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PDF versionVatican statement on Maciel, Legionaries
by John L Allen Jr on May. 01, 2010
Today the Vatican released a comminque summarizing the results of a year-long investigation of the Legionaries of Christ, indicating that Pope Benedict XVI will shortly appoint a special delegate to lead the order and a commission to review its founding documents.
The language of today's statement is remarkably blunt, referring to a "system of power" created by the founder of the Legionaries, Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado, designed to hide "true crimes" and a private life "without scruples or authentic religious sentiment." The statement indicated that the Legionaries must follow a "path of purification," including a "sincere encounter" with victims of sexual abuse inside and outside the order.
After years of denial, the Legionaries have recently been forced to acknowledge that Maciel lived a double life, including having a child out of wedlock with a woman with whom he was in a long-term relationship and to whom he provided financial support. Maciel has also been accused of sexual abuse of former members of the order.
The Vatican statement expressed Pope Benedict's gratitude for the "courage and steadfastness" of those who brought charges against Maciel over the years.
The following is an NCR translation of the Vatican communique, released this afternoon Rome time in Italian.
COMMUNIQUE OF THE HOLY SEE
1. From April 30 to May 1, the Cardinal Secretary of State presided over a meeting in the Vatican with the five bishops who had been charged with carrying out the Apostolic Visitation of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ (Archbishop Ricardo Blázquez Pérez of Valladolid, Spain; Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, Colorado; Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati Andrello of Concepción, Chile; Bishop Giuseppe Versaldi of Alessandria, Italy; and Bishop Ricardo Watty Urquidi of Tepic, Mexico). The prefects of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and the substitute for General Affairs of the Secretary of State, also took part in the meeting.
One of the sessions took place in the presence of the Holy Father, to whom the Visitors presented a synthesis of their presentations, which had already been sent in.
In the course of those visits, more than 1,000 Legionaries were met, and hundreds of written testimonies were evaluated. The Visitors went to virtually all the religious houses and many of the apostolic works directed by the congregation. They listened, either in person or in written form, to the judgments of many diocesan bishops in countries in which the congregation works. The Visitors also met numerous members of the “Regnum Christi” movement, even though it was not the object of the visit, in particular consecrated men and women. They also received considerable correspondence from laity involved in the movement and from the families of members.
The five Visitors testified to the sincere welcome they received, and the spirit of active cooperation demonstrated by the congregation and by the individual religious. Although the Visitors acted independently, they arrived at an amply convergent evaluation and a shared judgment. They attested that they had met a great number of exemplary, honest religious, full of talent, many of them young, who seek Christ with authentic zeal and who offer the whole of their existence for the diffusion of the Kingdom of God.
2. The Apostolic Visit was able to determine that the conduct of Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado has caused serious consequences in the life and the structure of the Legion, which requires a path of profound revision.
The extremely grave and objectively immoral behavior of Fr. Maciel, which has been confirmed by irrefutable testimony, takes the form of true crimes and demonstrates a private life without scruples or authentic religious sentiment. That life was hidden from the great majority of Legionaries, above all because of a system of relationships constructed by Fr. Maciel, who was adept at creating alibis for himself and winning the trust, confidence and silence of those around him, reinforcing his role as a charismatic founder.
By discrediting and pushing away those who doubted the correctness of his behavior, as well as through a mistaken desire not to undercut the good he was doing for the Legion, they created a mechanism of defense around [Maciel] that made him immune to attack for a long time, consequently making an awareness of his real life extremely difficult.
3. The sincere zeal of the majority of the Legionaries, which also emerged during the visits to the houses of the congregation and their many works, which are widely appreciated, caused many in the past to believe that the accusations – which gradually became more insistent, surfacing here and there – could only be calumnies.
For that reason, the discovery and realization of the truth about the founder has provoked among the members of the Legion surprise, upset, and profound sorrow, which were distinctly manifested to the Visitors.
4. From the results of the Apostolic Visit, the following points, among others, have emerged with clarity:
a) The necessity to redefine the charism of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, preserving the true nucleus, that of being a “Militia Christi,” which distinguishes the apostolic and missionary action of the Church, and which is not identified with efficiency at any cost;
b) The necessity to review the exercise of authority, which must be connected to truth, in order to respect conscience and to develop it in light of the Gospel as authentic ecclesial service;
c) The necessity to preserve the enthusiasm of the faith of the young, the missionary zeal, the apostolic dynamism, through an adequate formation. In fact, delusion about the founder could call into question the vocation, and that nucleus of a charism, which belongs to the Legionaries of Christ and is rightfully theirs.
