Bonum invited ex-Legionary Mortalitor to guest blog (click here). Here is one of the insights Mortalitor shared concerning his experience with the Legion:
Now if we remove all vestiges of Fr. MM, his works and writings, then you in essence have removed the spirituality of the Legion, that which makes the Legion the Legion, the identity which separates it from all the other orders and the diocese. This is true because the legion only uses its founder's writings and the bible as their only source for spirituality. The legion would lose its identity and would have to find a new one. This finding of a new spiritual identity, as an order could be an exciting and wonderful experience, one that I wouldn't mind being a part of. However, who is to lead this new spiritual journey? Certainly not the Legion's current leadership.
To which an anonymous commentator responds:
Father Maciel claimed his innocence. Please note he never was tried in a civil or ecclesiatical court. The campaign against Father Maciel and the Legion of Christ is a smear campaign which roots are in pride and envy.
Hopefully this commentator is simply a troll on a drive-by, or represents an extreme minority within LC/RC. If he represents the majority of insiders, we may well have a schism on our hands. 'Cause Pope Benedict shows no sign of relenting in his campaign to rid the Church of filth.
From what I have see of most RC and LC few are living that extreme level of denial. What is really the going catch-phrase is 'let's wait for the AV.' Behind that one can find one of two meanings: A) A Hesitation and fear to separate from the Movement or Legion, and that they are using the AV delay to keep from facing into the consequences of what they really believe now about RC/LC B) A great assurance that anything coming from the AV will only acknowledge the flawed instrument thesis, confirm all the good and further the perception that all is well. "It's always been about Christ" will be the escape from processing any further the history or complications of MM's life and witness.
You know, that's interesting. That quote reminds me of the Japanese soldiers found on stray Pacific islands after WW2 had ended, still fighting for the Divine Emperor. Imagine their shock when they found out that not only had Japan surrendered, but their Emperor had renounced his claim to divinity. Poor men!
I don't think I worry as much about the "Maciel was framed!" crowd as much as I do the well-heeled polished Catholics who dismiss the victims of paederasty and incest with, "Well, I'm sorry but my experience has been good." Their response is chilling for its insensitivity, its lack of proportion and the poor formation it represents.
It's the same with those who lose their faith. Give me a firm atheist over a nominal Catholic who supports abortion, same-sex marriage and and euthanasia any day. At least the atheist has some sense of integrity.
The article gives a good incite into how non-Catholics view the Catholic Church in the pedophile scandal.
I agree with anonymous. The "let's wait for the AV" results is strategically wise on the part of the Legion. One, it bolsters their claim to being ever obedient to Rome. Two, Rome never issues harsh statements. Thus anything Rome issues wrt the result of the AV will be couched in charitable Vatican-speak, and will be easily spin-able by the LC powers that be. This respresents the best hope for the Legion to hang onto their RC faithful.
Not that I want to see it, but it looks to me like the long-range corporate planners behind the Legion are quite prepared to throw the Legion under the bus and attach their non-profit selves to...hm... my guess is Fr. Benedict Groeschel. There's been alot of footsie under the table, and Fr. BG is a cult figure in himself with a not-so-sanctified past as some would have the world believe. So, as the old romantic saying goes: "If you can't be near the one you love, you love the one you're near." I'm just saying...
Marigold,
Wow. I have no idea if you have insider info, or if this is purely speculation on your part, but I am glad you shared it because it sounds TOTALLY like something the Legion might do. I've been telling my husband for weeks that the Legion Powers That Be will destroy the Legion before they will lose their 25 billion.
Your scenario would help explain why Fr. Groeschel was so happy his LC/RC friends were hanging on last February:
"And first of all, let me say that the Legionaries have many friends, and I've been on the phone with a number of members of Regnum Christi who are friends and associates of mine, especially through the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, which I am a faculty member of. And I'm so delighted to know that the spirit of the Lord is with you in this time of suffering and that people are holding on."
(http://www.zenit.org/article-25248?l=english)
I don't trust any cults of personalities after what we've been through in the past few years, and I especially trust anybody who encourages that type of cult to exist around himself/herself (don't know enough about Fr. Groeschel to know if that is the case with him, mind you).
I also don't trust anybody who tells us to hang on to an order of priests whose existence makes a mockery of everything our Church has ever taught about the importance of the spirit and aims of the Founder to the existence of the order.
Time will tell if that is the direction the Legion plans to take. I'm quite sure it is capable of that kind of shape-shifting.
