From the Territorial Directors

This letter is over the signatures of Fr Scott Reilly and Fr Julio Marti. (Formatting finally workable, though not great, sorry). Some observations at the end.

To Regnum Christi Members and Friends

Atlanta and New York Territories

Dear friends in Christ,

In Atlanta, we recently enjoyed a visit from our General Director, Father Alvaro Corcuera. He celebrated Mass for Regnum Christi members and friends at the Pinecrest Academy chapel. During his homily he touched on important points in reference to the difficulties we have all experienced during these past months, shedding light upon them from the Gospel. He invited us to discover God’s mysterious design also within the realities we are living, which we never would have expected to experience. It was an intense moment of prayer and unity, gathered around Christ.

He has also traveled to Cheshire, Connecticut, to preside over the ceremony of the profession of vows of a group of novices and religious on August 29. With this important step, these brothers continue their path to the priesthood in the Legion of Christ, at the service of the Church, by dedicating themselves to a mission that “is of fundamental importance and is worth devoting oneself to with broadmindedness and an unsullied heart…” (Letter of Cardinal Tarcision Bertone to Father Alvaro Corcuera, March 10, 2009).

We are grateful to God for the gift of his leadership, full of Christian prudence and charity. We are confident that the Lord assists him with his grace in the difficult task he has at this time.

With this letter we would like to share with you some of the thoughts and recommendations that he has been offering to members of the Legion of Christ and consecrated members of Regnum Christi through his talks, homilies and letters over these past months. We are sure they can also be of help to you.

We also hope to remedy some of our shortcomings in communication –for which we are sorry–, so that together we can continue walking what will surely be a long path of healing and reconciliation with those who have been hurt by the misdeeds of Father Maciel.

As priests, our hearts go out to all those who have been harmed or scandalized by his actions. To all we extend a special apology on behalf of the Legion and our General Director,

Father Alvaro Corcuera, who has, in fact, begun to reach out personally and in private to those he knows may have suffered most, offering his heartfelt apology and consolation, and will continue to do so. As he wrote in his March 29 letter: “We are deeply saddened and sorry, and we sincerely ask for forgiveness from God and from those who have been hurt through this.” We also regret that our inability to detect, and thus accept and remedy, Father Maciel’s failings has caused even more suffering.

In the recent past, after Father Marcial Maciel had retired, we came to know that he had had a relationship with a woman and fathered a child. Even more recently, there have been allegations of other relationships and other children. Given the partial nature of the information available and the impossibility to evaluate immediately and in a definitive manner these complex allegations, the Legion of Christ cannot, at this time, make a statement regarding them. All this leads us to value even more the wisdom and pastoral approach of the Holy See concerning the allegations of past sexual abuse against Father Maciel that had surfaced. As it was stated in the communiqué published on May 19, 2006, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith investigated these issues and invited him to a reserved life of prayer and penance, renouncing all public ministry.

As an institution, as a family and as individuals, this unexpected turn of events has been traumatic. Being weak humans, even if reacting with Christian virtue, many of us have gone through experiences of shock, anger, disbelief, denial and fear, both humanly and spiritually. These emotions, the vast tangle of information, supposition, speculation and opinion, the different cultural sensitivities, and the Christian duty not to publicize the sins of others, have made it difficult to publish the sort of direct statement that many expected of us. Added to this, is the fact that we did not know the whole truth, we may not know it yet, and new information may well continue to come to light. What we do learn, we will address, respecting the privacy of those who request it of us.

As Legionaries, consecrated members of Regnum Christi and Regnum Christi members of all walks of life, we too have been experiencing a deep struggle. We are all wounded by this news, and need the comfort and support of each other. We want to thank all those who have understood the depth of our suffering, and offered their understanding and kindness. As we have just mentioned, we wish to be close to anyone who has suffered in any way, and at the same time ask them to live the Christian virtue of pardon from the depth of their hearts.

