Powerful discernment by an ex3gf

Claudia Madero is also disappointed with reform, according to Milenio:

Claudia Madero, who for 35 years was a consecrated member of Regnum Christi, decided to leave the Legionaries of Christ because, despite the Vatican having control of the congregation, there is no change in substance. In addition, she claimed, there is an internal prosecution against the those consecrated who "think and analyse."

In a 10-page letter addressed to the general director, Alvaro Corcuera, she details her disappointment about the founder Marcial Maciel, saying: "We were not formed to love, promote and seek the truth" but were "given to lying" and what seemed like a growth in humility was really "becoming slaves to instructions and protocols."

She explains the reasons that lead her to take that step that was "in itself difficult, painful and heartbreaking," and she shares what she considers her "spiritual journey" from July 29th, 2008, when she heard Father Luis Garza said the truth about the founder's life.

In analyzing the errors of Maciel, said: "I was able to capture the founder presented us with a perfect ideal of holiness, angelic" than he, "as described, was the flagship model. There were others like John Paul II, but no life as a martyr in the persecution allegedly suffered so tremendous that during his lifetime. "

In addition, the consecrated were subjected to a multiplicity of rules calling for the strictest perfection, "we become slaves to instructions and written protocols with the greatest thoroughness, and were not to develop any individual qualities," she explained.

White lies

The former consecrata reflects in her letter that "it appears that they were not prepared as an institution, to see, live and promote the truth, because we are not educated in love to promote the truth." Madero said that in 1997 someone asked Maciel: "Why, if lying is sin, we sometimes allow white lies, such as inflating the number of vocational growth or incorporated members."

The founder said, "Why, if the children of darkness lies used for their evil purposes, we can not use these little white lies for good ends?

In assessing the current situation, after the appointment of papal delegate Velasio De Paolis, Madero stated that "there were no essential changes. It has been 64 years, for how many more years will we continue to deceive our people and those to come later? "

She adds that the founder used to discredit and isolate those who doubted his upright conduct, and this form of government still remains, justified as necessary to maintain unity, so enemies are made of those who simply want to contribute to the reform.

At present, considered three groups of dedicated, those who suffer a kind of internal persecution because they are "thinking and analytical" and put in "the position of being enemies."

There are others who have become chronically ill or are affected in their psyche. And the third that are "tagged," the elderly, who are directors.

The former consecrated provides dates and details of correspondence sent to the director Alvaro Corcuera concerning the bias that was influencing the affairs of the Legion and the Movement, but of this she said, "I have not found any resonance, not an attitude of listening, being open or willing to compromise," so she states that "the form of government has not changed, it remains as it was during the founder's life, with the same injustices, judgments and decisions made about those people who begin to differ."

"It seems that there is a vacuum of authority," she said.

The consecrata concluded with four thoughts: "The way you're facing this time of purification will discover the true desire of structural change.

The ex3gf concluded with four thoughts:

1. "The way you're facing this time of purification will discover the true desire of structural change.

2. "We must accept that the founder created an institution with a religious guise that basically entails systems, procedures, traditions and habits that do not correspond at all to the Gospel.

3. "All of us who dealt with the founder are affected by his un-Christian vision and we need ... to get help, advice.

4. "To preserve the structure, governance and formation, there will have to be resources dedicated to the members' physical or mental health."

Kindly remember, dear reader, that there was a Visitation of every house of consecrated members in Regnum Christi, and even if the follow-up report was finished and turned in (as it was supposed to be this past summer) it still hasn't been made public in any way. There are a few reasons to consider:

• Rome works slowly (yes, we get that);
• Lay vocations are secondary to priestly vocations (so what's the hurry);
• The report is being blocked by someone;
• The RC will only hinge on the Legion, so no report is forthcoming;
• There are financial complications (please, no ...)

Let this stand, then, as an accounting of the those members who are obviously a state of great distress. (Those who aren't have evidently acclimated themselves to a horrid situation, based on lies and manipulation.) We've known for a long time that the situation inside isn't healthy on any level. These women have been generous, self-effacing and loyal for decades: we beg Rome to regularise their situation, so that they can move forward in a healing way for their good and the benefit of their long-suffering families. Either allow them to reform apart from the Legion under the proper canonical forms, or send them home. This is abusive and scandalous.

