I was thirteen years old and I was heartbroken. First day on the ground there in New Hampshire and the first of many heartbreaks had arrived in full force. I was so homesick I felt physically ill for the first four months or so. To make matters worse the fathers and brothers intercepted phone calls from my parents for the first two weeks, telling them not to call for awhile in order to let me settle in. They also opened all my mail before I got it in order to "safeguard my vocation". As if my "vocation" was so fragile that I wouldn't be able to handle a bit of bad news from home.

My letters to my folks were also screened before being sent. I submitted a letter to my mom and dad and the brother returned it to me and chastised me for submitting it closed. He told me that there were no secrets here and that from now on I was to leave all my envelopes open in order for the priests and brothers to read them first. This was a crucial time for them to start indoctrinating me and the other boys that had arrived.

We were told from the get go that our discernment process was over. God had led us to the Legion and it was safe to assume that was how he let us know that we all had vocations, all of us! We were told, in no uncertain terms that Christ had entrusted souls to our care. We were told that failure to remain in the Legion would result in the loss of those souls and certainly our own as well, was that something we could live with?

Read Bonum's entire story by clicking here. I believe Bonum's experience also answers former Legionary Jack Keogh's (aka Monk) protest that "it's gross overstatement to suggest that [LC/RC] 'stake their souls' on Maciel's spiritual path."

Anyway, I'll leave it to readers to judge what's 'beyond the pale" for a 13-year-old receiving religious instruction while away from his family. At that age, my biggest worry was that the neighbors would think I'm a geek because my parents prohibited me for religious reasons from listening to Iron Maiden:

Original entry:

There was no direct mention of the Legion of Christ in yesterday's press statement by the Holy See "concerning cases of the sexual abuse of minors in ecclesiastical institutions." However, in addressing the scandal in other parts of Europe - namely, according to the statement, "the German Jesuit Province (the first to be involved, through the case of the Canisius-Kolleg in Berlin), the German Episcopal Conference, the Austrian Episcopal Conference and the Netherlands Episcopal Conference - the Holy See Press Office offers us insights into Pope Benedict's thinking on the issue:

The main ecclesiastical institutions concerned [...] have faced the emergence of problem with timely and decisive action. They have demonstrated their desire for transparency and, in a certain sense, accelerated the emergence of the problem by inviting victims to speak out, even when the cases involved date from many years ago. By doing so they have approached the matter 'on the right foot', because the correct starting point is recognition of what happened and concern for the victims and the consequences of the acts committed against them.

To read the Holy See's press statement, please click here.

- Bruno was one of the most remarkable scholars and teacher of his time: "...a prudent man whose word was rich in meaning."

- His Order enjoys the distinction of never becoming unfaithful to the spirit of its founder, never needing a reform.

- St. Bruno is the patron of diabolic possession and Ruthenia.

You can read the entire bio here. Here is a translation of St. Bruno's famous letter to his friend Raoul Le Verd. And this link takes you to several prayers to St. Bruno.

Reader James Bremmer pipes in with some good information in the comments section of a previous blog entry:

March 18, is the anniversary of Maciel's baptism. Traditionally, in the Legion, this day was also celebrated as a first class feastday. I just spoke with my brother in the Legion's house of formation in Connecticut, he has been doing a Eucharistic hour everyday since the apostolic visitation began, praying for the success of the visitation. Not all Legionaries are bad and should not be painted with that brush, some are there to serve the church.

You are not the first concerned friend of family member to whom I have spoken. Over the last couple weeks I have heard several stories of people on the inside who "get it," and who are praying that Rome successfully sorts everything out. I am told that the incest allegations have shocked even many who had remained serene up until now.

As the old cliche goes, I have some good news and I have bad news if the the Holy See refounds the Legion. FIrst the bad news: It will be priests like your brother who have the toughest road ahead. While those priests who played a major role in Maciel's coverup will likely find themselves sidelined, while other priests in the rank-and-file leave for dioceses or other orders, priests like your brother are left to pick up the pieces.

It's a demanding task as they will be required to simultaneously bring justice to Maciel's victims, restore trust among the laity, reassure their own concerned and disappointed laity, show obedience in letter and spirit to legitimate Church authority, and win over hard-core and old guard Maciel loyalists among their priestly ranks. Not an easy task.