1. This brings us to a key point in relation to you, our friends. It is clear that all these facts lead us to think about the past, the present and the future. Many of you have rightly asked if the Legion has made or will make changes in its life. Yes…we have, we are and we will. Some examples:

a. One of the questions that come to mind refers to the "save environment and child protection" measures in our communities and apostolates. Our Constitutions, other norms and many elements of our discipline have always helped us to be particularly careful in the dealing with minors. More recently we are in the process of accreditation by Praesidium: a risk management organization now helping a great number of religious institutions in North America. Praesidium is conducting a full review of our internal rules and policies, as well as our training of all those who deal with minors. They will shortly be conducting an on-site visitation of several of our institutions to verify that what is on paper is being applied. There are twenty-five accreditation standards to meet, covering areas of prevention, response and supervision. Here in the U.S. we have also set up an external review board so that in the event of allegations of sexual abuse, we have the advantage of "outside eyes" to weigh the evidence, issues and provide us with recommendations. Praesidium accreditation is being promoted by the Conference of Major Superiors of men, which links all the male religious orders in this country. We also fully compy with all diocesan standards, which vary from place to place. 

b. On the financial side, for a long time now we have had yearly audits done by outside accounting firms. We could no have acquired the loans we needed to purchase our seminaries and found the many works of apostolate undertaken during these years without systems in place of strict accountability and responsible financial management.

In recent years, due to the growth of our operations, we have put in place a still more professional system of business management through the services of Integer Group. Staffed by lay professionals, Integer has further improved our operating and management processes to ensure the integrity of all our operations.

 

c. A further area of adjustment which has begun and continues in process is the way we refer to Father Maciel in the Legion and Regnum Christi. While we cannot deny that Father Maciel was our founder and did much good, neither can we deny the reality of what has recently come to light and his grave human failings. We have taken progressive steps to make sure that there is no inappropriate reference to Father Maciel (we have, for example, removed pictures of him from our center; we have extensively edited our websites; we are in the process of reviewing new editions of other writings, brochures, etc.). All this has led us to what is most essential: to center our life, even more, in Jesus Christ.

This is an ongoing and difficult process given the need to discern his person from the solid Catholic doctrine that he transmitted and the legitimate institutional aspects of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christ. This discernment is not something that can be done lightly or overnight. Father Alvaro has and will seek the advice and guidance of learned and prudent men of the Church to enlighten this difficult question seeking not to lose God’s gifts to the Legion and Regnum Christi.

2. We are also receiving enormous help from the Church, especially from the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, to whom we are truly grateful.

a. You know that he has mandated an Apostolic Visitation of the Legion. Archbishop Charles Joseph Chaput of Denver has been appointed as Visitor for the Legion in the United States and Canada. Archbishop Chaput will visit our seminaries and religious houses, see our life up close and interview whomever he wants. His mandate will be to question, probe and assess with depth and objectivity. Legionaries are free to speak and write to him with all their comments and questions. He sets his own timetable and the points he wishes to probe, and he will present his findings and recommendations directly to the Holy See.

For the moment, the Legion cannot make any specific statements regarding the content or development of the Visitation, since this would interfere with the work of the Visitors.

b. Questions and comments have also been raised regarding the “private vow of charity” that was professed in the Legion. The rationale of this vow was to ensure that the grievances one could have with his superior were brought to those who could resolve them and thus avoid irresponsible criticism or internal factions that degrade unity. This vow had been in place since 1957 and was approved by the Church. Pope Benedict XVI, who has the power to bind and loose, asked the Legion to remove it, which we did two years ago.

c. In the past two years, also following the indications we received from the Holy Father, we changed our general practice of superiors being the spiritual directors of their subjects. This practice was based on one of the century-old monastic traditions that view the superior as Spiritual Father and Mentor of his community. We are seeing positive fruits from this change of practice.

d. There also have been changes in the Legion regarding sacramental confession. In the past, members were free to go to the Ordinary or Extraordinary confessors (assigned by the General Director for each community). They were also free to go to any other Catholic priest with faculties for confession. Members often asked to go to confession with their own superiors.

Following the instructions of the Holy See, today superiors are no longer habitual confessors for those under their authority.

 

e. We would finally like to mention that our general director is in frequent contact with our superiors in the Holy See and also with the Apostolic Visitors to speak about these and other complex issues. These are some of the significant steps the Legion of Christ has taken. And as we said, we expect more will come in time, with judgment and prudence.

Understandably, in the midst of the present circumstances there have been a few of our members who have felt that they can serve God better by separating themselves from the Legion and Regnum Christi; others have opted temporarily to step aside to see and evaluate, waiting also to see the outcome of the Visitation. The vast majority has opted to continue doing as much good as they can from where they are, knowing that our time here on earth is limited, and trusting that with the guidance of the Church whatever needs to be corrected in time, and whatever is good will be confirmed. Each one has made his or her choice before God, moved by their love for him and their desire to serve him to the best of their ability, and for no other consideration. Let us have great Christian understanding and respect for all. Each of us must presume the best and purest intention in the other, pray for each other, and recognize that each one of us suffers and recovers in different ways and at different times.

