had sent warm and respectful condolences as well as a representative to the funeral. Nothing from the Holy See on the death of MM. Nothing.

And so there it was. MM was a monster doing the devil's work right under the nose of the Vatican. Now it was time to pray for clarity and definitive news confirming this for the sake of all who were clinging to the belief that MM was wrongly accused.

God has been very good to allow the truth to come pouring out the way it has. I think it was Patrick Madrid who said "Bad news but not necessarily a bad thing" in the sense that now the truth is beginning to be known, even by the die-hard MM disciples. Or at least they now have the chance to accept the truth.

" . . . that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed" (Lk 2:35)

[anonymous]

Still RC - For Now, Anyway,

You're observation of the lack of note from the Vatican regarding MM's death also didn't sit well with me. I remember RC members waiting anxiously for what the Vatican would say, and nothing. It was a real blow.

[Anonymous]

We expected time off. LOTS of time off. I mean, honestly.......days off were given for his birthday, feast day, etc, etc. I figured his death would mean at least a week off.

When we found out not one single day off was to be had, I knew instantly the winds were changing. When his death wasn't noted with fanfare and much public rejoicing about NP having ascended to heaven to partake of his long-awaited heavenly reward (for all that persecution he suffered here on earth), I knew something was going down.

THAT's when I became utterly certain the Legion KNEW he was a scammer.

[gregorbo]

I would be very interested to hear what the "official line" was from LC leadership on the lack of any acknowledgement by the Holy Father at MM's passing.

Did they offer any explanation?

[bruce]

who is responsible for apologizing to the victims by name? if the legion ends up in recievership by the greater church, does then the church assume the role of making amends toward the victims? obviously, the legion has abdicated any desire to make those amends if only to use all their resources and cunning to survive. if this is all that they want, to be reassumed into the greater church, does than that moral responsibility to the victims fall back on the church? the parallel church would then be taken out of the equation and the legion survives. is the legion doing this deliberately? and if so will the church have enough backbone to say no and at least identify publicly the role other legion leaders played when hiding MM's sins? will the church have enough backbone to dissolve this thing like the cancer that it is and enough resources to properly and with care see to the reinstitution of many LC/RC who would be in every level of years of a formation now considered dangerously suspect and in a state of complete dependence?

[Anonymous]

I will have to ask my husband......I believe we were just told that the Legion was honoring the spirit of the 2006 Communique in keeping things low-key. I also think that we were told something about the funeral being the kind of humble celebration Maciel would have wanted. LMAO!

But like I said, I have a poor memory and can't be certain. I didn't pay much attention at the time;I was just so bummed there was no time off. I was 99.9% sure the guy was a total pervert by that point, so I was just relieved he was dead.

[anonymous]

Anonymous 1:53 has it about right. The Legion was "honoring the spirit" of the 2006 Vatican statement. And the Vatican didn't acknowledge MM's death for the same reason.

I remember being reassured his case for canonization was still being worked on and the accusations against him will sooner or later be cleared.

We were also told about other saints who died in ingnominy (one of the Legion's favorite words). They loved to bring up Padre Pio.

This is a test of our fidelity, the great test MM would always talk about -- which is true, I don't have the quotes, but I remember him talking about how we will have a greater cross to bear in the future that was greater than the great blessing.

[gregorbo]

Thanks, Anonymi!

Now, here's some positive news, I think. The Legionaries informed their members that they were "honoring the spirit" of the 2006 communique.

Hmm. How likely do we think that the Legionaries would have done that without any pressure from the Vatican?

Had the Vatican simply remained silent, and not instructed the LC's NOT to celebrate the passing of MM with great fan-fare, is it not likely that there would have been all kinds of events? A grand funeral, with thousands of RC shipped in?

What I'm getting at is that the lack of any real marking of the passing of the Founder might--might--indicate something about what is really going on behind the seens with the Visitation. And we might read, perhaps correctly, the Benedict is very, very much involved in the Visitation, is very serious about it, and that it will result in what I think we might be able to call a surprise . . .

[Anonymous]

Perhaps, Gregorbo.

I honestly thought it was more that the Legion (specificially Alvaro&Co) knew something was about to come out publicly. Whether the Vatican was going to force their hand, or whether the threat of Maciel's children going public did it. The quiet funeral was the first step in the Legion preparing its own for the explosive information that was about to come out. Didn't we hear that Alvaro had been traveling for months before the Feb press release, telling the LC superiors around the world about the "disappointing revelations"?

I see the low-key funeral as the first step in the Legion's disaster-control plan. Plus they were pandering to the Vatican by the show of a quiet funeral "in the spirit of the 2006 Communique"---nothing they had done before that showed that they cared one iota about that spirit.

If they knew bad news was about to explode, they needed to anger the Vatican as little as possible. The quiet funeral was part of that plan.

That's just my opinion, of course.

[Still RC - For Now, Anyway]

Gregorbo, I tend to agree with you on this one. I wouldn't be surprised to find that the LC has been on Benedict's mind for several years before even becoming pope.

Recall in 2002 when he slapped the hand of the ABC guy. In our RC section we took that to mean that he was defending MM. But I was always a bit bothered that his words were something to the effect of "now is not the time" because that implied there may be a time in the future and that Ratzinger knew this. I'm not saying he knew he would become pope, only that he knew this would be opened up again.

To me this is why he moved with such speed in the MM matter once elected pope. And why he had moved so quickly as head of CDF to re-open the case once it was clear that JPII was becoming incapacitated. The timing all makes sense.

In all of this I like to keep in mind that 1) Benedict was reported to be interested in cleaning up the problems with some of the orders (though in all honesty I never would have thought he'd begin with the Legion of Christ!) and 2) this is the year of the priest. It would be a huge scandal and and immense farce if this issue were not resolved within a year's time. And I think that Benedict is aware of this.