However, the good news - according to Pope Paul VI in Mysterium Fidei - comes from the fruits of daily Eucharistic hour. Christ will be with your brother to strengthen him, and the Church present to guide him along. However, if I may be so bold as to make a recommendation, your brother will likely need his hour of daily Eucharistic adoration even more after the AV than during it.

So let's add James's brother to the list of people we pray and fast for today. Let us also agree to March 18 as another day of prayer and fasting for Maciel's victims and members currently caught in the system. Let us pray that God gives current members the opportunity to see this scandal through the eyes of the victims, as well as the humility to sincerely apologize and offer these victims restitution. And let us pray He grants the victims the grace to heal and forgive.

Pete, some have said the Legion might be refounded. How would that work?

Only the Holy Father would know for sure, since he is the one who would have to approve it. That being said, here are some possibilities, in no particular order:

1 - A name change
2 - A new set of constitutions
3 - New leadership, likely a combination of overseers imposed from outside the movement and new leadership inside.
4 - A particular apostolate and specific devotions.
5 - Some sort of renunciation of Maciel.

Of course one would also expect an apology to Maciel's victims, however, this is not directly tied to a refoundation.

If the Legion were to actually repudiate Fr. Maciel, wouldn't that be admitting that Fr. Maciel didn't impart a genuine charism of the Holy Spirit?

It would become a moot point at the time, given that a new movement would be founded and Maciel would no longer be recognized as founder.

And if that's so, what would the refoundation be based on?

A need in the Church identified by the Holy See.

Can you start a congregation without a charism?

The Holy Spirit can provide a charism through the founder, or He can provide a charism through the Holy See, or through the Bishops if the Holy See decides to break up the order into several smaller orders.

As for the charism of the movement, I see three possibilities, depending upon the AV recommendations and how the LC reacts to them.

1 - The movement decides to cling to Maciel or their way of life, paying the Holy See lip service only. In this case the spirit of the movement remains Maciel's. The Holy See would likely continue to tighten the noose until the movement collapses or goes into schism.

2 - The movement accepts the reforms half-heartedly and/or the bulk of the membership bolts. In this scenario the LC becomes a sort of "half-way house" to contain current LC members until they can find another order or diocese to go to. In this scenario, the charism is that of the half-way house, to provide pastoral support for and reintegrate former members back into the Church mainstream.

3 - The members decide to embrace the reforms whole-heartedly, in both letter and spirit, give it an honest attempt to make things work, and in the process discover a particular need within the Church that they are capable and willing to fill. In this case the fulfillment of the need becomes the charism.

Aren't there some "secrets" among Catholics? The ceremonies of the Knights of Columbus are pretty much kept secret, except from the Church heirarchy, I guess. But women and non-members aren't let in on the ceremonies of the Knights and similar Catholic fraternal organizations.

Speaking as a Knight for 17 years, and the advocate for my council, the Knights of Columbus ceremonies are kinda secret...sorta... You can actually find them in the U.S. Library of Congress. Additionally, it's made clear to every knight in our constitutions and bylaws that the "secret" does not bind if to maintain the secret would violate one's duty toward Church or State.

The same is true of the "secrets" and ceremonies of the International Order of Alhambra, a Catholic fraternal organization of which I'm a former member of the international executive. I would imagine the same is true of the Knights of St. Peter Claver and any Catholic fraternal organization. Similarly, I have several friends who are Opus Dei, have invited me to their events and retreats, and I have never encountered any secrets other than when confessing my sins to a priest affiliated with the movement. But the secrecy of the confessional binds all priests - not only those affiliated with Opus Dei.

That being said, there is an order that is often considered the most secretive in the Church. They have strict haircuts, follow a strict rule when it comes to food, each minute of the day is regimented, and fraternal charity and the spirit of their founder is something you will come across in correspondence with them. In fact, the order has never deviated from the spirit of the founder, and has proven highly resistant to any attempt at reform. The order also has its own internal jargon that few outsiders, when they're permitted inside, seem able to grasp. Which is another thing... not a lot of outsiders within the Church, either among the laity or Church hierarchy, can articulate exactly what members of this order do.