As Father Álvaro told us in his homily, in Cheshire, St. John Chrysostom teaches us fives ways to reach reconciliation: asking for pardon, forgiving others, prayer, almsgiving and humility (cf. St. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, Homilies, PG 49, 263-264). Let us ask the Lord to grant us the grace to walk this path, inasmuch as each one of us needs it, for his greater glory. Loving, serving, and building together –that has been our life in the Legion and Regnum Christi. As tragic as the failings of our founder are, they should not cause us to diminish our efforts to bring souls to Christ, and to serve him and the Church selflessly in all our brothers and sisters.

You have worked so hard to create apostolates, build schools, run youth clubs, form people in the Catholic faith – and those efforts are good and real. Let nothing distract you from loving and serving God in your neighbor. We enter now into a new chapter of our history which must be focused on the pursuit of holiness and love for souls.

May we take inspiration from our Blessed Mother who “meditated all these things in her heart” (cf. Lk 2:51). She will lead us along the path of God’s will and help us to respond as she did: “May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).

May Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians inspire us during these challenging times:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's suffeings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too." (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

 

You remain in our prayers, and we depend on yours.

Yours in Christ our Lord,

I have some initial comments:

1. They defend the constitutions, norms and accounting practices, particularly in the area of child welfare and financial accountability, which is astonishing given that those very structures provided MM room to abuse young boys and so much ready cash for his "randy avatar[s];"
2. I would remind readers that Integer is the very problematic Legionary-run entity that has been cited in comments here already;
3. I must insist with all firmness that no victims associated with Regain have been contacted concerning apologies or otherwise; and 
4. If the the private vows can be approved of and dispensed with at the discretion of reigning popes, then what does that do to their insistence that past papal approval is a virtual sign of infallibility?

Other than that, you'll have to decide for yourselves on the sincerity of these measures and their chance of reviving their "brand credibility." [I will be updating these observations as I digest this letter in the coming hours, but I have the utmost confidence that astute readers will parse the above for its many duplicitious and contradictory details.]

UPDATE: to counter my "glass half-empty" response, Pete offers a clear indication that it may, indeed, be "half-full." Much interpretation at this point depends on the integrity of words and their subsequent concrete actions.

UPDATE II: another response from Pete, given the reaction to his measured words. Most importantly:

Yes, God will see the members through as individuals if they trust Him. However, there's a difference between individual and institution. And there's a difference between this letter receiving a cold response from former members who helped Maciel's victims bring their allegations to light, and the letter being savaged as insufficient and "more of the same" by those still in the movement (who hope the Apostolic Visitators will reform the Legion and Regnum Christi). The former speaks to the need for a thorough process of reconciliation and reform. The latter speaks to the internal loss of one's institutional credibility among those who carry out the movement's day-to-day apostolate.

Comments

[Anon in STL OUT 6-09]

I will say that there are some good things said in this, imo, but this really jumped out at me and not in a good way: We want to thank all those who have understood the depth of our suffering, and offered their understanding and kindness. As we have just mentioned, we wish to be close to anyone who has suffered in any way, and at the same time ask them to live the Christian virtue of pardon from the depth of their hearts.

Also, I really am not sure that the 'vast majority' of people have stayed. I wonder if that is verifiable.

[just a plain old Catholic now]

He also defends the rational behind the "vow of charity", while admitting that Benedict told them to do away with it. If it wasn't problematic, why did Benedict want the practice ended? I also find the reference to the "few" who have left in contrast with the "vast majority" who remain to be interesting. I wonder what the numbers really are.

[Frances]

As lengthy and carefully worded, this letter purports to be, I get an image of a battered, bruised and deeply physically wounded person with someone beside him, frenetically plastering band-aids.

[Pete Vere]

When you were not taught first aid, and band-aids are all that was given to you in the medicine cabinet because the abuser needed room for his drugs, it's what you use until the ambulance arrives.

The important thing here is that the person applying the band-aids is finally admitting that it isn't "only a flesh wound" and that an ambulance needed to be called.

[anonymous]

This seems so wordy; they just go on and on, which of course is how manipulative people talk. The more words they use, the greater the chance to deflect blame and spin people's opinions.

