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.
Category: Legion of Christ/ Regnum Christi
REPORT – Legion to be dissolved or refounded
[UPDATE: For readers still having difficulties with our comments’ section, Giselle has kindly opened a thread here.]
Jesuit magazine America has just published an interesting report on the Legion’s future. According to sources close to the Legion in Spain, the magazine reports, the order is to be either dissolved or refounded. The report states that Regnum Christi members and rank-and-file Legionaries are pushing for a refounding, while the Legion’s leadership is resisting the move. Additionally, the report states that Americans favor a quick (institutional) decapitation of the Legion’s current leadership, much to the chagrin of the Spaniards.
There’s also some interesting speculation on the role of the apostolic visitators, whether the Legion is prepared to accept changes required by Rome, and what will happen to some of the Legion’s properties and apostolates if the order is refounded.
Maciel is still the message
Click here.
Not your life, Fr. Alvaro, but an apology
Giselle has posted an unofficial translation of Fr. Alvaro’s letter reportedly sent to LC priests and RC consecrated. You can read the translation here. Like Giselle’s reader Don, I suspect this may be the letter referred to in August by LC priest (and blogging internal critic) Fr. Damian Karras. Even if it isn’t, Father’s following criticism still sums it up best:
The Superior General has just sent an eighteen page letter meant, apparently, to motivate and strengthen the LCs in these difficult times. The meandering missive never even names the problems that are rocking the congregation to its core and basically offers three bits of advice to its confused, anguished and frustrated priests: pray, don’t read the newspapers and trust the superiors.
Trust the superiors? Like we all trusted Fr. Maciel, our Superior General, for nearly 70 years?
For my own part, I feel a lot more pity for LC Director General Fr. Alvaro after reading this letter. I kept think back to that passage from Lord of the Rings where Gandalf says to Frodo:
Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo’s hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.
I suppose there are many similarities between Maciel and Sauron, between the founder’s methodology and the Ring of Power. Like Gollum, Fr. Alvaro strikes me in this letter as someone who once was like us, but who having under the spell and influence of his precious, is eager to hold on at any cost. Hopefully I’m wrong.
Regardless, we don’t know what role remains for Fr. Alvaro as the scandal unfolds. Especially if rumors in the Mexican media pan out of a power struggle between Fr. Alvaro and his Vicar General Fr. Garza, who also served as vicar general for Maciel. My heart tells me Fr. Alvaro can still play an important role in the movement’s meltdown, whether for good or for ill.
Having said that, I discern a lack of confidence in the letter attributed to Fr. Alvaro. The Legion and Regnum Christi follow a military motif. But as any current and former military can tell you, soldiers expect communications to be concise and to the point. So too do sailors and marines. (Air Force are a bit of an exception, but even they get to the point once the meandering threatens to cut into their coffee break.)
The Jesuits operate much the same way. I attended a Jesuit college for my undergrad. One of my visiting professors during graduate studies in canon law was a Jesuit. I have worked with Jesuits in the canon law profession. Their communication is always precise and concise. Essays are limited to one page only. Anything longer and they stop reading. Anything longer and they wonder whether you know what you’re talking about, or grasped the central point.
The Legion is capable of pointed and focused communication. It is capable of such under Fr. Alvaro’s leadership. A good example is the order’s response in 2006 when the Holy See invited Fr. Maciel to retire to a life of prayer and penance.
In contrast, the more recent letter goes on for several pages without identifying what necessitated the letter. In so doing Fr. Alvaro’s letter communicates three things, in my opinion: A lack of self-confidence in his leadership, a lack of confidence in the priests and consecrated to whom the letter is addressed, and a lack of confidence in the message the letter attempts to convey. And a general who lacks confidence cannot inspire it in his soldiers. I don’t know what Fr. Alvaro is talking about in his letter. Does he?
Giselle’s reader Jane put the letter’s word count at 8,555. That’s 8,553 words too many, in my opinion. What’s needed is a simple “I’m sorry” to Maciel’s victims. Fr. Alvaro, this is the only message that will restore confidence in your leadership.
Which brings me to this quote from Fr. Alvaro’s letter:
Believe me that I would give my life, or whatever it would take, so as to soften the cross of each one, and that I feel very unworthy of being able to offer you my whole life and renew to you my gratitude, support and brotherly closeness.
Nobody is asking Fr. Alvaro to give up his life. We’re simply asking him to apologize publicly to Maciel’s victims. It’s a debt of justice owed to those who were victimized at the hands of Maciel, then victimized again by having their reputations shredded when they came forward with the truth. Yet this is the one course of action Fr. Alvaro keeps avoiding. Why?
Was Fr. Maciel excommunicated?
A question readers keep asking is whether Maciel was excommunicated for allegedly absolving in the confessional accomplices in sins against the Sixth Commandment. As most of us are aware, the expression “sins against the Sixth Commandment” covers serious sins of sexual nature. The question comes from canon 977 which prohibits a priest from absolving his accomplice in a sin against the Sixth Commandment, except in danger of death, combined with canon 1378, paragraph 1 which automatically excommunicates a priest who violates canon 977. I don’t have access to the 1917 code right now, but I believe it too excommunicated a priest for absolving in the confessional an accomplice in sins against the Sixth Commandment.
Regardless, we don’t know the answer to this question. Here is what we do know:
- The case against Maciel was introduced before the CDF during the 90’s, alleging Maciel had violated canon 1378 or its equivalent found in the 1917 code.
- During the investigation the CDF invited Maciel to retire to life of prayer and penance in exchange for not pursuing the case.
From this we can conclude that the evidence was serious enough for the CDF to act upon. In which case, I believe it probable the Holy See, either through the CDF or the Apostolic Penitentiary, would have removed any potential censures incurred by Fr. Maciel. So in all probability Maciel did not die under censure.