Thursday, February 4, 2010

The Whole Article

ANNIVERSARY / TWO YEARS WITHOUT MARCIAL MACIEL

The Legionary who died four times and did not want to go to confession. Up until now, thanks to the "Cronica", it is known that he had at least six children and various identities. On the second anniversary of the death of the founder of the Legion of Christ, we reveal his last hours, in the presence of an exorcist.

IDOIA SOTA | JOSÉ M. VIDAL

The day that Marcial Maciel died, like in Pedro Paramo, a insistent whisper was heard as that which the wind makes when it whips the branches of a tree in the night. When we tune our hearing, just like in the above mentioned novel by Juan Rulfo, this murmur, pressed like a swarm of insects, comes together as words almost empty of sound, and full of piety: "Pray for us".

The day that Marciel Maciel died (yesterday it made two years), the luxurious Legionary house in Jacksonville (Florida) was converted into a constant flow of cassocked men. Even to this day, they have a strange look on their faces. A sign in which we can guess that the Marcial Maciel's end does justice to an excess laden existence, lived totally on the margin of any civil or divine law. Something horrible happened in the room where the founder of the Legionaries of Christ died.

More than a dozen people were chosen to accompany him in his last moments, and, from that day on January 30, 2008, they were left with only one certainty - and for some even a consolation - that the founder of the Legion of Christ was dead. What was the cause, what happened or even when did it happen are questions that have given rise to more than one answer.


Marcial Maciel was one, triune, or even quadruple. He had, at least, five different identities. He was Raul Rivas, Norma Hilda's lover and father of little Norma (both live comfortably in Madrid) and Jaime Alberto Gonzalez Ramirez, the partner of a Mexican woman and father of three children in Switzerland. Sometimes he was Juan Rivas. And he was always Marcial Maciel, founder of one of the most powerful religious congregations, fundraiser of incalculable fortunes of doubtful origin, and pederast punished by the Pope in 2006 with retirement and prayer. They all died on January 30, 2008, two years ago. His personal secretaries were in charge of killing them all. How, if they didn't, were they going to update all of the documents of "Nuestro Padre" as they still called him? There were million dollar accounts, properties scattered throughout the world, trust funds in the Bahamas.... An empire calculated at some 20,500 million euros between what he had in himself, in all of his versions, and what he had put in the name of his Legion.

This is how his gift of being in many places at the same time can be explained, and how Marcial Maciel died, at the same time, in Houston (Texas); Washington; Cotija, his hometown in Mexico; and in Jacksonville (Florida). A few hours after he left this world and much before the media came to know the news, Wikipedia reported his death in Florida. Just minutes later, suspiciously, the on-line encyclopedia eliminated the place of Maciel's death in his biography. Two days later, the first obituaries appeared in the press. The Denver Post and the El Paso Times reported that the founder of the Legion died of natural causes in Houston (Texas).

Were they natural causes? Some Legionaries affirm that he had liver cancer. Others talk of open heart surgery in Houston in 2003, And there are those who dare to say that he suffered from dementia. "They had to invent different ailments, each with its own cause, for each one of his identities", explains Jose Bonilla, attorney for the Mexican children of the Legionary.


MACIEL'S "STATEROOM"

Whatever the cause, the real Marcial Maciel died in a chalet in Jacksonville (Florida), but his remains were taken to Cotija (Mexico), the city where he was born. It was a small house with some 10 or 11 Legionaries, organized ad hoc for the founder to rest in a year before he was to go into "heavenly glory", the exact term used on the official website of the ultra-catholic congregation. On January 30, 2008, the inhabitants of the house saw a sudden increase in their numbers, by at least 8 people. The following met together in Maciel's room: Alvaro Corcuera, the current General Director of the Legion of Christ; Luis Garza Medina, Vicar General; Evaristo Sada, General Secretary; Marcelino de Andres, who Maciel left as trustee of the fund for his children; Alfonso Corona, a superior; John Devlin, the founder's personal secretary, and the two Normas. And, as if this conclave were not surreal enough, there was even an exorcist present in his rooms to assure that the soul of the father was not taken by some demonic spirit.