They should have just simply and specifically stated what they did wrong, and then humbly begged forgiveness.

Then they should have told us how they're going to make reparation.

[Don]

I notice a change in admitting that the Apostolic Visitation is an investigation, and not just a chance for the Holy See to show the LC how much they are loved.

His statements about financial accountability are straight B.S. "For a long time now we have had yearly audits done by outside accounting firms." If that is so, then these firms need to be fired immediately for failing to catch the fact that millions have been channeled to support Norma & Norma.

"In the recent past, after Father Marcial Maciel had retired, we came to know that he had had a relationship with a woman and fathered a child." This seems to admit that they knew about this while MM was still alive, and yet continued to place him on a pedestal and allow him access to an unlimited expense account, while knowingly encouraging the institutional libeling of the accusers.

[Pete Vere]

Having gotten away with what they were doing for decades, we cannot expect the Legion to recognize all their questionable practices and fix them overnight. So I can forgive them for being wordy and trying to cover all their bases.

However, there's some real substance to this letter, as I note here:

http://catholiclight.stblogs.org/archives/2009/09/an-encouraging.html

[A friend]

I remember the story Immaculee Ilibagiza tells of her night of anger, when a small infant was brutally left to wild dogs, her heart hardened and anger seemed uncontrollable. She complained about the need to be compassionate with enemies- but she said, it was a child, a child. Then one deep piecing light from came God to free her from the rage: "But they are all my children."

You cannot pick and choose who you will give mercy too, mercy is not an option but a command of Christ- if you do not give it will be denied you, you cannot hide behind your subjective sense of "justice" to avoid confronting your own anger. Moreover the hardness of heart expressed in these comments I find is more akin to the role the Devil plays as the accuser in scripture, working and never satisfied with any effort of ours to remedy evil, until that non-christian sense of justice claims its ultimate death blow.

[Don]

I just finished reading your analysis Pete, and I agree with you. This is the first substantial communication that we have seen from them, and we can take it as a positive sign that they are (at least now) taking it seriously. If we use this as an opportunity to kick them while they're down they are more likely to retrench. As you said, let's see if they can now put their words into action.

[Anon in STL OUT 6-09]

Friend says: "Moreover the hardness of heart expressed in these comments I find is more akin to the role the Devil plays as the accuser in scripture, working and never satisfied with any effort of ours to remedy evil, until that non-christian sense of justice claims its ultimate death blow."

Specifically what comments show a hardness of heart?

Thanks!

[HH]

Which lies are we supposed to believe, the ones told to us at the start of all of this, the ones told to us a couple of months ago which contradict the first ones, or the ones now which continue to contradict what has been said before?
Do they really believe all their own lies?

[Don]

Also interesting to note is that this is the first time we have seen confirmation about the changes mandated by B16. For years they denied that there even was a private vow, then they admitted its existence but justified it, now they admit they removed it upon orders from Pope Benedict (who has the power to bind and loose). I would like to know that they have been instructed to no longer treat it as still internally binding.

I find it fascinating that they would still justify having superiors in the role as spiritual director ("based on one of the century-old monastic traditions") in spite of the fact that this practice is forbidden by canon law.

[Pete Vere]

HH, one test I try and go by as a canon lawyer when evaluating the credibility of contradictory evidence is the Stephen King test: "How would a normal person react to this abnormally horrific situation?"

Which is why I never bought into Legion happy talk of "serenity" when this scandal first broke. God is the author of human emotions. He gave them to us for a reason. A normal person would not feel "serene" at discovering one's mentor a fraud.

On the other hand, I can understand completely the wide range of emotions expressed by these two LC priests. I can also understand why someone in their situation would issue a verbose statement that is not as focused as one normally expects from a PR statement.

It may not be polished to a professional standard, it may not be perfect, it may still contain some of the Legion's blind spots, but it is real in the sense that it describes how a normal person thrust into their situation would react.

In fact, given the Legion's track record of how they have responded in the past to alleged victims, I would be more suspicious if this letter had been polished, perfect and completely devoid of the Legion's past blind spots.

[Pete Vere]

Don, maybe I'm being gentle in my reading, but I saw it not as justification for the practice, but more as explanation as to why nobody within the Legion questioned the practice in the past.

That being said, there is one point where I feel the Legion is open to fair criticism, and I'm about to add it to my preliminary analysis. It concerns the statement that they have tried to contact the victims of Fr. Maciel's duplicity.