Nota bene: This is why we work so hard against the apostolates that are bent on recruiting more young women into this life. It is not Christian, and is unworthy of the most basic norms of human dignity. We continue to speak out because we love, and we pray without ceasing because we want these men and women free. God bless Miss Madero for having the conviction and courage to break away, and for going public in a manner that had to be enormously difficult.

Comments

[AnonObserv]

Those women who are leaving after 20+ years are entitled to compensation, and I do not mean a few thousand go- away dollars and a bus ticket, I mean a lifelong pension and medical care even if that means they have to sell off Wakefield and Greenville to pay for it.

[Scipio Africanus]

I agree with Giselle: Cutting away these girls from the Legion is the only way they could come out with something positive, although the positive outcome is everything but guaranteed

[Fr John]

Since Miss Madero made a point of how LC uses lies and needs to face the truth, I thought this article on the LC page was strangly interesting. http://bit.ly/pJivju
Archbishop Timothy Dolan of NY praises them for living the truth. Oh my!

[Little Light]

Legion of Christ & subsidiaries have never paid anyone when they left. The person has to demand a payment if they want anything and they won´t get thousands. What the LC used to do is to employ them which was a help since they get something on their resume and then can leave the non profit world and head towards something else. However the intention was never to give them anything.

Also consider that in many LC employments there is no unemployment insurance which means when they don´t need you anymore and you can´t find work, you have $0 coming in. Employment with LC is a dead end job so if all you have is LC employment on your resume and $0 coming in, this is a real bad situation...

So for those LCs/3GFs who are on the fence, please consider this: you are only getting older, your marketability and the opportunities to get a real education (not the joke that is the LC institutions) are falling by the wayside. The longer you stay in, the more your psyche is tied up with them. So get yourself clean and free of all this and get a real life. If you are not with holy orders or are a 3GF, you can cut ties with your abusers and still make a life for yourself, form a family, start a business, feel good about yourself again. The more tied up you are with them, the deeper you will find yourself in the quick-sand.

As the song said, "there must be...50 ways to leave your lover..." Just drop off the key z and get yourself free !

[mary]

Somebody pleaeeeeeease educate ARchbishop Dolan. Jewel in the crown of the ARchdiocese??????? Good grief!

[AnonObserv]

Scipio: I agree, I think it would be a great next step to have them completely independent, likewise I thought the best good for the LCs would be to have let them in groups, or provinces etc... assess and vote on their future with more options than what they are now given. It would have been a controlled train wreck you might say, a dis-assembly carried out with a lot of pastoral care and guidance.

In either case I know both the 3GF and LC as we know it would most likely have fallen apart in the effort, but new groups, smaller in themselves, would have formed from it with a more genuine, charismatic response to the crisis and if guided properly at the diocesan level several good works could have been on the way.

Now we are stuck with a slow agonizing death that is zapping any ability for a rebound among the members in any form.

@Little Light- De Paolis has set a sum for LCs, modest in itself but it does not nearly come close to the graver injustice to the women of 20+yrs without degrees, careers, or social security (since they never pay into it). I sincerely hope that if enough leave that they lawyer up and carry out a class action suit to create a pension fund from the liquidation of land assets the groups holds. I would also see if they would mandate back payments into SSN for all membership since they have no retirement fund setup.

[Jeannette]

AnonObserv,
At least enough money to get home, and access to their passports. Beyond that, I'd suggest they ask for "justice" and by that I mean jail time for the criminals.

[Near Miss]

Is it at all possible to think that he just might want that "...jewel in the crown of the Archdiocese..." for the Archdiocese?

[Dilbert]

Speaking of financial issues and compensation for 3gf's, I have often wondered how the IRS ever audit the books. They might uncover some interesting facts if they did.

[Aaron]

Some intersting questions raised by ICSA page regarding living in a cult:
· How did they change your view of reality?
· How did they mold your personality into one useful to the group’s agenda?
· How did they alter your consciousness in order to produce an experience, and then reinterpret it for you to lead you to conclude that this is the only truth?
· How did they discredit your other sources of feedback and make you more dependent upon the group?
· How did they break down your healthy boundaries between you and the rest of the group?
· How did they construct unhealthy boundaries between you and the outside world?
· How did they disable your ability to question and think critically?
· How did they turn you against your own inner voice?
· How did they emphasize trusting only them and then abuse that trust?
· How did they encourage you to do things you never would have done and to participate in doing this to other members of the group?
· How is it affecting you today?