5. The Holy Father wants to reassure all the Legionaries and the members of the “Regnum Christi” movement that they will not be left alone: The Church has a firm determination to accompany them, and to help them in the path of purification which awaits them. This path also implies a sincere encounter with all those, inside and outside of the Legion, who have been victims of sexual abuse and of the system of power put in place by the founder. The thoughts and prayers of the Holy Father are with these victims right now, together with gratitude for all those who, despite great difficulties, had the courage and the steadfastness to insist upon the truth.
6. The Holy Father, in thanking the Visitors for the delicate work they performed with competence, generosity and deep pastoral sensitivity, has taken it upon himself to indicate very soon the form this “accompanying” will take, beginning with the appointment of a Delegate and a commission of study of the order’s constitution.
For the consecrated members of the “Regnum Christi” movement, who insistently asked for it, the Holy Father will send a Visitor.
7. Finally, the Holy Father renews his encouragement for all the Legionaries of Christ, their families, and the laity involved in the “Regnum Christi” movement, in this difficult moment for the Congregation and for each of them. He exhorts them to not lose sight that their vocation – which comes from the call of Christ, and which is animated by the ideal of giving witness of his love to the world – is an authentic gift of God, a richness for the Church, and is the indestructible foundation upon which to build their personal future and that of the Legion.
Another example of a sham
Another example of a sham "investigation". The Legionaries should have been suppressed decades ago. What does this pope do? He reinforces bad behavior with little more than a slap on the wrist.
"5. The Holy Father wants to
"5. The Holy Father wants to reassure all the Legionaries and the members of the “Regnum Christi” movement that they will not be left alone..."
Let's face it, there's no way in hell that the Vatican is gonna dismantle a CASH COW like the LC and RC.
Please tell me that the
Please tell me that the consecrated women of Regnum Christi will be taken care of regarding health care, retirement and annual trips home funded by the movement. It is terrible being a parent of a consecrated member, not knowing what will happen to your child in future. What will be done about the brainwashing that has occurred, will there be professional (non movement) psychological help for those remaining in the order? You cannot imagine the anguish parents have suffered through all of this mess. Please do all that you can to encourage those in power to address these issues.
A hypocritical mess, I agree.
A hypocritical mess, I agree. This does not take away from the work that the Legion is accomplishing or has accomplished. You should not be ashamed of your daughter's choice or anyone's choice for that matter
to be consecrated. The alternative is a world that is unmerciful, uncaring, and just as scrupluous or more. Please remember that we all have a fallen nature, proclivities that are not perfect. The pope is coming out with a strong hand, because he must for the sake of those who see the church from the outside. If he were passive towards this behavior, the whole church would receive condemnation, even if he approves of the work that the order has accomplished.
J in Texas
Fortunately, particularly for
Fortunately, particularly for the Pope, Cardinal Razinger wasn't one of the cardinals who were "on the take" and readily available to receive Fr. Maciel's cash. I hope and pray that every cardinal, no matter how high up in the Curia, will be dismissed if it is discovered that they were benefactors of Maciel's calculated generousity, which led to the disgusting coverups of rape and sodomy that we are facing today. The Maciel case could prove to be a turning point in Pope Benedict's papacy.......... for good or for the bad. How he handles the restructing of the Legion will go down in history and will not be forgotten in our generation. May he have the courage and strength to do so honestly.
Can you have an authentic
Can you have an authentic charism when it is built on a sham?
I really feel for the members of the LC who have been duped, but "preserving" or protecting their vocation seems a poor choice of words on which to proceed. Very paternalistic and seems flawed. What are they protecting?
I think refounding is the way to proceed (even though no one asked my opinion). The members have to decide how to do this, not have someone do it for them.
I do not care for the LC way, not the "militia" approach to the world. Seems an anachronism. If there is an authentic charismatic kernel on which to build, it needs to be a new beginning. An opportunity.
Given that the Legion. are
Given that the Legion. are worth literally MILLIONS of dollars .... one is not surprised that the Holy See elected reform rather than closing. And on we go as usual ....... Maciel is out .... but those who made his life easy [those in sensitive positions] REMAIN in office. When will Rome learn???
There is no mention here of
There is no mention here of the vow that was taken by this group to not criticize their superiors or allow anyone else to criticize them. Wouldn't that have been the first hint that something is rotten here? This statement really doesn't say much at all. It was barely worth translating from Italian. There's nothing beyond what we already knew. Was nothing gained by the Visitation? In fact, we seem to be going backwards here. Are they acknowledging only one child by the founder now? Are they waiting for results of paternity tests regarding the others? If they can't come clean, it's just another freakin cover-up.