We know the Legion has contacted the RC membership, that it was in touch with Maciel's daughter Norma, and that Fr. Anton spoke with at least one victim, but what about those former priests and seminarians who initially brought forward the allegations in public?

Up until now they deny having been contacted by the Legion. So was there an effort to contact them? If so, when, where and how?

If not, does the Legion intend to contact them? And if the answer is yes, when, where and how?

This is a point I think current RC members need to press the Legion on.

[SS]

Amazing. You can't make this stuff up:

"As we have just mentioned, we wish to be close to anyone who has suffered in any way, *and at the same time ask them to live the Christian virtue of pardon from the depth of their hearts.*"

They really don't have a clue. They have absolutely no business continuing their posture of being the spiritual "Yodas," so to speak, to the rest of us. They have no business passing out spiritual advice to ANYONE regarding how they should respond to any of this. It's like, if my uncle molests my son and my aunt gives me lofty spiritual advice on how she expects me to deal with it. Really?

And it doesn't get more passive aggressive than this:

"The vast majority has opted to continue doing as much good as they can from where they are, knowing that our time here on earth is limited, and trusting that with the guidance of the Church whatever needs to be corrected in time, and whatever is good will be confirmed."

Ah, yes. This is precisely how they keep their poor members on the hook for so very long. The implication is that if you are going to use your precious, finite life well, you will heroically stick with us and have trust.

I'm not going to waste time pointing out what could, in some alternate universe, be considered "good" or "positive" in this letter--because all that is alarmingly bad, all that is manipulative and evil is still right there, staring us all in the face.

Good does not dilute evil. Evil must be eradicated.

They are still eerily passing themselves off as Yodas, while the rest of us just hear the mechanical breathing of Darth Vader. Ugh. Maciel's spirit is alive and well.

I really pity them.

[PaulM]

Don says that Pope Benedict ordered the Legion to remove the private vow while Plain old Catholic states that BXVI told them to do away with it. Correct. However, in the text of the above letter it reads: Pope Benedict XVI ... asked the Legion to remove it. The letter makes it sound like the Holy Father submitted a request and the Legion graciously complied. This is why everything the Legion says is meticulously parsed by its critics!

Friend, as for our "hardness of hearts", the Legion's critics are more than willing to forgive but the LC is not asking the right people for forgiveness. Giselle reiterates that none of the victims have been contacted yet.

I also get the feeling that much of the letter is in response to the material discussed here on blogs like Life-After-RC recently. If the chatter wasn't so voluminous, I'm sceptical there would be any letter at all.

[giselle]

Thank you, SS. Comments like yours make me realise I'm not completely off the beam for reacting so badly. There is an enormous, vivid backdrop to these words which cannot be seen on the page but has been lived in the hearts of victims and dupes over the decades. Again, thanks.

[SS]

giselle, you are not off the beam. Not one whit. It really takes living through something like this (I was never a member, but I've had other life experiences) to say, nope, sorry, it smells rotten because IT IS rotten. I don't have to check it out from 100 angles to confirm it's rotten. I'm not obligated to soften my words and say it's sort of rotten, or redeemably rotten.

Rotten doesn't just wake up, one fine day, unrotten.

There's a reason Michael drop kicked Satan right out of heaven.

Of course we pray and sacrifice (like your novena, etc.) for these fellow Christians who we want to be in heaven with us, and who we ardently desire turn their lives around so they can live God's true plan for them.

But evil is evil. If I'm sitting with a crack addict I don't pretend (for her sake) that just because she managed to comb her hair and brush her teeth that morning, her life is on an upswing. I take the damn pipe away and try to get her some help.

[Still RC - For Now, Anyway]

I, and I'm sure many other RC members, truly appreciate the detailed communication that this letter provides (finally, something substantive. For those not receiving it outright, you should know it is 5+ pages long). Although approximately 6 months late in arriving, I agree with Pete Vere that this is definitely a step in the right direction. The reference to the few who have left or have stepped aside temporarily is unusually candid (membership declines are never discussed in the movement), with none of the silly "if you feel you are not strong enough" references Fr. A gave a few weeks ago.

