More schizophrenia?

The good news is that CNN has taken note of the Legion in Chile. The bad news is that the commentary allows for the standard bi-polar statements to go unchallenged in the press. This seems to combine the usual disparate thoughts: "We are stunned and saddened" while also saying "We are grateful and resolute."

(Note bene: this brazen post is offered by a woman who doesn't speak Spanish nor took the time to Babelfish the piece. I simply know a handful of helpful words and phrases: "pedimos perdón a todas las personas que han sido afectadas, y de igual manera, lamentamos el dolor y desconcierto causados en la Iglesia y en la sociedad;" "... nos han resultado incomprensibles y nos apenan profundamente;" "y por ello le estamos agradecidos;" "Ahora bien, esto no nos exime de discernir y conservar todo lo bueno que hemos recibido a través de él como fundador."

Have I missed something? More of the same, I'll warrant.

UPDATE: Reader to the rescue (with prayers for his/her intentions):

SANTIAGO DE CHILE (Notimex) — The territorial director of the Legionaries of Christ in Chile, Father José Cárdenas, asked in an interview with the daily El Mercurio pardon for the acts committed by the founder of the congregation, Marcial Maciel. In the interview published this Sunday in the digital edition of the Chilean newspaper, Cárdenas said that "we ask pardon to all those that have been affected, and in the same way, we lament the pain and disconcerton caused in the Church and society."

"The recently known facts of the private life of our founder have turned out to be incomprehensible and sadden us deeply," he added with regard to the accusations of pedophilia against Maciel, who also had a daughter while being a priest. He emphasized that these facts "we can't do less than reject them decidedly as contrary to Catholic morality and to the duties of the priestly and religious state of life."

After the accusations that arose against Maciel, who died in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI launched an apostolic visitation to the Legionaries of Christ in the world to clarify the accusations of pedophilia formed by ex-priests against the religious. Cárdenas noted, however, that Maciel "was the instrument that inititated the Legion of Christ and the Movement Regnum Christi in the Church, and for this we are grateful." "Now, it's also evident that in him we cannot have a role model in these lamentable facts. This does not exempt us from discerning and conserving all the good that we have received from him as founder," he emphasized.

He added that the congregation is "going through a painful process of assimilation" and recognized that they have received great support from the Chilean bishops, clergy and other persons for the situation that they find themselves currently in.

UPDATE: Nothing earth-shattering but the CNA gave it an accidentally-astute headline:

Legionaries of Christ Director in Chile Laments Revelations about Father Maciel.

How perfect is that! While he spins a tale of sadness, the bottom line is clearly that he "laments the revelations. Because they interfere with the "good work." Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain -- can't you just carry on as if you never saw him? Thank you, CNA.

Comments

[anonymous ex3gf]

SANTIAGO DE CHILE (Notimex) — The territorial director of the Legionaries of Christ in Chile, Father José Cárdenas, asked in an interview with the daily El Mercurio pardon for the acts committed by the founder of the congregation, Marcial Maciel.

In the interview published this Sunday in the digital edition of the Chilean newspaper, Cárdenas said that "we ask pardon to all those that have been affected, and in the same way, we lament the pain and disconcerton caused in the Church and society."

"The recently known facts of the private life of our founder have turned out to be incomprehensible and sadden us deeply," he added with regard to the accusations of pedophilia against Maciel, who also had a daughter while being a priest.

He empahsized that these facts "we can't do less than reject them decidedly as contrary to Catholic morality and to the duties of the priestly and religious state of life."

After the accusations that arose against Maciel, who died in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI launced an apostolic visitation to the Legionaries of Christ in the world to clarify the accusations of pedofilia forumulate by ex-priests against the religious.

Cárdenas noted, however, that Maciel "was the instrument that inititated the Legion of Christ and the Movement Regnum Christi in the Church, and for this we are grateful."

"Now, it's also evident that in him we cannot have a role model in these lamentable facts. This does not exempt us from discerning and conserving all the good that we have received from him as founder," he emphasized.

He added that the congregation is "going through a painful process of assimilation" and recognized that they have received great support from the Chilean bishops, clergy and other persons for the situation that they find themselves currently in.

[anonymous ex3gf]

I'm sorry for the bad translation...I didn't have time to make it better. I was moved to translate just b/c of this sentence: "This does not exempt us from discerning and conserving all the good that we have received from him as founder."

