Father Morris has written a book, reviewed by Deal Hudson here. (This is almost too much, esp. for Lent, but you will have to deal with your own consciences.) Evidently the priest has burned his "accounts receivable" file (meaning he's forgiven MM for deceiving him and moved on) and learned to forgive himself (atrocious theology -- one of my real pet peeves!)
It's hard to glean much from this review other than Fr Morris has nothing more to tell us about his years in the cult, other than it's a waste of time to "fixate" on failures. In that sense, he jumped ship and left the mess for others. It could be a suggestion to his con-freres to do likewise, or just a subtle exhortation to bury the harm and start whistling for happiness inside. Whatever.
UPDATE: this just in from an excellent man who chose not to write book --
I left the Legion of Christ nearly 14 years ago.An act of forgiveness of Maciel is stupid. He doesn't deserve it.What is owed is having other people forgive me. In the years since I left, I sought out various ex Legionaries who I had accused (under obedience to the vow) of breaking the private vow. I publicly apologized to diocesan seminarians who I had had a hand in trying to surreptitiously recruit for the Regnum Christi, or at least get them to be "on our side." I used Facebook to find the students that I had worked with in an LC school in another country to ask them to forgive me for using them as means to an end. I finally apologized last year to my parents for putting them through well over a decade of absence and half truths about my well-being. I apologized at the grave sites of family members who passed without my being there to comfort them.All of this, I call forgiving myself. And I haven't finished yet.It's not as easy to do as writing a book about being happy.
Must... not... comment...
Posted by: Another ExLegionary | April 12, 2011 at 09:17 AM
No one spends as many years as Fr. Morris has and fully recovers after one year. This man is making an attempt to convince the public that he is fine.
Let's not forget, the way LC's learned to manipulate their victims without any concern for their own soul or the souls they "counsel" is a numbing of conscience. He is still a soldier of Maciel in the mind employing his method of move along folks. Don't dwell.
Good advice in general. But we are talking about an order of priests who were manipulated for 7 decades into fiundraising machines in order to build an empire for a false prophet who used and abused innocent Catholics to achieve their goals.
He didn't quit his job working for Madoff. He quit his job working for Maciel.
Psychologically two entirely different entities.
Morally, this is deplorable since no one in this debacle has ever been brought to justice and the carnage is global.
How sad for him and everyone who believes what he writes.
How sad.
Posted by: Justice | April 12, 2011 at 09:28 AM
A craven and phony tool of a depraved criminal masquerading as a religious person takes the easy (and dishonest) way out.
What a surprise. Not.
Posted by: Anon2020 | April 12, 2011 at 09:43 AM
I don't want to come across as pedantic in any way and I certainly don't want to derail the discussion which is about Fr. Morris after all. In a sense forgiveness of one's self is indeed kinda weird. I don't think Jesus meant that if we don't forgive ourselves then neither will his heavenly forgive us. Matt 6:15
However, for some people, there is a very real need to for "self forgiveness". For example, a woman whose had an abortion may have genuine feelings of self-loathing and hatred for what she'd done to her baby. Forgiveness of herself is part of the post-abortive healing process.
That being said, I doubt exLCs have any self-loathing that they have to contend with. What they need to contend with is pride and a willingness to own up to their part in the scheme.
Posted by: April 15, 1912 - take 2 | April 12, 2011 at 09:49 AM
Also, Fr. Morris is the only exLegionary I've heard (besides Monk) who is able to forgive a monster for his sick crimes and move on without skipping a beat.
Perhaps Fr. Morris was never physically raped, but geez, have some respect for those who were.
This is an insult to all victims of abuse.
Posted by: Justice | April 12, 2011 at 09:51 AM
"Had I known as an idealistic young man of twenty-one that saying yes to God would mean to follow in the footsteps of a man some psychologists would later call a psychopath or sociopath...."
Did God really affirmatively call him to follow in the footsteps of a sociopath?
It's a subtle difference, and I understand why those unfamiliar with RC/LC think this is splitting hair, but there's all the difference in the world between what Fr. Morris says and:
"Had I known...that MY DESIRE TO SAY yes to God would mean...