Why? It seems that for the previous two years, the founder had lost the faith. He did not go to mass, did not pray... The Legionaries who took care of him came to know that he felt "repulsed by religion". And aversion to religious objects is an unequivocal sign of possession. In fact, they say that from as early as 1946, the first Legionaries witnessed rare phenomena of the mephistophelian type. The father had at that time "a room in the house of the Sacred Heart", un chalet con a statue of this devotion. A "strange room". First, it had no bed. "Maciel slept in a coffin". Second, it was strange due to the odd phenomena that occurred there. One night, his companions heard strange noise in Maciel's room and, upon entering, they were met with "balls of fire which circled the founder's room and then the fire vanished".

Others attest that, one day in the sacristy, fierce dogs appeared. Maciel ordered the young men that were with him to leave the room and, the same way that the dogs appeared, "the dogs disappeared from the room whose door was closed". Another time, he was in the chapel. Upon hearing a noise, the Legionaries "opened the door and found the pews thrown about and Maciel under one of them". Presence of the Evil One?

Maybe many of these stories are mere fables. A hint of magical realism in a life filled with fantastic episodes.

Whatever the case may be, someone must have seriously considered possession and had an exorcist called to his deathbed. Luis Garza himself had already had to deal with the founder's rebellion. According to Legion sources, Maciel became quite ill six months before he died. The Legionaries took him from Jacksonville to a hospital in Miami "which was very discrete". The disgraced founder arrived there accompanied by three priests and a consecrated woman (lay women with a vow of chastity).

"I WILL STAY WITH THESE WOMEN"

He was in the Miami hospital for three days. On the second day, the Normas appeared in his room and stayed by his bed, taking care of him, much to Maciel's pleasure and creating scandal for the Legionaries.

-Father, you have to come with us- they told him when he was to be discharged.

But, by then, Maciel was much closer to being Raul Rivas than the founder of a religious congregation and he indicated the two women, responding firmly: "I want to stay with them".

The Legionary priests, alarmed by Maciel's attitude, immediately called Rome. The then number three person of the institution, Luis Garza, knew right away that this was a grave problem. He consulted with the highest authority, Alvaro Corcuera, hopped on the first plane to Miami and when directly to the hospital.

His indignation could be read on his face. He faced the once all-powerful founder and threatened him: "I will give you two hours to come with us or I will call all the press and the whole world will find out who you really are". And Maciel let his arm be twisted.

His physical stature had been deteriorating a lot since 2005. "He did not walk well. He had the illnesses of old age. In the last months, he experienced various organ failures. I imagine that a medical report could say that he died of cardio respiratory failure. He was 87 years old: he was an old man", a Legion of Christ spokesman told the Cronica.

But the few elect who were with him at the end of his life had a hard time seeing him as an old man. For them, the last hours of the founder were a real calvary. Marcial Maciel refused to confess his sins. He did not want to and did not believe in God's pardon. Maybe he had spent too many years accostomed to fooling the divine representative in the confessional. How to suddenly declare him a pederast, he has relations with both men and women, he had at least six children who he never took care of like a real father, the abused drugs, he coveted and obtained great quantities of money, he plagiarized the spiritual guidelines of his congregation, he lied and damaged hundreds of people without it bothering him in the least way, and God knows what more. This, God does know. So, why confess his sins? "I said no!" he blurted out to Alvaro Corcuera, who was trying to anoint the dying man with holy oils.


OFFICIAL VERSION

In the end, Corcuera could have made Maciel do a profound examination of conscience. He explained more to his subjects. "Nuestro Padre" died in front of an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and his last works were written on a paper: "et verbum caro factus est" (and the word was made flesh). Actually, he just gave him a piece of paper conveniently scribbled. The two versions are compatible. Maciel could have denied confession and been forced. He could have confessed what he considered appropriate and been absolved. He could have died in sin and written something to console the future generations of Legionaries. The truth is know only by those at Maciel's bedside as he died. Outside, the Legionaries of Jacksonville waited impatiently. Some entered and exited. "It was awful", said one of them. "I can't say more. Awful."