In fairness to Fr. Groeschel, a few points:
- He's a Franciscan. Franciscans tend to be very generous with everyone. So I think we need to interpret his past going easy on the Legion in this light.
- Every dealing I have had with Fr. Groeschel or his brothers has been above-board, and I've never had the same sense about them that I had about the Legion. So despite some imperfections here and there - which we all have - I think we need to assume Fr. Groeschel and the Franciscans of the Renewal are acting in good faith.
- Everything I know about Fr. Groeschel is that he is a man of prayer. That alone distinguishes him from Maciel, founder of the Legion.
- Fr. Groeschel is pretty open about his faults, from what I can tell. He also does not set himself up as a paragon of holiness. That's a big distinction between him and Maciel.
- To my knowledge there has never been an accusation against Fr. Groeschel of priestly impropriety.
Pete,
Thanks so much for the clarification. My concern would be not so much that Fr. Groeschel was of questionable intent but more that he, too, might be sucked into the idea that the Legion is a great place to be, minus the child rapist founder, of course. And that he might end up being used by the Legion to lend credibility to the Movement without being at all aware of the problems with the methodology. He would certainly not be the first man of prayer and generosity to be used in this way by the Legion.
And I do have to say I mistrust any kind of cult following....and I've heard enough Catholics gushing about Fr. Groeschel to be wary. That's one of the casualties of this LC/RC debacle in my life---trust in anything that lots of Catholics are gushing about. I try not to throw out the baby with the bathwater, but it's not easy.
It may all be as you say, Pete, in justice. Maybe so, but I'm not convinced. It is your job to be fair, and while it may not be my job to doubt that appearances may be other than what they seem, I've become sensitive because of long association with the works and pomps of the Legion to "appearances." But I'll add in the next breath, with sincerity and gratitude, that my Catholic Faith is strong and has, in fact, been strengthened by this Maciel/Legion scandal. Here are my on-going concerns about Fr. Benedict G:
1) His name and face are on many of the fund-raising letters that arrive at my address. Some of these organizations and institutions are new upstarts. Are they trustworthy? I don't know, but this I do know: the Legion creates alot of new front organizations and gets some important person to promote them.
2) Fr. BG is closely associated with the Institute for Psychological Services, a known Legionary organization, which had very questionable beginnings.
3) The "Bella" movie was made with Legion/Regnum backing and promotion; it was the Franciscian Friars of the Renewal who are not only featured in the movie (train scene), but who gave lodging to some of the film crew at the time of the shooting.
4) It is Fr. BG who is usually found giving pep-talks and comfort to the Legionary assembly and who is often featured on Legion/Regnum-backed conferences and workshops.
Maybe Fr.BG is a man of prayer and one who loves God and the Church, but maybe not. He's not my son or father or brother; I know nothing of his habits or holiness. What I do know is that he seems to be connected with several LC/RC operations and is their loyal supporter, by all appearances. There are only two reasons why he would continue to be associated with the Legion, under the circumstances: he has been duped, as many people have, and is being led through his naivte to support what he believes to be good or else...and I realize this may be unjust... he may be looking for an opportunity that might present itself in the Titanic wake of the Legion's misfortunes.
One of the consequences of this whole Maciel scandal, which is both good and bad, is that it has made orthodox Catholics think twice before supporting apostolate that claims to be orthodox Catholic [TM] just because it claims Catholic orthodoxy.
That being said, we have to be careful not to become overly suspicious of other orthodox Catholics.
With regards to Fr. Groeschel, I too am uncomfortable with the degree of support he gives some LC/RC-sponsored apostolate. However, his conscience is different than mine, although I believe we both try and form our consciences according to Church teaching.
I also know, from past experiences with new ecclesiastical movements that were going through a rough patch, that he and his brothers offered much-needed prayer and support at a much-needed time, in order to help these movements overcome various temptations and to come back into the heart of the Church. So I don't see his actions toward LC/RC right now as too out-of-character or as a form of favoritism.
That being said, I think it would be a good thing if Father and his Franciscans were handed over some LC/RC North American apostolates, provided he and his Franciscans were also given actual power to make the changes necessary to reform these apostolates. And while I don't see him as a candidate for outside superior of the LC - age, poor health, not a bishop - I could see the Holy See adding him to a general council from the outside that will assist the new superior.
I automatically tear up and throw away anything that has Fr Groeschel's name or picture on the front; I have neither the time nor the inclination to learn whether or not it's yet another stealth Legion money pit. He's either gullible or evil but the Holy Spirit has not asked me to try to determine which of those two it is. I hope he spends eternity in heaven. the end.