"Had I known...that saying yes to WHAT I UNDERSTOOD TO BE GOD'S CALL..."
I can accept that Fr. Morris' discernment was sincere.
I can accept that God called Fr. Morris to the priesthood.
I cannot accept that the God I worship affirmatively willed that Fr. Morris--or any of us--follow in Fr. Maciel's footsteps.
Posted by: Eric | April 12, 2011 at 09:54 AM
Eric-- exactly. God doesn't call us to follow a false prophet, because false prophets lead people AWAY from God.
Fr. Morris is implying that God called him to be led away from God--- that God, who loves us enough to die for us, who wants nothing more than to have us with Him forever in heaven---that all-good and all-loving Father would CHOOSE TO DRIVE HIS CHILDREN AWAY.
This, my friends, is insanity.
It's like the prodigal son saying "Little did I know that my FATHER's desire for me to leave the house with my inheritence would mean I'd end up eating pigs' leftovers......"
Father Morris has not yet come to grips with the fact that HE chose the Legion. True, he had bad information and undue pressure in his choice, as all Legionaries did... but in the end HE made a mistake, not God.
Many LC/RC have the same problem--- for them it is axiomatic that LC is a work of God, that God called them to be there, that this is their VOCATION. So, the fact that Maciel was a false prophet just reflects badly on God.
I mean, why not be happy? Maciel didn't just fool the pope, he fooled GOD! So there's no way that YOU should feel cheated, right?
It does make me wonder--- if LC/RC/some exRC/ some exLC really believe that THIS is who God is, a "Loving Father" who calls his children AWAY from Himself and sends them to learn at the feet of a false prophet.... and yet, they still proudly proclaim their allegiance to such a cruel, lying God..... who are they really worshipping? How can they love a God who lies? How can they love a God who, instead of weeping with them, tells them to 'suck it up.'???
If this is the RC/LC conception of God, it's obvious why so many who leave lose their faith forever--- because who COULD have faith in THAT?
Posted by: Deirdre Mundy | April 12, 2011 at 10:10 AM
"I cannot tell this story without being overwhelmed by grief. Had I known as an idealistic young man of twenty-one that saying yes to God would mean to follow in the footsteps of a man some psychologists would later call a psychopath or sociopath.… I WOULD INSTEAD HAVE CHOSEN SUBURBIA AND A WHITE PICKET FENCE." [emphasis mine]
We can parse the above pull quote all day long - which is fine with me. There's much to be said. What it tells me - and should say to all the current co-founders who insist on being faithful to the beast til the end - is this:
Had all Regnum Legion members known at the time of their incorporation or vows what they know now about MM, NO ONE would have incorporated...except maybe Lucretia ;)
To all you RegLeg folks: If you wouldn't incorporate then, why stay in now?
Posted by: April 15, 1912 - take 2 | April 12, 2011 at 10:21 AM
"To all you RegLeg folks: If you wouldn't incorporate then, why stay in now?"
Answer: Because God willed that I be deceived into irrevocably committing myself to this order.
Posted by: Eric | April 12, 2011 at 10:31 AM
April 15th: actually no. To say "I can't forgive myself for killing my baby" is actually veiled pride: "I cannot admit that I stooped so low." Yes, all sorts of mitigating reasons may be there, but this has to be said gently and firmly: You did a grievous thing. You need 1. the humility to admit your sin; and 2. God's forgiveness.
You cannot forgive yourself, you can only humble yourself to face the truth.
Posted by: giselle | April 12, 2011 at 10:35 AM
Now his book is paraded on Fox News. Somehow they tied that book to Donald Trump's religious views.
Posted by: Cory | April 12, 2011 at 11:15 AM
"Answer: Because God willed that I be deceived into irrevocably committing myself to this order."
a.k.a. enslavement
Giselle, I see what you're saying. Thank you.
Posted by: April 15, 1912 - take 2 | April 12, 2011 at 11:29 AM
Hey, Jonathan:
What about all the people you encouraged to join?