The thing I disliked the most about this crowd is that when it was reported that the founder abused children, there was little reaction and little concern. But when it came out that the founder also had heterosexual sex with women and bore children, all hell broke loose. The sex with children didn't bring outrage. The sex with women did. Very telling.
God Bless Pope Benedict XVI
God Bless Pope Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church.
Can't derail that gravy train
Can't derail that gravy train feeding the LoC heads and the arrogant, avaricious, mitered and red hatted queens in the Vatican.
The Legionaries of Christ and
The Legionaries of Christ and their lay arm Regnum Christi have been a lucrative cash cow for the Vatican for years. Ratzinger will do whatever it takes to re-legitimize this group given the financial hits the Vatican is taking throughout Europe. Jason Berry has done a stellar job covering Maciel's money role in the Vatican and how cash drives papal favoritism and administrative decisions. Learn more at http:\\www.jasonberryauthor.com
How about Cardinal Law ?
How about Cardinal Law ?
A lot of purification is
A lot of purification is needed. They had become so blindly cultic. Those in leadership continued Maciel's evil ideas even while he wasn't around. Do you think this type of people ever really change?
Come on, John Allen! Is this
Come on, John Allen!
Is this the best you can do? "Maciel has also been accused of sexual abuse of former members of the order." Thanks for nothing. Maybe Maciel abused, maybe not? He's only "accused" after all, in your lexicon.
Do you also use "alleged" whenever possible? Can't you spit out the straightforward words here that Maciel actually abused minor seminarians? What needs to happen for you to acknowledge that?
Here is word today from Juan Vaca, an actual real live survivor of sexual molestation by Maciel, no qualifiers needed:
“They don’t say anything about all the harm, about how they treated us like liars,” said Mr. (Juan) Vaca, a professor of sociology and psychology at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. “I have my dreams completely shattered.”
Help! Where is Jason Berry to cover this story?
What I want to know is
What I want to know is this:
Why the total loss of such great and holy priests for purely political purposes such as Friar Leonardo Boff (please see on this Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker his treatise on Saint Joseph: The Father of Jesus in a Fatherless Society), the Reverend Father Miguel D'Escoto and the brothers Cardenal, the recently awarded and Reverend Father Charles Curran, and so many more never brought back into the fold as unquestioningly as were those schismatic SSPX boys; why so many religious organizations so quietly suppressed a generation ago who walked with the poor People of God unto integral liberation, such as our good sisters now, who actively bring healing and truth and education and real, effective comfort and shelter, while these Marciel militants receive not suppression but really nothing more than the ability to continue, fortified and strengthened, and pontifically blessed, to continue to abuse and to lord it over the Church, oppressing the poor?
Money talks.
Opus Dei walks.
The abuse of power and people
The abuse of power and people by Fr. Maciel not only has profound implications for members of the Legion, it also has implications for the man who sheltered him, promoted him, and very deliberately refused to allow any accusations against him to be investigated. That man is Pope John Paul II. At the very least, he should not be cannonized.
My sincere apologies to the
My sincere apologies to the participants on the NCR blog. I have become increasingly reactionary/incendiary in my comments on various blogs. I'm going to take a 'time out', something my mother never did for me as far as I can remember. I've seen a lot of pain and I've read a lot of books. Catholicism is huge and I don't want to be crushed as the fissures grow and a new 'being together' forms. I want to thank all of the columnists at NCR for their critical catholic reportage, I may find my way home yet.
All I can say is BRAVO to the
All I can say is BRAVO to the Holy Father and the investigating clergy. Things will get better.
next: opus dei
next: opus dei
And then you and me
And then you and me
Opus Dei, next? hmmm. not
Opus Dei, next? hmmm. not likely to find any sex abuse charges against them. Isn't the new cardinal of L.A. opus dei? Don't be so quick to judge!
something to reflect on:
something to reflect on: chapter 23 of the Gospel according to Matthew.
The glaring omission in the
The glaring omission in the Vatican statement... Degollado could not have committed his "extremely grave and objectively immoral behavior" over decades, without the active complicity of Vatican officials, many of whom continue to hold high offices. John Paul II was himself an enabler — the cause for sainthood should be abandoned.
.
Finally admitting what is no longer possible to deny — the Vatican's favored golden boy was an amoral skunk — still does not place responsibility and accountability in the Roman Curia where it actually belongs. Unless the accomplices are removed from their cushy and powerful offices, this continues to be all talk and just another Vatican CYA maneuver.
Should the Vatican do the
Should the Vatican do the same thing with Vatican?
now, investigate opus dei
now, investigate opus dei
Just a comment dear John: You
Just a comment dear John:
You say "the American church" in your article.This is not correct.The correct is to say "The Church in The United States of America" as far as is only ONE CHURCH.
Positively
Néstor
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