Sound familiar? Well, there's a couple key difference. The first is that their founder is a saint. The second is that all the aforementioned practices work for members of the order. Has for the last 900 years. Which is why they are considered the only major order within the Church never to have been reformed. Additionally, it is said that the devil feared their founder as his holiness drove away even the most obstinate of demons. Here's a link to the order's website.

Here's a peek at life in their monastery:

Be sure to check out Part II, Part III and Part IV.

In recent days there has been much talk about the division this scandal has caused between Catholics. Perhaps we can make tomorrow a day of prayer and fasting for Maciel's victims, in reparation for the evil they suffered at Maciel's hands. Given that tomorrow is Wednesday, not to mention during Lent, it is already a day of fast and abstinence.

I'm assuming that during Lent most readers already recognize the need to pray the Rosary and attend Mass. However, here are further suggestions of prayers and sacrifices we can offer tomorrow for Maciel's victims:

- a Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

- A thorough examination of conscience followed by confession.

- The Chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel

- Apologize to someone you have hurt or wronged over the past year.

- If you are an integrated parent whose evenings (and those of your children) are normally consumed by apostolates, take the night off and spend it together as a family.

- An hour's volunteer at an apostolate or mission that serves the poor - soup kitchen, food bank, St. Vincent de Paul Society, etc.

I'm sure there are many more ideas you can think of. So let's make tomorrow a day of prayer and fasting for Maciel's victims.

While the Legion's website message last week was sympathetic to Lara and her sons, the order made a point of exposing José Raúl González's private demand earlier this year that the Legion pay him $26 million to keep quiet about his father's sexual abuse. The order insists it did not pay, suggesting that as the motive for the tell-all radio interview. Masferrer says the Legion has also circulated reports that Maciel was surrounded by exorcists in his final days, suggesting that his immoral acts were the work of demons and not the priest. That's a Hail Mary ploy at best. And it does little to obscure the fact that it's up to Benedict now to decide whether Padre Maciel's Legion is itself possessed of enough demons to warrant more severe penance.

To read the entire article, please click here.

However, Monsieur Bonum reveals a serious flaw in his character when he proclaims himself an unrepentant fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. For American readers, this is Canada's equivalent to cheering for the Buffalo Bills.

For non-sports fans, Leafs fans are hockey's equivalent to Regnum Christi members. We're not actually sure if they're fans of the sport. They're always making excuses for their team's poor performance, either by diverting the discussion to individual Leaf players or by slagging everyone else's team. (Just substitute Montreal Canadiens for Jesuits and even the conspiracy theories match.)

So it pains me to be a good sport when it comes to theological insights proffered by a Laughs' fan. However, Monsieur Bonum has done an excellent job contrasting the alleged practices of the Legion's apostolic schools with the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. I encourage every concerned parent to read his entry by clicking here.

In the interest of fair play, I'll omit the "SHUT. IT. DOWN" tag for this blog. There's no hope of making the playoffs when you're trailing every other team in the league except the Edmonton Oilers by at least eight points.

Nor do I indulge in speculation about the "final impenitence" of MM. That, I believe is truly beyond the pale and unbecoming of someone whose opinion seems to carry some weight for so many on this and "related" blogs.

For those just tuning into the conversation, the "final impenitence" (note Monk's use of "scare quotes") is a reference to the Like Founder, Like Sons thread.

To answer Monk's question, is it beyond the pale to speculate about Maciel's visible actions alleged on his death bed? I would agree if Maciel was merely a lone individual acting out his perverse fantasies - or nightmares, when one looks at the situation through the eyes of his victims.

However, Maciel was the founder of a large religious order and its lay auxiliary. He offered the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christ his (not His) methodology as a sure means of holiness and path to eternal salvation. Let's assume, for the sake of the argument, that LC and RC are reporting accurate membership numbers. That's 72,000 souls who have staked their eternal fate on the spiritual path revealed to them by Maciel.

Of course nobody but God is competent to judge Maciel's eternal destination. And given that Maciel's canonization is unlikely in the future, we will never know in this lifetime where he ended up in the next. Let us pray that he made his peace with God in his final moments. More importantly, let us pray that his victims make their peace with God before going on to the next life.

