The House of Studies in Rome is divided into 3 sections (A,B, and C). Fr. Donal Clancy is the rector of Section B. Reports have arrived to this blog that Fr. Clancy is conducting room checks in a frantic way more than once a week, while the seminarian or priest occupant is not there and does not know of the search. Paranoia seems to be setting in, and the superiors are looking for any material that in any way is critical of the Legion.
Even though the private vow of not criticizing has been abolished by the Pope, the Legion superiors continue to practice it, in flagrant disobedience to the Holy Father. Once again, they and the Rules and Norms of the Legion know best, even better than the Pope.
This amounts to more than disobedience.
It is also a shameful disregard for freedom of conscience.
It is an expression of mistrust and shows a lack of maturity and security in the vocation of the superiors themselves.
note: corrected--the searches are going on more than once a week! The source says:
It is customary for Legionary seminarians to have their room checked by superiors for orderliness once a month. But with the approach of the Apostolic Visitation, and with the discovery of "contraband" among some of the seminarians in past weeks (no, not pornography or other such boy-stuff, but such clandestine items as Jason Berry's dvd "Vows of Silence", and photocopied portions of ex Legionary Alejandro Espinosa's book, "El Legionario"), the hysteria to maintain correct Legion-think has reached fever pitch. It is important that the Brothers not "squeal" to the Apostolic Visitators, and such provocative literature could make them restless, and provoke "dangerous" thoughts, such as "Why do I have to have all my mail reviewed?" or "Can I really trust my superior not to read my correspondence with the Apostolic Visitator just because Evaristo Sada, Secretary General of the Legionaries, tells me they won't (in a letter sent 30 July 2009)?"
Faithful as ever to the "spirit" that Marcial Maciel has bequethed their institution, Fr Donal Clancy, rector since the 1980s appointed by Maciel to pastor over the sheep-Brothers of Section B, has started a regimen of room checks not just monthly, but even twice or three times a week. You can't be too careful these days of the Visitation. Seditious literature is likely to be anywhere anytime! Vigilance is necessary!
A Brother has reported that Fr Donal "está tronando", "is thundering": He is all nerves and is making the community all nerves, and one has to wonder whether or not these methods he learned from Maciel might not just be -- after all -- the best preparation to receive the Visitor, His Excellency Versaldi. He will interview Section B Brothers, and get to see for himself the full flowering of the "Legionary spirituality" that Clancy has made bloom in them: Brothers made hysterical, nervous and paranoid by the excess of Clancy's ministrations. A true product of Legionary formation.
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19 comments:
This is disgusting. Fr Donal was my spiritual director/confessor during my last two years as a Legionary. I am saddened to see that he has stooped so low. Is it just me, or doesn't this sound just like what goes on in high security prisons? I whole-heartedly hope and pray that this whole operation and RC become disbanded and dissolved right after the visitation is completed. There is no future for such a cancerous institution and it's infected lay branch.
I had my room searched by the vice rector, Fr Jacobo Munoz. It was bizarre. I must have been on some kind of watch list or something, unbeknownst to me. And I was one of the most integrated at that point! Needless to say, they found nothing. I had put a pad on the door to prevent it from banging (to keep silence better, I thought). They thought I was trying to jam the door locked. It was really weird.
You're welcome for the boring story that didn't go anywhere!
Not to mention the norms written by Fr Maciel says they have to move rooms once a month. How much time is just spent indulging paranoia?
Disgusting.
But one cannot help but ask whether those subjected to such indignities are just plain stupid or gave up on their God-given brains...
Why so dour, folks? If the superiors are nervous, that is a good sign they are not in control of the situation as they were in 1956-58. I, who am living it, am enthusiastic and optimistic in the measure that I see the superiors turning cartwheels. They are sure to make mistakes. I think the ghost of Maciel may yet be exorcised, and that this Congregation may be now fully the Christ's and His Church's.
- "Knight Templar"
It does show that in contrast to The Great Blessing (ha!) the superiors are not fully in control, which is good news.
Unfortunately, I think we're way past the point of being able to reform/salvage the Legion. The MINIMUM requirement for that would be a complete repudiation of Maciel by the Legion and eradication of all the spirituality and norms he left behind.