Would Fr. Alfredo Torres say this, one of the founders of the Legion, about Maciel's end? "You have done well seeking out my opinion. In your article, you can write 'I have tried to get Torres to comment, but he did not wish to'". At 83, Torres is the only one of the first Legionaries still alive. He runs the Hispanic-Mexican school which the Movement has in Madrid, and, in the midst of the crisis that the institution is passing through, he has become a reference point. "Many priests come to speak to me. From Rome, Mexico, Italy... All of them are not content with writing me and come to speak to me and I put them on the straight road". This is because, in his view, the congregation is at a crossroads. "There are two roads; that of the Church, and that of the street. I will always go by the road of the Church which is Christ. I will accept what the Pope says. Whatever that may be".

Concerning the appropriateness of going public with the fact that Maciel refused to confess and that there was an exorcist at his bedside, Fr. Torres advised: "Publish it. You have to make a living, and, it will also serve to make those involved reflect on their actions".

Reflect? At the moment, the directors of the Legion have faced the visitation with a certain opaqueness.

The superiors sent every center a list of answers to give to journalists, curiosity seekers, and the emisories of the Vatican. The guide offers, mostly, the answer "no" and "nothing" to many questions. "What did Fr. Maciel do? Were there financial irregularities? What do you say about the accusations from past years [concerning pedastry]? Did the superiors know of these things?... But, as well, the formulary offers an argumentative thread for conversations which result from these questions. It suggests that members of the Legion and the Regnum Christi (the lay branch) ask forgiveness for the damage caused by Maciel, that they show consternation that the scandal may have contaminated the Church, and that they manifest that those who may have suffered are in their prayers and that they be sure to try to act according to what Christ would do in their place.

FIRST ACKNOWLEDGMENT

In mid March, a decision is expected from Benedict XVI. Right now, there are between 100 and 150 Legionary priests awaiting this report to define the there path within or outside of the congregation. For the moment, it seems that the most plausible option for the Pope is to appoint a representative of confidence who will give a new direction to the movement. But it is possible that Benedict XVI could order a re-foundation, or directly opt that the Legion of Christ be dissolved.

Meanwhile, the legal counsel for the three children who Maciel left in Mexico, Jose Bonilla, continues with the fight for recognition for the three young people who are desendants of the founder. The first step, as the Cronica was able to uncover, is a letter that Alvaro Corcuera, General Director of the Legion, sent to the lawyer. In it, he recognizes the middle one of the three, Jose Gonzalez, as son of "Our Father". Two more are left. On top of the trust fund in the Bahamas, that Maciel devised him and which has been handed over, the descendants of the founder would have a right in a part of the property that the founder left dispersed all over the world. And, in less than 30 days, the children will file suit to reclaim that property. "The children speak every week with Bishop Ricardo Watty, the visitator in Mexico, who is very worried by the whole affair. More, perhaps, than Maciel ever was. In fact, the father founder of the Legionary of Christ never said goodbye to his three children. They were not even told of his death.

The day that Marcial Maciel died was a coming and going of cassocks which prayed for the soul of he who they called "father". But three of his children were missing. Those who Jaime Alberto Gonzalez Ramirez, his third identity, had with a Mexican woman. If he confessed his sextuple paternity and his multiple sins, it is known only to those who were in the room with the dying man. On that 30th of January in 2008, which many recall with a twist on their face, a incesant and pious whisper of "Pray for us" could be heard, it is said.

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder how much more is to come out. It really seems we were part of a cult founded by a peodophile.

Anonymous said...

many thanks for the translation!! im sure it is appreciated!

Anonymous said...

For the Church to regain her health, this cancer known as the legion and regnum christi must be cut out completely!

Anonymous said...