[Little Light]

Dilbert,

Jim M. used to do the books over at Hamden FRO office. He and his wife stopped working for the Legion for a while after they got sick of helping to "cook the books" and carry out unethical accounting practices. Jim returned to work for the Legion over at a house of formation as an administrator. This was much better since the formation house is a passive recipient of transfers from the DT and don´t actually receive and transfer donations autonomously. I think Jim would be hesitant to admit the cooking of the books while he still works for the Legion, but someone close to the situation (very close) stated that the cooking of the books bothered Jim ethically.

I know there is corruption at the Legion schools in Mexico (kickbacks to the administrator) and yet they never get called out. I would think that once one gets good at cooking the books only an insider could really make much of a difference...just think of Enron !

[****]

http://www.regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/articulo.phtml?se=359&ca=84&te=782&id=34713

oday Fr. Alvaro Corcuera, LC, with the consent of the general council and with authorization from the pontifical delegate, has named Fr. Jaime Rodriguez, LC, to be the new general secretary of the Legionaries of Christ. As has already been announced, Fr. Evaristo Sada, LC, is at the end of the six-year term, which began in 2005...

[Polish Pilgrim]

Claudia has profound insights into the deception she was swept up in.

Somehow she gained access to objective information AND she was able to process that information internally.

This is really a letter of hope for all moms and dads with daughters still in RC. That a 35-year "lifer" could come to understand, "that the founder created an institution with a religious guise that basically entails systems, procedures, traditions and habits that do not correspond at all to the Gospel" ... is a big sign of hope.

[Gems]

The Legion scam would make a great American Greed episode. Somebody call CNBC.

[bruce]

"There are others who have become chronically ill or are affected in their psyche."

i should hope and pray that depaulus knows what he is doing and considers the demonic bondage these people are in and under since the legion is still in the grip of their own design, a shadow church. or it might be too late for some of these folks. if permanent psychological damage is possible in these situations. what bothers me most is that is entirely possible.

is the crack of light enough to save others?

[bruce]

"There are others who have become chronically ill or are affected in their psyche."

i should hope and pray that depaulus knows what he is doing and considers the demonic bondage these people are in and under since the legion is still in the grip of their own design, a shadow church. or it might be too late for some of these folks. if permanent psychological damage is possible in these situations. what bothers me most is that is entirely possible.

is the crack of light enough to save others?

[Neptune]

There are successful cases of Scientology folks winning for compensation in similar escapee situations. Probably a lot of similar arguments paved the way. People have woken up to them so how did they do it?

[AnonObserv]

A crack of light? The issue is where to shine it so that it would do some good... It is amazing how nothing has changed even after all the feigned catharsis of 2009. The only way for light to enter, still, today is the same as always: Members leave, tell their stories until enough accumulates in the press and major pundits then go to work to point out the embarrassingly obvious. Then and only then do things begin to change.

One action point- keep a dossier of the agonizing letters to send to your bishop or a news pundit the next time the beast roams around in your back yard..

[Robert Badger]

Here's that appeared in El Pais. Apparently, the journalist Jose Rodriguez has written a book about the legion. This gives a little information about how they learned who Normita was.

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/The/priest/his/mistress/and/their/daughter/elpepueng/20110315elpeng_1/Ten

[AnonObserv]

Good find Robert. I paste here my favorite parts...

"Father Marcelino, secretary to Father Maciel, was intrigued by the exceptionally warm welcome that Norma and Normita enjoyed from the founder, and by their remarkable intimacy, and one day he took the girl aside and asked her point blank who she was and what her ties to Maciel were. And she suddenly says she's his daughter. Just like that. She had never said it before, and never said it again," says a witness, who blushes at the mere thought. "Poor Father Marcelino was taken aback and got in touch with Father Álvaro, the director general, to convey this up-to-now unknown piece of information."

