UPDATE III: Please be sure you've read the amended article at this link, which clarifies the number of men exonerated was more than two.
UPDATE II: Patricio Cerda offers more insight (for Spanish speakers):
With amazement I read the press releases that begins to circulate in all the world media, following the research being carried out, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). What is striking about this news, is the statement issued by the Legion of Christ, which say they are the ones who have passed the names of alleged pedophiles now under investigation.
This is simply wrong and once again demonstrates the continued lie still living in the hierarchy legionaries, with Delegate Archbishop Velasio De Paolis to the head...
Nicole Winfield, once again:
The Vatican is investigating seven priests from the troubled Legion of Christ religious order for alleged sexual abuse of minors - evidence that the scandal over the order's pedophile founder doesn't rest solely with him, The Associated Press has learned.
Two other Legion priests are being investigated by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for alleged sacramental violations, believed to involve abusing spiritual direction and other pastoral care to have inappropriate sexual relations with women.
The Legion, which is now under Vatican receivership, has insisted that the crimes of the Rev. Marciel Maciel were his alone. But the Vatican investigation of other Legion priests indicates that the same culture of secrecy that Maciel created within the order to cover his crimes enabled other priests to abuse children - just as abusive clergy of other religious orders and dioceses have done around the world.
In a statement Friday to the AP, the Legion confirmed it had referred seven cases of alleged abuse to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican office that investigates sex crimes. All but one involves alleged abuse dating from decades ago; one case involves recent events, the Legion said.
"Over the past few years, in several countries, the major superiors of the Legion of Christ have received some allegations of gravely immoral acts and more serious offenses ... committed by some Legionaries," the statement said.
It said it was committed to examining the accusations and reaching out to victims while safeguarding the rights of all involved. While the priests are under investigation, their access to children has been restricted, the Legion said.
This is the culture that readers have described as toxic for many years--and part of the "fruits" that others refused to acknowledge (along with the group providing "one of the worst [scandals] of the 20th-century Catholic Church"). Thanks be to God that these accusations have finally been taken seriously.
UPDATE: From one reader in the combox:
it is horrible at any level but it is not an LC problem it is a problem we have in this messed up world. Some priests abuse, mom's abuse, dads abuse, teachers abuse, co-workers abuse..... I guess I'm not sure what all the noise is about?
And a former member was reminded not to worry:
I got my first extended, written response from a local RC. He reminded me of all the good they are doing, how much they are helping the local parishes, how holy the LCs are, how much growth in local holiness has taken place and how so 2010-ago all of this is. They've moved on and so should we. Oh, and every group has a few bad apples.
What could lead anyone to worry about a few bad apples? Only love for the Church, zeal for souls, and a firm intention NOT to coast on any sense of personal accolades as a counterweight to evil. Jesus, Mary and Joseph -- what leads to such arrogance?
ADDENDUM: For the record, we have a perfect Catch-22 in this latest revelation. If the Legion is correct in that these are not new cases and already known to them, then they have failed to act in a responsible manner until now, when the CDF has forced them to be accountable. If they are new cases come to light, then we have proof that intergenerational abuse is a hallmark of this group (as any psychological study would say is typical). In that case, they are not on the right track as they keep saying but still deep in denial.
Congratulations, Aaron! Also: http://www.wtop.com/220/2596416/APExclusive-Vatican-eyes-Legion-priests-for-abuse
Finally, someone is LISTENING to you!
Posted by: Deirdre Mundy | May 11, 2012 at 07:37 AM
Though I was interested to see that the 'sacramental abuses' under investigation did not seem to include the allegations of breaking the seal of the confessional...
And since they didn't name names or locations-- is the one from NH that there were accusations about one of the 7? Has he been removed from contact with kids, or is he still at the AS?
Posted by: Deirdre Mundy | May 11, 2012 at 07:39 AM
I second Deirdre Aaron!
It sounds as though they are mostly self reporting. Thus only those victims who complained loudly and/or publicly are likely to be heard. Are there many more victims out there who are cowed by the power or prestige of the macielistas?