CAN'T THEY SEE THAT THE ENTIRE MOVEMENT IS BASED ON HYPOCRISY???

MM was supposedly the perfect LC, the one who was the integral man, the one who was totally coherent with his Christian vocation. But he was nothing more than a pedophile and a womanizer.

Maybe we should also open up the jails, let everyone out and go free, thanking them for the good they have given society, and simply lament the fact they murdered, raped, stole, etc... Or rather, lament the "grievous incidents" of their lives.

It's simply hypocrisy, through and through. Actually, the only coherent thing about MM and the LCs is that they are coherently hypocritical in every detail of their congregation!

[gregorbo]

Yes--I'm trying to wrap my mind around the logic:

"He was a liar, a fraud, a sexual predator, a violator of the sacraments, and a betrayor of religious honesty and integrety. In fact, the only things we, as LC and RC members, can hang on to as the 'good' he bequeathed to us, are the lies he told us about his being the model of integral living.

"In short, as we understand it, the 'charism' he passed to us came in the form of the lies he told us and the world about who he really was.

"But we like the lies. So, we're sticking with them. Please pray for us."

geez o'lou.

[Still RC - For Now, Anyway]

gregorbo, the logic is that there is no logic. Up is down. Good is bad. etc. etc.

The Chilean TD should be commended for his honesty. His have been the most straightforward comments yet from the Legion on 1) the range and depth of MM's crimes; 2) the type of hurt and damage they have caused the Church; and 3) the completely schizophrenic position the LC is in right now w/t/t the founder and it's own very identity.

[gregorbo]

Of course, you are right, Still RC.

And the lies Maciel used were good ones--in fact, they line up quite nicely with the Magisterial teachings of the Church. So, as Giselle commented elsewhere, the "good" that can be salvaged will be no stranger to the Church, since that's where Maciel got it in the first place.

But that does not an authentic charism make . . .

[anonymous ex3gf]

I'm sorry Still RC, where was he being straightforward. The actual mention of crimes was written in by Notimex. He didn't say anything more detailed than anyone else.

Maybe you have read the entire interview??

[Still RC - For Now, Anyway]

Hi Anonymous ex3gf,

I have no working knowledge of Spanish - was going off the following translation:

" 'The recently known facts of the private life of our founder have turned out to be incomprehensible and sadden us deeply,' he added with regard to the accusations of pedophilia against Maciel, who also had a daughter while being a priest."

Maybe the article was jumping to conclusions regarding the reference to admitting pedophilia. If so, then yes he's the same as the other DT's here BUT still sounds a bit more contrite (possibly because he says it all with fewer words!) and it still shows very clearly the complete lack of logic that is haunting the LC's thought process these days.

[Anonymous]

I am glad you all see the inconsistency in the thought- not a model but still a founder (?...) , what is a founder if not a model. However I think the operative phrase here is "painful process of assimulation". The process is not over, and here where contradictions in logic are still showing up it is clear. To go one step more-- rejecting the founder totally is to accept the end of the Legion of Christ. So do not expect this last contradiction to be ironed out soon. That final step cannot be made without at least a nod from the Holy See.

[gregorbo]

Too bad. Because a bunch of us didn't need the Holy See's go ahead for that step . . . .

[anon]

"divorce" is not good enough - "annulment" is necessary for LC/RC to go and explore their very own "charism".

Mercy!
Mum26

[Still RC - For Now, Anyway]

I like the expression "process of assimilation".

Another reference to the Borg! (this time inadvertent).

After reading and posting Fr. Evaristo's definition of Mystique, which makes a few references to the "Collective", I realized that the LC WERE the Borg. Then I saw another reference the other night (was it you, gregorbo?).

For those not in the know, here's the wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borg_%28Star_Trek%29

Their tag line was "you will be assimilated - resistance is futile" which really does resemble the LC strategy to take over the Catholic Church. And this thinking is replicated within the more integrated members of RC - common derivations of include "They need it - they just don't realize it yet" and "It's God's will."

So the good Chilean DT just confirmed what some of us were already concluding - the LC is the Borg.

[The Emperor IS Naked]

I am not a trekkie or anything, but back in February, as I started delving more into LC/RC methodology, the Borg kept popping into my mind. And the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a very appropriate analogy.