[gregorbo]

I think you and I are of a mind, actually. My point was that their "show" of obedience to the Vatican is an indication, perhaps, that it was communicated to them that certain behaviors would be watched very closely.

So, in a sense, you are quite right: their non-response to MM's death is part of their damage control (directed toward the Vatican, and communicated internally in slightly different terms to their own members).

We must take into account a few bits of history:

It is true that the original accusations sat untouched for many years at the CDF. But we also know that shortly before JPII's death, after the explosion of the priestly sex-scandal in the U.S., that Ratzinger was asked pointedly by a reporter, "What about the Maciel case?"

I saw video of the encounter--Ratzinger turned to the reporter and gently slapped his hand and said "When the time is right."

Many, many interpreted this as Vatican stonewalling, etc. in light of the disaster that many American Bishops had made of their own scandals. But I saw it differently, even at the time.

Had Ratzinger determined that the charges against Maciel were illegitimate, the case would have been burned.

But it wasn't--and he dispatched Scicluna (sp?) to the U.S. to re-interview "more than 20, fewer than 100" regarding the original abuse allegations.

Then, JPII died and Ratzinger was elevated.

One of the first things he did as pope was to publically censure Maciel.

The Maciel died, and now, look at what the light is beginning to make more clear?

Plus--Benedict ordered the Visitation--and again, publically.

These are an extraordinary series of events. And I think in all likelihood, they do not bode well for the Legionaries.

Remember too--as a Congregation of Pontifical Rite (presently), the Legionaries are free to act in whatever way they want. Until the Visitation is complete, and the report is delivered--the Church will order Alvero and company to do nothing. And, so it seems to me, they continue to hoist themselves on their own petards by their inept responses so far.

But, once the report is delivered, then we'll see.

[gregorbo]

Still RC--We were posting at the same time--about the same thing.

[Still RC - For Now, Anyway]

Then it must be true.

[Anonymous]

Gregorbo,

I hope you are right. I have seen that clip of Ratzinger slapping the hand of the reporter. I was outraged at the time and am still outraged that ANY TIME wouldn't be the right time to out a child molester. If even ONE child were molested after the head of the CDF knew this man was a pedophile, it's indefensible and incomprehensible, even if Benedict did intend to do something about this man later on.

On the other hand, I know that Ratzinger had his hands tied by Vatican politics. I think he wanted to do the right thing then, and I think he would like to do the right thing now, but his hands may still be tied in ways we simply don't---and won't ever---know.

We'll see........what will happen, will happen. I am at peace praying for a good outcome, even if I don't necessarily believe it will happen in my lifetime. When I think of the millions of people who have died over the centuries without seeing any kind of justice here on earth, I feel very small indeed. I trust in God's final justice!

[SS]

Ok, I asked 4 handwriting experts online if they'd be willing to analyze MM's signature, as it appears on this letter, for free. Well see. I'll keep you posted. (If it's of general interest, that is.) I only asked reputable ones, who also do forensic analysis, not any wackadoo, new-agey peeps.

[gregorbo]

Anonymous (@ 6:29)--believe me, I understood the anger and even sympathized with it.

But when I was doing research on the priestly sex-abuse scandal in the u.s., trying to wrap my mind around the enormity of it all. But then it occurred to me that if abusers were also serial confessees, well, that changes the calculus a bit--since it might have been the case that Bishops also had their hands tied because of the confessional seal.

My point here is that MM may have also used confession as a way to silence some of his adversaries. Sounds crazy, but at this point, anything is possible.

This is, I think, a canon law question, one I put to one canon lawyer, but never got an answer.

And I freely admit that I'm hopeful both tht JPII did not know of all of MM's fraud, and the Benedict strongly suspects there is fraud and is moving (actually, quite speedily) to do something about it.

[anonymous]

SS, I would be very interested in hearing the results you get!

[Anonymous]

I suppose Maciel might have used confession as a way of silencing the Vatican hierarchy, but if that is truly the case, SOMETHING needs to change so that the founders of weird movements are not allowed to confess to bishops/cardinals/popes who might actually be able to do something about their perversions and deviancies.

There needs to be some mechanism in the Church to prevent this kind of thing from happening ever again. I mean, if priests are to continue to use confession to bishops to cover up their pedophilia, there is something very wrong in our Church.

Perhaps priests should only be allowed to confess to other priests and NOT to superiors who can actually do something to prevent their abuse from happening again.

Yes, I would like to hear the canon law aspect of this. It's a sick Church that has an automatic safety mechanism for pedophile priests built into it.

[anonymous]

I think they need to exhume the body of MM. I don't think he's in there. I think he is still alive but pretending to be dead. It was weird the way they rushed his coffin off the plane at 5:30 in the morning and he was in the tomb by 7:00 AM. Something is up with that.

[Dominus Flevit]

The confession issue is pretty far fetched speculation. It is unlikely that many of the sexual abusing clerics in the U.S. scandals made frequent use of the sacrament of confession. And the idea that Maciel ensured the silence of bishops and cardinals by confessing to them is almost absurd.

For one thing, the written testimonies from the 1950s indicate that people close to Maciel observed that he wasn't personally devout or observant of norms of religious life or in any way eager to receive the sacraments. I'd be willing to bet that, as with most Legion rules, he exempted himself from frequent confession and rarely went at all, unless appearances required it.

[Anonymous]

He's probably not in the coffin; he's probably in a cryochamber someplace, waiting for technology to grant him immortality.

[giselle]

To act on this in the distant future?

"I want to multiply myself, divide myself... And from the very depths of my being, from the very spirit of my spirit..."

http://www.regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/imprimir.phtml?se=364&ca=197&te=780&id=1959&opcion=1