Posted by: Ohh | May 11, 2012 at 07:56 AM
According to Wikipedia, they have just shy of 900 priests-- if 7 are under investigation for abuse and 2 more for the SD thing, that means 1% of current LC priests are under investigation!!! Doesn't that seem like a pretty high percentage? Sure, other orders have had problems, but, for instance, to have a similar schedule among Jesuit priests, you'd need close to 150 simultaneous accusations! (or 45 Dominicans --just counting priests for all of these, not brothers or seminarians, otherwise numbers would be higher...)
Anyway-- for 1% of an order (assuming wikipedia # of priests is accurate and up to date, which is doubtful) to be involved in abuse? Astounding!
Posted by: Deirdre Mundy | May 11, 2012 at 08:13 AM
Though, also according to wikipedia, the US scandals amounted to about 4% of active priests (Except they included dead priests but, OK)... so I guess 1% is not as shocking as I thought....
Posted by: Deirdre Mundy | May 11, 2012 at 08:16 AM
And if the number of Legionaries provided has been inflated in any way, then the percentage is higher. Given that they haven't adjusted in a long time, and there have been so many defections, the result is rather grim.
Next sign of sanity that we look for is an end to recruiting. Since they're NOT "on track" as indicated, forbearing to take in new members would be the best sign of spiritual health. Without that indication, they're doomed. It is ONLY in dying to self that they might live.
Posted by: giselle | May 11, 2012 at 08:17 AM
Also, this news is in the AP, but have the LC seminarians, families of apostolics, and 3gfs been told?
Posted by: Deirdre Mundy | May 11, 2012 at 09:00 AM
Does anyone know what priests are under investigation? I'd like to know names.
Posted by: wondering | May 11, 2012 at 09:05 AM
Deirdre, I'm consecrated... and yes we got an email yesterday!
Posted by: wondering | May 11, 2012 at 09:06 AM
Good! That's certainly a change over the Maciel years! :)
Posted by: Deirdre Mundy | May 11, 2012 at 09:07 AM
Wow! Congrats Aaron and everyone who stood up for truth & justice!
Posted by: Dingledore | May 11, 2012 at 09:16 AM
OK: "an email yesterday"??? How many months/years were they sitting on this story before the top blew off? Given LC SOP, they don't fess up 'til it's the ONLY option left on the table. ALSO: humans being humans and such, if MM's abuse led to a small number of his victims becoming abusers, how many more abusers do you think are still quietly hiding in the Borg (the victims of the victims.) I copied the AP story to a number of my RC friends this AM w/out response. I'm guessing they were carefully prepared for the news release ("it's another part of the Cross that we will all carry out of our love for Christ...."
Posted by: Steve | May 11, 2012 at 09:18 AM
I still remember how poor Fr. Gill was sent to Raleigh way back when MM was remanded to custody (I mean, "a life of prayer and penance.") He had to bend himself twelve different ways to try to put the best face on a HORRIBLE story. Am guessing that the big donors and largest surviving sections got similar visits in the past few days to prepare them for this newest "challenge" in their life of mindless cult adherence or "following Christ's call" as they would call it. I wonder how many more "happy face" LCs will wake up after this story settles in...?
Posted by: Steve | May 11, 2012 at 09:23 AM
I'm waiting for the e-mail to the membership . . .
Posted by: In RC But Not Of It | May 11, 2012 at 09:31 AM
. . . meaning the rest of the membership (other than the 3gf/m).
Posted by: In RC But Not Of It | May 11, 2012 at 09:32 AM
@Aaron: I pray that the Lord continues to heal and bless you. Your courage is very much a big part of today's story.
@Wondering: LC SOP: You'll get the names when either the press prints them OR in an email sent to you right after the LCs discover that the press is about to print them. Or you can go and hunt around on the www.regainnetwork.org website. I'm pretty sure that a few of the old LCs listed there will make the list.