Yet with 72,000 souls at stake, the rest of us would do well to heed Maciel's alleged signs of deathbed impenitence. What's beyond the pale is that we would risk losing one more soul to his methodology.

SHUT. IT. DOWN.

(Translated from the Italian version.)

The deviations of Medjugorje
Bp. Ratko Perić, January 25, 2010

Introduction. Recently, after his "private" visit to Medjugorje, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, archbishop of Vienna, stated that in the discernment of the phenomenon, beyond the positive elements, it is necessary to take account also of "some open questions". [1] In this article we report some "dubious" things, erroneous answers or heresies, that is, doctrinal errors written in the Chronicle of the apparitions of the parish of Medjugorje and in some other writings connected with the "Medjugorje phenomenon". The original of the Chronicle is located in the archive of the parish office of Medjugorje, and a copy at the diocesan curia of Mostar. It is not surprising that the "young people of Medjugorje" at one time attributed their imperfect doctrinal knowledge to the Blessed Virgin Mary, but we are surprised at how priests, parochial vicars of the era at Medjugorje, Fr. Tomislav Vlašić (who edited the Chronicle from September 11 [1981] to August 31, 1984) and Fr. Slavko Barbarić (who continued from September 2, 1984 and died in 2000) could have recorded such suspect and heretical phrases. How could they have supposed, not only that there was new knowledge that was supposed to be adopted by individual persons and by groups of the faithful who yearn for "miracles" and "healings", but that the Church herself would also change her biblical and magisterial doctrine! We have already seen various "games" about the "great sign" as well as the innovation about the change of the liturgical calendar relative to the Nativity of the Madonna. Bishop Pavao Žanić wrote several times, with arguments, about these remarks or obvious lies in the context of the Medjugorje phenomenon:

• In the supplement to the diocesan newsletter of 1982;
  
• In the "Current (unofficial) position of the diocesan curia" from 1984;
  
• In the "Declaration on Medjugorje" at Medjugorje in 1987;
  
• In the booklet "The truth about Medjugorje" in 1990 (in Italian, German, English, and French)

Here we will limit ourselves only to the self-evident deviations that are recorded by the chroniclers of Medjugorje as "revelations" and "messages", delivered through the individual "seers".

I keep hearing that I can't really understand RC/LC, because I've never been on the inside. And ex-members have blogged about secret books (some plagiarized!), books only available to members, books that were supposed to be kept hidden in back bedrooms or at retreat centers.

THIS IS NOT CATHOLICISM. We don't have 'secret teachings.' There are no 'secret books of the Benedictines.' Heck, even the 'secret archives' of the Vatican aren't really secret--they're just poorly catalogued and you have to make an appointment to work with them (like most archives). Heck, even the 'secret' parts of the Mass aren't secret. Anyone can get a Sacramentary and see the parts the priest is supposed to say silently.

Read Deidre's entire post here. The whole 'special knowledge from being on the inside' reminds me of the Church's struggle with gnosticism during the early centuries of the Church. It's another good reason to...

SHUT. IT. DOWN.

I invite my readers to adopt the charter as your own, to make a lifelong commitment to live with compassion. I think the principle is especially relevant when discussing the life and times of Fr. Marcial Maciel and the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ.

This request was preceded two days ago by a post Monk titled: Did Fr. Marcial Maciel's "son" ask for $26,000,000?

Notice Monk's use of the reverential prefix 'Fr.' despite all we now know about Maciel. Notice also how Monk's headline zones in on the amount of money requested by Maciel's alleged victim, without mentioning (in the title) the context in which this compensation was requested. And notice how Monk includes "scare quotes" around the word son. This is followed by more scare quotes in the blog's third paragraph, where Monk states:

The congregation published a letter written by Fr. Carlos Skertchly to Carlos Raul Gonzalez Lara on January 12, 2010, in which he says that Raul demanded up to 26 million in compensation in order for him no to reveal "the truth".

So it's my turn to be confused here. Is all Monk's talk about "compassion" merely cow patties?

She seems like a sincere and prayerful Catholic mom, which is why I believe God will honor her prayers vis-a-vis the LC/RC. When He does, the scales will drop from her eyes. And Jo will likely find herself in a world of hurt. Seen it dozens of times with other sincere Catholic moms in her position - including Giselle. Nothing we tell her now can prepare her for the pain of this particular cross is revealed. When one's children confront one with the truth about their experiences in the movement. Pray that her children not lose their faith over it.