But if you somehow manage to achieve that, what would be left of the Legion?
Not even the name. All of it must go, and it will, whether immediately via the Visitation or through a more painstaking process of attrition. In the long run there is no room for such an institution in the Catholic Church.
So for the life of me, I can't understand why anyone who hasn't yet been ordained would even consider continuing -- precious years and lives are being wasted here when they could be far more fruitful practically anywhere else in the Church.
Who is the "enemy" now in the mind of the "integrated" Legionary? Is it Benedict? Is it Satan? Is it the Visitators? Is it the families who want transparency and honest answers to their letters? Is it the CDF?
Didn't MM always have a conspiracy up his sleeve and an enemy at the gate? If the formation continues in the standard way, then who is the average LC to guard himself against? His superior or his own errant thoughts? This is heart-breaking to watch because these are beautiful men being psychologically shredded.
Too much ado.
Bishop Versaldi has no doubt ample facculties to order these people to assemble their students and address them in the manner he seems fit.
You should forgive him.
To "You should forgive him.",
The only Legionaries that deserve forgiveness are the ones that own up to the brain washing that they did to us. For any of those superiors that continue to try and save the sinking ship, they can rot. God can forgive them, but I won't.
10 years of lies
I do not care about DC Donal Clancy. I care much more about you tortured by him. You must absolutely forgive him to heal and put the horror behind you. May God bless you and give you peace, and know that I believe your testimony 100 percent.
"Knight Templar"
Here's a thought, Anonymous: To forgive him means that you can pray that justice be done, that his eyes be completely opened to the horrors he put you and others through so that he can fully repent and he begs God mercy for all of his sins. That's all. You don't ever have to like him or respect him. Plus, it'll set your soul free.
When you learn that someone has been abused, and the first thing you do is demand that the victim forgives, it is a sign that you are in DENIAL.
Some normal, healthy first reactions are shock, pain, and ANGER.
Forgiveness comes much, much later, if at all. To demand immediate forgiveness from the victim only causes him/her more damage. And I think the victims of the LC/RC have been damaged enough.
What you're both missing is: 10 Years has taken the first step toward forgiveness (a very large one). If you do want that repenters end up in heaven, that's the majority of what forgiveness is. It's not a "Get Out of Hell Free" card, it has to do with hell and not jail, but it doesn't mean the persecutor gets to just say "Oopsie" and then you have to say "No biggie" and we're all just dandy. Forgiveness is easier said than done, but then, everything is (except onomatopoeia). Grudges are pretty heavy though, and in the Our Father, we ask for a one-to-one ratio between our sins being forgiven and us forgiving sins against us.
Harumph.
Jeanette-
Your comments are 100% true and Christian and I am envious of those who can truly live it.
Without sounding like a prick- and I mean that- all I have to say to you is that you were not there. So you don't know. And quite frankly you are better of because of it. I wish I had never been there either.
I'll make you a deal- I'll forgive when they ask for forgiveness. They have not said sorry. They have not apologized. I cannot forgive those who do not seek pardon.
-9 years of lies
9 years,
I know where you're at, at least the general area, so you don't sound like a prick at all (Maciel wasn't the only abusive priest, just one of the most notorious); you make so much sense that I was surprised you'd think I'd be bothered. You and I, we don't get our childhoods back no matter what. The first post was just a few things that have helped me along a little here and there in a somewhat similar journey.
You are a much-beloved child of God. Don't ever let anyone convince you otherwise again.
Forgiveness is a critical step to free yourself from the choke-hold that others place on your life. It never precludes justice (which is a separate matter). It happens after grieving (and raging) and comes off in layers.
We all had our childhoods stolen in one way or another (Jeanette and I each in our own way) and yet peace comes with forgiveness. In due time. I'm crying and kicking with you fellows for now. This is big, but God is bigger. Not MM's god, but the real one. Take your time.
Like Giselle said,"in due time". Forgiveness is a process, not an event, at least for me.
Gotta admit, I wanted to twist the vicar's head off and pitch it through the window last year when he said, "It's time to move on," as if he was in charge of my recovery timetable!
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