Author: Pete Vere

The following line stands out in America Magazine‘s latest blog on the LC/RC crisis: “[The apostolic visitators’] main task, apparently, is to assess whether the order’s members will be accepting of whatever Rome decides.” (Emphasis mine).
This leads some readers to ask whether schism is a possible outcome. Possible? Yes. Probable? I would say no at this point, except perhaps for a small rump group. (Whenever emotions run this strongly with a religious movement going through meltdown or serious change, in my experience, small pockets of “true believers” will always separate and go their own way. So don’t be surprised if a dozen or so LC priests break off to start the “Maciel Catholic Church”.) That being said, only the LC/RC can answer this question with certainty.
Yet one never knows until decision time comes. To understand how schism could happen, please see my blog entry from last April: How schism becomes an option.
Having said that, schism offers no benefit for the Legion. In my opinion schism would kill their fundraising and recruitment, which to outside observers like me appears to be at the heart of their charism. The Legion would have to spin its separation from Rome after decades of propaganda trumpeting its fidelity to the Holy See.
This can be done, as seen from other ultra-montane movements that ended in schism. However, the cost of doing so is the near-death of new recruitment coupled with heavy losses among rank-and-file membership who recognize the Holy Father as the Church’s supreme visible authority. As said to me recently by a wise canon lawyer who had been part of a similar movement that melted down, “What convinced me to leave was the very principles they had instilled in me when I joined, namely, fidelity to the Holy See and obedience to the Holy Father.”
So the schism option ends with Fr. Alvaro and the Legion as a footnote on page 296 of some future Church historian’s doctoral dissertation.
On the other hand, a re-founding offers the LC/RC a fighting chance at survival, especially if the movement renounces Maciel, brings in a superior general from outside the movement to oversee the reform, and is careful not to burn bridges with priests like Fr. Berg – former insiders who have left the Legion and/or called for serious reform. Orthodox Catholics outside the movement are more likely to give a refounding the chance it needs if individuals like Fr. Berg vouch for its sincerity and credibility.
Additionally, it’s not a bad position for Fr. Alvaro to find himself in should he turn over leadership of a refounded movement gracefully. He’s reportedly been with Fr. Maciel since he was 12. In retrospect, most people will find it understandable that he struggled to come to grips with Fr. Maciel’s secret lives, how it impacted the old movement and its methodology, and that this affected his ability to lead the old movement through its meltdown. But there’s no shame in stepping aside for younger leadership, not as heavily tainted with Maciel, if the movement is refounded.
Should Fr. Avaro do so gracefully, accepting reform overseen by outsiders appointed by the Holy See, and in doing so give a refounded movement its fighting chance at survival, Fr. Alvaro can then assume the role of elder statesmen within the refounded movement. If the refounded movement survives, then history will not record Fr. Alvaro as the General Director who presided over the LC/RC’s downfall. It will record him as the individual who led the LC/RC into refounding as a new movement, one focused on Christ and not Maciel, and as an individual who had enough wisdom to step aside and allow the refounded movement to reform and take root. It may even record him as the founder of the movement.
So Fr. Alvaro kinda becomes like Moses. He was close to the Pharaoh, but eventually he accepted God’s will to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, through the desert and to the border of the promised land. God would not allow Moses to lead the Israelites into the promised land, due to Moses’s past sins, and leadership was turned over to Joshua who then led the Israelites into the promised land. But God forgave Moses and allowed him to see the promised land from the border. And to this day we honor Moses for his part in salvation history.
Of course, there’s still the question of apology and restitution to Maciel’s victims. However, I think we are likely past the point where such an apology and reform can save Maciel’s movement.

Several readers continue to point out difficulties accessing our comments section at Catholic Light. If you’re reading this as part of the LC/RC’s high-level Mexican leadership, please skip to number 2.
1 – For friends, family and rank-and-file members of LC/RC, I apologize for the difficulties with our comments section. I wish I could offer a concrete fix or update on the problem. Unfortunately the problem is beyond my technological capacity to understand, address and correct. Richard Chonak, our blog host and tech guru, has been looking into it in his spare time; but given his busy schedule and the fact he’s already shown great kindness in hosting this discussion, I’m reluctant to make greater demands on his time. In the interim, Giselle had kindly offered to host comments on corresponding threads at Life After RC. It’s not the best solution, but it’s all I can offer right now.
2 – If you happen to be reading this as high-level Mexican leadership of LC/RC, I regret that the hidden life of our blog-hosting software comes as a complete surprise to us. These current difficulties are a cross we accept with complete serenity, always reminding ourselves that in keeping with our vocation as Catholic bloggers that our focus is Christ. We regret if the difficulties with our blog software, which was partially developed by Catholic programmers, has caused discomfort for some. However, we remain grateful for all the good we have received from this software in living out our charism of Catholic bloggers and bringing others to Christ. We remind you of your Catholic duty in charity not to judge this software, despite certain human limitations that are now coming to light as with any other software. Let me reassure you that the vast majority of our readers continue to visit the site, and I have sought the advice of a prudent computer expert to assist me in overcoming these unfortunate difficulties.