UPDATE: Aaron, a reported sex-abuse victim of the Legion’s apostolic schools, responds by sharing his own experience with Fr. Garza (click here).
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So begins the Legion’s Night of Long Knives.
Of all the parties named (or implied) in this latest controversy, I consider Magister the most trustworthy. I appreciate that Fr. Berg left a year ago after trying to effect legitimate reform within the movement. I’m a little more uncertain about Fr. Gill, but generally I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. And yes, Fr. Garza appears to have been quite candid in his talk to the 3gf last fall. However, in an order of blind men, the one-eyed priest is pope.
Sandro Magister is generally accurate about these things. He offers an experienced set of eyes from the outside. He often recognizes threads missed by folks still attached to the inside. Additionally, Magister’s only discernible motive is to provide readers with accurate information and analysis. This is how he earned the esteem he enjoys as a Vatican watcher. Thus it makes no sense for Magister to risk his reputation by inflating a story, especially if in so doing he misses another story (Garza vs. other Legion superiors) that is equally intriguing.
Author: Pete Vere
Pray, don’t prey
Of all the unholy revelations that have surfaced about Fr. Maciel over the past year, the one that surprises me the least is that he stopped praying in his final years. This is consistent with most cases of serial abuse among clergy that I have encountered as a canonist. Long before these men began preying, they had ceased praying.
In fact, I think this is why Maciel’s writing always turned me off. I could only read his writing in bits and pieces before headache-inducing foggy confusion came over me. One cannot give what one has not received. It is now clear that Maciel’s writing (at least that which was not ghost-written or plagiarized) was not based upon prayer. Nor does prayer appear to come naturally for many of my LC/RC acquaintances. They come across as too focused on activity, with prayer scheduled in between (and heavily scripted) like one would schedule the reading of a business file during coffee break.
Which is why, come Good Friday, I invite you to join me in praying the Divine Mercy Novena for Aaron, Jose Barba, Juan Vaca and all other victims of Maciel and his movement. As Catholics let us pray for those who were preyed upon in the name of the Catholic faith. To find out more about this special Novena, please click here.
In a similar spirit I invite readers with LC/RC background to check out the following Jesuit blogs, of which two focus heavily on prayer:
– Good Jesuit, Bad Jesuit
– The Spiritual Exercises Blog
– Father Brian Van Hove’s Blog
DAY 9 – Five-Saint Novena for LC ‘Resistance’
Basta! and other Spanish-speaking bloggers are asking for prayers for LC resistance/philosophers. In questioning the movement’s methodology from the inside, these brave souls are reportedly feeling increasingly watched and insecure. Some have posted to Trastevere’s blog over the weekend.
Response to LC/RC communiques
I just finished reading the two letters/communiques put out by the Legion of Christ/ Regnum Christi (LC/RC) over the weekend. I did so line-by-line. Here is my initial impressions, in point form, for those who are interested:
– The letter from Fr. Alvaro seems to be written for the inside, that is current members and close supporters of Regnum Christi and the Legion of Christ. Whereas the communique signed by Fr. Alvaro and various Legion superiors seems to be written for the broader Church community and perhaps society at large. Until LC/RC clarify otherwise, this is my assumption in reading and interpreting each piece of correspondence
– The LC/RC appears to have read the ecclesiastical tea leaves from Pope Benedict’s apology to the Irish, and the recent interview with Msgr. Scicluna. Whether this is good or bad will depend upon how the movement conducts itself in the future.
New monk and cow adventure!
I will respond to the two Legion communiques in a separate post, but first a few updates:
– Back after a busy weekend. A nasty cold prevented me from indulging in beer, but Bonum and I met at the local Timmies for coffee and tea. (I’m the tea drinker, in case anyone is wondering). It was great meeting him, his lovely wife and his adorable children (including their newborn) – even if it was from a distance due to the cold. We’re hoping to meet up again this summer.
– Speaking of tea, Erin Manning (aka Red Cardigan at And Sometimes Tea) has brewed the latest monk and cow cautionary tale, which I’m hope readers will enjoy as much as I did. It’s called The Monk, the Cow and the Peddler. Each of the previous installments are posted here.
– For those who haven’t heard, Vows of Silence author Jason Berry, who along with Gerald Renner broke the original Hartford Courrant story exposing Maciel’s sexual molestation of minor seminarians, is due to publish a new piece in the National Catholic Reporter this week exposing the Legion’s alleged money trail.
– Sandro Magister responds to the Legion’s communiques.