On the Fr. Tom Doyle controversy…

Weighing in on the controversy over Fr. Tom Doyle’s unfortunate comments vis-a-vis Pope Benedict that got picked up by Christopher Hitchens, I understand where Fr. Zuhlsdorf and Giselle are coming from. I too cringed when I read Fr. Doyle’s comments. It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Pope Benedict, and I also believe he has handled the Maciel/Legion scandal well. Keep in mind that he took on Maciel, behind Pope John Paul II’s back, when other powerful curial cardinals were squarely in the Legion’s corner.
That being said, we ought not throw stones at Fr. Tom. He too is a major victim in all this. At one time he was on the fast-track to the pointy hat as a rising star in the canon law world. However, he gave it all up to help victims of clerical sexual misconduct when the bulk of the Church hierarchy was playing hardball with victims and covering up. Because of his moral courage in backing victims, testifying against fellow priests in civil courts when needed, Fr. Tom became a pariah among Catholic churchmen. The abuse and character assassination he suffered was on par with Barba, Vaca and the first group of Maciel’s victims to come forward.
I remember when his name was a curse word in the Church. I remember when people use to laugh at him for predicting an impending major sexual abuse crisis that would severely tarnish the Church. I remember making the mistake, around the time I earned my licentiate in canon law, of saying: “I think Fr. Tom Doyle is right.” Two years later, nobody was laughing at Fr. Tom and his wild predictions. However, the damage had been done to his name and to his career.

Today is St. Patrick Day…

…so I’ll be searching for pots o’ charism at the end of the rainbows. Here’s some of my favorite Celtic music (which has helped keep me sane over the last year) to entertain you during my absence. Eat, drink and be merry – for tomorrow we pray and fast for the victims:
Loreena McKennitt

The Chieftains & Sinead O’Connor

Máiréad Nesbitt /Celtic Women – [WARNING: Not approved by Pure Fashion police]

Great Big Sea

The Irish Rovers

Then success to bold Saint Patrick’s fist,
He was a saint so clever,
He gave the snakes and toads a twist,
and banished them forever!

If you’re RC/exRC just tuning into the controversy…

…you may find the following resources helpful in helping to make sense of everything:
– St. Ignatius of Loyola’s rules for discerning spirits.
– Nathan O’Halloran’s essay Jesuit Obedience and the Legionaries of Christ. Nathan is a young orthodox Catholic and a graduate of Franciscan University in Steubenville. He briefly considered a vocation with the Legionaries before discerning God’s call to become part of the current Jesuit revival in orthodoxy.
– St. Bruno’s famous Letter to Raoul de Verde.

Sandro Magister: LC trying to preserve positive image of Maciel

Many speculate about the future of the Legion of Christ and what the AV will hold, but few do so with the accuracy and credibility of Vatican correspondent Sandro Magister. Has he published even one prediction concerning the Legion that has not come to fruition? So his observations are always taken seriously by Vatican watchers – both inside and outside the Holy See.
This observation, from a piece Magister published today, scares me:

Priests and seminarians who until very recently were steeped in the writings attributed to Maciel will have difficulty finding new sources of inspiration, not generic but specific to their order. The current leaders of the congregation aren’t helping, either. On the contrary. One of Maciel’s former personal secretaries, Fr. Felipe Castro, together with other priests of the Legion, has worked in recent months to select from among the founder’s many letters a group of letters to be “saved” for the future, to keep a positive image of Maciel alive.
The dependence of the Legionaries on Maciel was – and for many still is – absolute. There wasn’t a shred of daily life that escaped the rules he dictated. Absurdly exacting rules. Which prescribed, for example, how to sit at the table, how to use a napkin, how to swallow, how to eat chicken without using one’s hands, how to debone a fish.
But this was nothing compared to the control exercised over consciences. The handbook for the examination of conscience at the end of the day was 332 pages long, with thousands of questions.

The whole piece is well worth reading. You can do so by clicking here.