I am no trekkie expert, but I never got the feeling that the individuals within the borg (yes, I know that's a bit of a contradiction in terms LOL)were evil; they were just carrying out orders from the Collective Mind and truly believed that what they were doing was best for all creation. And that the rest of creation would realize it was for the best once they were assimilated. Assimilation is the highest good.

This is why I think that if the LC/RC were forced to stop recruiting, they would literally stop existing. Recruiting is what they have been programmed to do, and until they can be de-borged (not sure what the process is, but I think Jean-Luc Picard was de-borged at some point,wasn't he? Maybe we should research and see what the process is. ROFL), they will never stop doing it.

(I realize there were/are some rogue RC who refuse to knowingly participate in the recruiting efforts. But they ARE rogues and are probably considered a "defect" or "failure" in that regard in LC/RC perceptions).

[giselle]

Darn, I didn't follow through far enough into ST to contribute (though you're providing enough details to make sense to the uninitiated). Can I add the Matrix to your thinking for a different angle? Picture LC's strapped in, but then there are the glitches: money doesn't add up; MM gropes an arm, or eats too much brie; good people are slimed with no cause. These cause the LC to question what's before his eyes, which creates enough cognitive dissonence to allow him to begin piecing things together. But how to escape...

[Still RC - For Now, Anyway]

Star-Trek, Matrix . . .

Well, so much for that "outdated" squeaky-clean 50's image - turns out the LC are as convuluted as any of the "modern cultural icons"!

One question - has the LC impacted the culture or the culture impacted the LC?

[Aaron]

This interview with the Chilean Superior is very similar to what all of the other superiors have been saying - it seems like they all have been given orders to repeat the same crib and pretend its their own work.

As in all of them, sexual abuse is not admitted and is certainly not pardoned.

I am convinced that they believe Maciel to be innocent of sexual abuse, and that his "crime" is one of passion - of human error, and this belief allows them to praise his "good works".

If any of you are in contact with RC or LC superiors, ask them if they still deny Maciel's sexual abuse of seminarians, if their apology goes specifically to those victims.

Im sure youll get a lot of beating around the bush.

[HH]

Don't forget that these "major superiors" have known about the facts of the life of Maciel for some time now, possibly even while the trickster was still alive.

[another exLegionary]

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090921/blumenthal

[Pete Vere]

Speaking of the Borg, Pope Benedict is certainly proving a Species 8472.

[Lauretta]

Another ex,

What an article! Are you thinking that we (concerned, protective Catholic parents) may be unwittingly doing this to our children? Is this how you and others you know have felt about your childhoods? How sad if that is the case--for everyone, children, parents, everyone. But, if this is true, we need to be addressing the situation and letting parents know the effect they may be unwittingly having on their children.

[Mom in Atlanta]

I couldn't get the nation article, another link?

[gregorbo]

To my knowledge, Still RC, I started the Borg thing. And I'm not a trekkie either.

But it seemed apt. Especially as there's that line from Satan somehwhere when he says "And our name is Legion."

Hasn't that ever struck anyone else?

There are two principles of evil in Christendom. They are related, but manifest themselves differently.

Tolkien put them in terms of Sauron and Ungoliant (whose representative in the LOTR is Shelob (the spider). Sauron had fought a battle against the mother of all such spiders (or perhaps it was his predecessor in the Silmarillian) and had left off at a draw.

He is the version of evil most readily represented by the Vampire (think of the security guard in "Silence of the Lambs" asking Clarice if Hannibal Lector is a "vampire.")

This evil desires to seduce its victims to participate actively and willfully in their own destruction and, thereby, not be morally culpable for their own destruction. His victims "join him" willfully. A good enough description of a sexual predator of youth.

The spider -- the "bloated spider" -- analogy to evil is more honest and in different ways monstrous. This principle of evil wishes to absorb all other individualities within his/herself so that the only way the word "I" can be spoken is through her/his mouth. This principal of evil, more ancient and more straightforward simply wants to eat its prey and does not care whether its prey consents to being eaten.

She is not the creator, but wishes to absorb all of creation. He is not the creator, but wishes all creation to bow to him as if he was the Creator.

Both represent rebellion and the flip-side of the same evil. Each envies individuality and free will. Each hates God and hates each other. Each would have creation as his/her own--even though neither is a creator. In fact, because neither is the Creator.

Leastways--that's what I see.

Relations to the evil in the Legion?

That's your call--but I know what I think.