What about all the people you encouraged to stay in?
What about all the people you lied to for the greater good?
What about deception for the Kingdom?
What about telling people that their donations went for something and they were used for another?
What about transmitting the Maciel is a saint story to others?
What about saying that those who accused Maciel of anything were liars?
I think you need to write another book before you declair yourself slap-happy.
Posted by: PWC | April 12, 2011 at 12:24 PM
Sorry to hijack the thread but this just landed in my inbox:
http://www.catholicreview.org/subpages/storyarchnew.aspx?action=9815
I guess it's confirmed that Woodmont is indeed closing. Not sure if this was posted elsewhere.
Posted by: In RC But Not Of It | April 12, 2011 at 12:48 PM
PWC,
Good points. This guy obviously didn't have a change of heart at all -- it's the same tired old attempt to sell reglegcorp as something worthwhile -- and the only way to do it is apparently to tell lies -- different lies -- but still lies.
To paraphrase Linus (apoligies to Charles Schulz):
With reglegcorp...
Nothing but duplicity as far as the eye can see.
Posted by: Anon2020 | April 12, 2011 at 01:08 PM
RE: Woodmont, "It's the economy, stupid."
Posted by: giselle | April 12, 2011 at 01:28 PM
Giselle=== except, if you read the whole article, then it's like...well, yeah, to be honest the LC played a rule... and Archbishop O'Brien did get INTERNATIONAL attention for smacking us down...and yeah, well, we were planning on keeping the LC on as chaplains......
It's almost like part 1 is the LC take and part 2 is the Diocese's take! :)
Posted by: Deirdre Mundy | April 12, 2011 at 02:08 PM
Well, the article does attribute the closing to the correct human agents - the LC and Maciel directly, as well as the archbishop indirectly (and the latter by referencing that which was absolutely his pastoral right and responsibility to do). I wonder if O'Brien saw this coming a mile away and whether that was a factor in his decision not to shut the LC out of the archdiocese. IOW he might have just allowed the natural consequences to play out over time, fully aware that the school would shut down and the LC presence would decline or even die on it's own.
Posted by: In RC But Not Of It | April 12, 2011 at 03:31 PM
Our inability to come to terms with our doubts was the stream of photos and news articles showing JPII embracing MM and endorsing the group. The Church is still doing that really, as a local RC just reported that DePaolis sends (love) letters in support of the LC/RC on a regular basis.
So where does the blame belong?
Posted by: freetobe | April 12, 2011 at 03:48 PM
For goodness sakes, you should be happy that Fr. Morris has been able to forgive and move on. Forgiveness brings freedom. You should try it.
Posted by: anon | April 12, 2011 at 05:03 PM
Actually, anon, forgiveness is what you offer to those who have sinned against you. When you are the sinner, you ask for forgiveness from those you have injured. You don't just absolve yourself in their name.
Posted by: An Outsider Trying To Understand | April 12, 2011 at 05:22 PM
Forgive and move on? So that is all it takes for someone who was complicit in the system?
Freedom?
Freedom comes with being forgiven. Where did you learn your theology, anon?
Posted by: PWC | April 12, 2011 at 05:23 PM
Oh pick me! Pick me! I can answer that PWC!
Answer: I learned it under the very warped and twisted counsel of the Legionaries of Christ.
Posted by: Justice | April 12, 2011 at 05:41 PM
i cannot stomach the thought of reading "Deal" Hudson's thoughts on this book. Let me guess, it is a glowing tribute to Fr. M.'s honesty and courage to face the truth about MM and to "refreshingly" move on in his life without looking back, and how he exemplifies the true soldier of the church by anchoring himself in the "bosom" of the church.
Seriously, i don't know what to think about DePaulus. There just does not seem to be any protection from this kind of false theology in our church today. Leadership is threadbare and pandering.
Posted by: bruce | April 12, 2011 at 06:00 PM
Well, somebody hasn't:
http://www.wradio.com.mx/oir.aspx?id=1454059
Posted by: LAN | April 12, 2011 at 06:56 PM