That being said, a good fisking is in order when it comes to her reader D.A. Burke's response to her posting:

Jo - I couldn't agree more with your sentiments. I am currently reading "Pope Fiction" which deals with the question of how and why we can stay confidently committed to a Church that has regularly been subject to scandal, and abuse, and... has regularly overcome its own sin enough (by God's grace) to do more good in the world, time, and eternity, than any other institution known to man.

This book was written by Pat Madrid, a dear friend of mine. In fact we even co-authored another book together on extreme forms of conservative Catholicism. When we started writing More Catholic Than the Pope, Pat was a supporter of the LC and tried to recruit me to RC. By the time the book was published, he had left RC and come to share many of my reservations of the movement. Today Pat is openly critical of Maciel, the Legion, and how the movement has treated Maciel's victims.

Those who would have us abandon the Movement because of the grave sins of the founder would find themselves in a completely untenable position under many of our past Popes.

This is called hyperbole. Outside the Legion no salvation is not a defined dogma of the Church, despite the best attempts of Maciel and his supporters to make it one through their mantra Lost vocation, sure damnation. The Church can exist without the Legion of Christ or Regnum Christi. The Church existed for 19 hundred centuries without either movement. Thousands of saints were canonized without the intervention of Maciel. Dozens among the Jesuits alone.

On the other hand, Maciel's death reportedly showed all the visible signs of final impenitance - which Catholic theology traditionally holds to be the unforgivable sin mentioned by Christ in Holy Scripture.

Would they apply the same logic and leave the Church?

No.

The Church was founded by Christ. Christ is God. Christ is perfect. Christ guaranteed the Church's indefectibility when He promised us the gates of Hell would not prevail against the Church. No such promise exists for any order within the Church. Especially not one founded by an incestuous and unrepentant pedophile. In fact, Christ makes other promises about incestuous pedophiles who harm children, not to mention religious authorities who abuse their office, and these promises are not nearly as cheery or reassuring.

Peter denied Christ! Is there any worse sin than that?

Yes, stating that one has never denied Christ (or the Holy Spirit) when one in fact was a serial child molester. St. Peter never molested or photographed himself molesting his eight-year-old child. He was, however, sorry for his sins.

Paul was a murderer before his conversion.

The word "before" here is key. Paul was not a murderer after his conversion. That's why we speak of Paul as a convert.

Yes, they repented. Many of our corrupt Popes did not. What are we to leave?

Our false comparisons. Maciel was head of a movement. It was a movement he founded to feed his various perversions, by using the guise of Catholic piety (i.e. Vow of Charity) and orthodoxy to acquire, abuse, conceal and protect his access to unsuspecting victims. Thus the entire methodology is corrupt.

On the other hand, no Pope is head of the Church. Christ is. The Pope is merely the visible head. The Pope assumes a vicarious role on behalf of Christ. Yet Christ remains the true head of the Church.

In contrast, the longer this controversy drags on without proper apology or restitution to Maciel's victims, especially for the role played by individual supporters in covering up for Maciel and persecuting his victims, the more it becomes clear that the movement is truly headed by the spirit of Maciel. I believe this is what other orders refer to, when speaking of the spirit of the founder, as the founding charism. In the Legion, however, the founder's spirit has become a curse.

SHUT. IT. DOWN.

Another Mexican woman who had a relationship with Maciel lives in Spain with her daughter, who the order has publicly acknowledged as the daughter of the Legion's founder. They live in comfort in a luxury apartment after apparently reaching an agreement with the order to keep quiet. (Emphasis mine)

Contrast the last line with the following letter written by Fr. Fr Carlos Skertchly, LC (ostensibly on behalf of Fr. Alvaro) to alleged Maciel incest victim Raul Gonzalez Lara:

However, in no way can we accede to your request for money in exchange for silence. While we value all of the pain and suffering that you have shared with us, and we deplore the evil of scandal that may follow, we will never accept petitions of this sort, which are also illicit. (Emphasis mine)

Am I the only one confused by the Legion's stand on "extortion"?