And I still remember when Fr. John Hopkins hit Raleigh in 2010 for some damage control (a few of us former RCs had been invited to an open meeting.) He loudly told me just how many untruths and lies were on the LARC and RN websites and I loudly told him that they outed his boy (MM) years before they did, so I wasn't sure how much stock to put in his claims.
Posted by: Steve | May 11, 2012 at 09:34 AM
All of my kids spent time in the Legion, 10 yrs, 8 yrs, 2 for 3 during high school and one for 6 months in Mexico. The spiritual and emotional abuse they endured didn't start coming to the surface for months after they all came home. My oldest is just feeling the affects after 4 years out. We know so many exLC's that are in the same boat but no one wants to hear it or talk about it. When you bring it up, people say, oh, it's over now, you need to take the good your kids received and focus on that. So glad that more is being exposed but they haven't even touched the surface. Maybe I'll write a book too....Aaron...I was so happy to see you mentioned. Your suffering will not be in vain...
Posted by: Mercy | May 11, 2012 at 09:39 AM
In RC-- There will be an email to all members..and Steve is right...it will be all about suffering and enduring the cross...so sick of it all...
Posted by: Mercy | May 11, 2012 at 09:42 AM
"Surely now, they will stop recruiting for the time being to be sure that they have the proper foundation to support healthy vocations."
Good one, Giselle!!
Posted by: Laurettas | May 11, 2012 at 10:21 AM
In RC: Am thinking there are three or four reasons that you have yet to get an email:
(1) You, your team, or your section have been deemed "expendable" and thus, not worth informing.
(2) The LC Damage Control office is either closed, clueless or confounded.
(3) See #1
(4) The LC PTB see this story as "so yesterday" that it doesn't merit a response. They've moved on and so should you.
(5) Or, of course, see #1. Didn't you guys pay your dues this past year?
Posted by: Steve | May 11, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Way to go Aaron and Giselle! I can't help but be hopeful that good will come of this press release. At the very least, maybe a few more members will at last discern that it's O.K. with God if they leave l/r.
Posted by: Maria G. | May 11, 2012 at 10:34 AM
No Steve, I predict we will get an e-mail. It will be forwarded by our section director once she receives it from Territorial. It will simultaneously appear on the RC website but not on RC-Live.
Posted by: In RC But Not Of It | May 11, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Hate to say it but some of the consecrated and RCW leaders were complicit in manipulation and should be ashamed of the way they treated their women. They know who they are...mean-spirited, selfish women. I will pray for them.
Posted by: Dingledore | May 11, 2012 at 10:43 AM
Up in Philly, Msgr. William Lynn is in a criminal trial over charges he was complicit in continuing to assign priests to active ministries in the Archdiocese AFTER credible charges of sexual abuse had been brought against them (helpfully, the story is next to today's LC article.)
I say this because my 8 years of experience with the LCs left me with the impression that they don't use the bathroom, let alone set aside credible allegations of abuse unless someone up the chain of command has said to do so.
The RegainNetwork has an abundance of credible allegations of abuse that have been available to the whole world for the past 8-10 years. And a few of them only made it into a Vatican investigation TODAY?
Given how small the chain of command has been over the years, it's a stretch to believe that the crew currently running the show were not somewhere in the communications or decision making channels on several of these cases. It's REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE.
SO: just like in the days when MM would suddenly not be able to appear at some major US RC event that happened to coincide with credible allegations about his crimes in the press ("he was needed at the Vatican..."), I'm guessing the LCs who don't enjoy plausible deniability about criminal coverups will probably do their best to stay outside the boundaries of the US court system. Keep track of who never manages to visit the US and you'll get a sense of who makes this short list.
Posted by: Steve | May 11, 2012 at 10:48 AM
I further predict that the e-mail will be straightforward, without the silly excuses or references to "suffering" "The Cross" or "poor us" that we've seen in prior years. These mindsets are without doubt still alive and well among the LC leadership, of course, but they have to be more subtle in how that gets communicated. And of course they'll just use this as another example of how they are "walking in lockstep with the Church (neither one step ahead nor behind)" in all matters.
Posted by: In RC But Not Of It | May 11, 2012 at 10:52 AM