"The small circle of Legionaries who learned about the existence of Maciel's lover and daughter kept quiet about it. Father Corcuera, who sat before me in his Rome office with a gesture of affliction bordering on tears, in fact knew by the fall of 2005 that Maciel had a daughter. Some Legionaries figure the discovery even goes back to July. In any case, in 2005 Corcuera already knew, and it stands to reason that he must have informed his first deputy, Luis Garza, his second deputy Evaristo Sada, his four advisers and the principal superiors of the congregation. The current secretary general of the Legion, the sly Evaristo Sada, attempted to throw this reporter off the scent by placing the date of the discovery a year late. When I warned him that he was lying, he offered an excuse in best Legionary style: "You know I'm really bad with dates; I think it was in late 2006." He was lying. The Legion's upper echelons knew by late 2005 that Maciel had a daughter whom he kept and a woman with whom he lived."

[AnonObserv]

Just so all follow: MM had already fallen under the latae sententae penalty of suspension (can. 1394), and AC had the obligation to carry out further penalties including seeking from the Holy See, dismissal from the clerical state should he did not repent. All of this was before the Holy See's own censure for other crimes in 2006.

So from 2005- 2008 AC aids and collaborates in the deceit, accomodating quite well, rather than punishing medicinally the scandalous and arrogant posture of MM.

[Jane]

OK, here's a question fro you, AnonObserv, is there any penalty for Fr AC for not fulfilling that obligation to report MM?

[Aaron]

Two names from your quotes anon: Marcelino de Andres was Maciel's secretary, the one who asked Norma Jr who she was - he is also named by Maciel's Son Raul Gonzalez Rivas. Raul tells us that Maciel(known to him as Jose Rivas) told them repeatedly that if something should happen to him, a man called Marcelino de Andres would find the family and sort them out with their inheritance. Incidentally, Alvaro Corcuera was also named to them as someone who would help them out in the same regard. AND incidentally, both men were at his death bed.

I must point out that for Maciel to tell his children and their mother this, does not mean necessarily that he told Marcelino or Alvaro what to do... he was perhaps lying. BUT it seems a bit too close to home - what if the whole sordid business was known for a long time by Alvaro and the team, and that the families were catered for with Alvaro's knowledge?

Hm what if!!

The other name is Evaristo Sada - he has just been replaces as General Secretary by Jaime Rodriguez, a spaniard in his mid 30s who was Alvaro's personal secretary in recent years.

He, through his work, will have known much of what has been going on in the past years through his work with Alvaro. As secretary general, it remains to be seen how he will cut his teeth as a person with authority, but I really have no reason to doubt that he will be a yes man, a pawn in Alvaro's hands. In any case, perhaps the role of general secretary is one of administration rather than authority, but he will be in the LC council, and is perhaps a clear indication that Alvaro is choosing his own men for authority, men whom he knows and trusts and whom he can tell what to do.

[Scipio Africanus]

Aaron: In the end, De Paolis did away with Sada when he forced him into the tasks proper of a secretary general, that are basically to be a hub between the GD and the rest of the Congregation. Sada, instead, was a lot more powerful because Maciel empowered him and Corcuera didn't change the scheme. So, De Paolis is basically missing another chance to show some will to reform forcing the nomination of someone not marked by suspicion.

[Anon out of RC]

 "In 2010, she said that she became pregnant while still underage, and did not know that the father of the child was in fact a priest. "I would never have chosen this path for my life... When I met this man, I was underage... Neither my daughter nor myself knew who he really was until the end."

Just doing a little math.....I am assuming underage means under 18?  So if the daughter is around 26 now (2005 she was 20), Maciel would have been 91 or so now and he was around 65 (91-26) when he had sex with a woman who was under 18?  I think I sorta figured that but it adds to the sickness of this story.

I remember a guy named Sandpounder on the old American Papist blog 2 1/2 years ago who could not believe Maciel would have sex with an underage women.  He said if that was true than he would concede that Maciel was a monster.  This was when we all were told by LC leaders that Maciel had a normal human failing with only one woman and had a daughter but other than that we were told we should not judge him and he will forever be our founder.

I sometimes just cannot comprehend how Alvaro and Garza and co.  could sleep at night knowingly leading us all away from our Pope's words in 2006 and than spinning this story so out of control, especially if they had the DNA by 2006 as this article states (when the Pope gave them additional evidence).  Didn't they have a moral obligation and responsibility to report the daughter at least to the Vatican?  Amazing how the 2006 sanction did not even have half of the other info about Maciel's double life, it seemed to only focus on abuse charges.

Why is mama Norma so silent now?  Is it because she has already been very well taken care of and will continue to be taken care of through Legion funds?  Doesn't that have to be disclosed somewhere in some financial report?