That being said, I'm wondering to what extent the recent realization of compromised membership numbers and the very real possibility of future litigation w/r/t MM's children and financial fraud have suddenly prompted this level of candor and open communication. I realize that's being a bit cynical, esp. as Fr. Scott and Fr. Julio urge all to "presume the best and purest intention in the other", but it's a natural thought given the long wait we've all had to endure to get something this straightforward from the LC. It does seem to be a change in overall strategy, at least here in the US. It would appear that their previous "damage control" strategies have fallen flat, the news is turning out to be much worse than previously imagined (or can't be covered up as effectively as originally thought), and the real commitment of the US membership is likely much lower than they are letting on. I wish I could respond to this communication more positively, but I feel an honest assessment is in order, esp. as we are dealing, fundamentally, with issues of honesty in the first place.

[Pete Vere]

SS, keeping in mind that six months ago Fr. Anton was attempting to use his status as a moral theologian to lecture people about charity on the AmP blog when they expressed outrage over this scandal, I think it's significant that the Legion is now asking for charity rather than demand it. Certainly they're much less strident.

Paul, a pope would typically "invite" an institute to do something before ordering them to do so. Much like the Holy See invited Fr. Maciel to retire to a life of prayer and penance. One will typically accept the invitation if they know what is good for them. Nevertheless, one is free to refuse the invitation.

However, this can lead to stronger action down the road. For example, Fr. Maciel avoided the possibility of conviction in a canonical trial and a return to the lay state in accepting the Holy See's invitation.

On the other hand, the Legion is facing a much larger scandal right now than it would have faced had it accepted the Holy See's 2006 invitation to separate themselves from the work of the founder.

[Bigtex]

Tedious, tedious cant. Remember how Maciel's son said that Maciel was able to sweet talk his family after they found out he had a double life? This is the institutional Maciel trying frantically to patch things up with the institutional 'children' upon discovering his fraud.

[Don]

I don't think that Pope Benedict only "invited" them to change their constitutions (even if such an invitation is seen as a precursor to a stronger move.) The constitutions can only be changed by a General Chapter or by the Holy See. Since there was no General Chapter, it must have been changed by direction of Pope Benedict personally. In addition, the the mention of the Pope's power to bind and loosen suggests a control, not merely a suggestion.

[Still RC - For Now, Anyway]

"On the other hand, the Legion is facing a much larger scandal right now than it would have faced had it accepted the Holy See's 2006 invitation to separate themselves from the work of the founder."

Bingo. And yet it's clear from this letter that at this point the LC only intends to remove "inappropriate references to Fr. Maciel". They are only now "discern(ing) his person from the solid Catholic doctrine that he transmitted and the legitimate institutional aspects of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi."

So by their own admission and from other references to the Communique in this letter they are now (finally) doing what they should have done 3+ years ago. Only now, there's been such significant damage to the reputation of the LC that even assuming the Holy See's continued recognition it's not clear they can practically survive.

It might just be too little, too late.

[SS]

Pete, I wouldn't want to squash any glimmer of genuine good that a single individual, or the group as a whole, might manage to put forth.

What I disagree with entirely is any idea that these glimmers are any kind of deep and genuine indication that the institution will be reformed.

I think they are so far past the point of, as an institution, being reformed. They are not capable, in my opinion, as an institution, of "doing good." Their foundation, modes of operation, and entire raison d'etre, is corrupt.

The fact that the most they can do, over months (years, if you count everything) is take minute baby steps is alarming and scary.

We are talking about moral theologians, spiritual directors, philosophers, men who are supposed to be the beacons of light for everyone else.

The degree of their malformation, and their grave inability to act with any kind of substantive plan of action, is appalling.

It's the death knell tolling for them.

We are counting minute acts of what-seems-like-it-could-be-virtue on their part because they have given us absolutely nothing else to work with.

It's classic passive aggressive behaviour to drag your feet in such a way that everyone is relieved and appreciative when you finally do one-hundredth of what you should have been doing all along.

[MPI]

I'm sorry, but I am not buying any of this. Pete, I respect and really appreciate the analysis you've offered over these past months, as well as the charity with which you have expressed your thoughts, but I think this is simply more vintage LC/RC spin and they absolutely know the (desired) effect these words will have on their members.

One clear indication of their sincerity (or lack thereof) is this: on the one hand they admit they have problems and are incapable of fixing them, which is why they need help. On the other, they continue business as usual with recruitment into the apostolic schools and seminaries. If they were sincere, don't you think they tell folks, "listen, we have some issues we're trying to figure out with the help of our Holy Father. It would probably be best to wait until we figure these things out before entering..."