We, who have been so deliberately deceived, understand how necessary it is to discontinue the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi, groups, ASAP.
What you have done to our children is unexcusable.
Many of us have given up everything to help in this apostolate, that enjoyed so much approval from the last number of Popes, excluding His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, who finally stopped this charade.
ALL of those who enabled this massive deception, should also as well, go away and do penance. Away from children, I would add.
This, in my opinion, after the Crucifixion of Our Lord, is one of The Church's biggest trageties.
Marcel Marciel should have been in jail, instead of showing up for front row seating and all the parties, for the past half century.
To the Legionaries who kicked this under the rug I suggest:
Now is the time to refund the monies and properties back to the people, who never would have agreed to give them over to you, if they had known the Truth.
You are to blame as well.

Anonymous said...

I remember that Pope John Paul II had asked the Order to take parishes and so employ the many priests to help the Church during the priest shortage crisis. HE WAS REFUSED! When I heard that I lost estimation for this group, years ago.B

helgothjb said...

I spent a summer with the LC in CT. We ate food that was past the sell by date, but was mostly ok. We had to throw some stuff out when we opened it and realized it was bad. There were over 50 of us there that summer. We drove a big moving truck to the grocery warehouse that donated the food almost every week. We were told that the LC was poor and that it was a great virtue to live in poverty to help the mission of the LC. Now I know they had millions!!! Oh, how I wish that was the only thing that was wrong with my time there. Maciel came to visit and told stories of when he was young, the heroism of his friends and of himself. I know now, all lies. He signed books, let people kiss his hands, masqueraded as a saint. It gives me the willies. Some that were there that summer left the Church after their experience. I was too naive at the time since I was new to the practice of my faith. I pray the group is dissolved! How could it be allowed to go on? The whole thing is a lie!

Anonymous said...

How depressing. I attended a retreat of the Legionnaries and felt out of place. Thank God. I can't imagine priest or people continuing with this group which was founded on a lie. Please, Christians, leave this cult.

Anonymous said...

"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit." ~ Matthew 7:18

Contrasting the works of the Legion, there's no way you can have a monster found it and be in charge of it, etc. I think Fr. Maciel will one day be canonized a Bigtime Saint.

Anonymous said...

"Contrasting the works of the Legion, there's no way you can have a monster found it and be in charge of it, etc. I think Fr. Maciel will one day be canonized a Bigtime Saint."

Nothing like clinging to delusions. Those who seek to dominate and exploit others -- and they are legion are this time -- all use the same tactics.

"UNICEF" is all about helping children. It CAN'T be evil!"

Well, it is.

Anonymous said...

The devil always attacks the "good". The devil knows what a powerful order this is ... so many great priests and seminarians. Fr. Maciel must have been severely tormented by satan, and because of his human weakness, he gave in. Fr. Maciel definitely was possessed. (Mental illness is from the devil.) The devil is using Fr. Maciel to make a mockery of the Catholic faith. May God have mercy on his soul. The Legionaries of Christ must endure and live on!!!

Anonymous said...

Your logic is astounding! By it, we now know that Jack the Ripper, Stalin, Ted Bundy, et al were so very good. Because otherwise the devil wouldn't have "attacked" them so much. Because after all, the devil attacks the "good".

Our Church teaches that God never allows the Devil to so torment a soul unless He also gives that soul the grace to withstand it. Ergo, Maciel denied God's grace and was no longer good. Uh-oh, that means the devil must have stopped tormenting him at that point. Which means any of the evil Maciel did after that first turning away from God's grace was ALL his own (according to your logic).

Man, I've never been so glad not to be "good" in my life. Guess those of us who don't molest children, promiscuously screw around with anything in a skirt (or pants, or cassock), and bamboozle tons of innocent people out of their hard-earned money just aren't good enough for the devil to bother with!

Mental illness is from the devil in the exact same way that diabetes is: any disease is a result of the fall of human nature. Not a result of the devil waving his pitchfork in our faces. To suggest otherwise is beyond ignorant.

Maciel is no longer making a mockery of the Catholic faith. He has moved on to his eternal fate (whatever that may be). The Legionaries of Christ are making a mockery out of our Church and outraging the faithful in the process.

The LC/RC dream is over. The gig is up. All that is left is a group of malformed and twisted followers pathetically clinging to their sense of elitism and "mission" to "re-Christianize the world" (talk about a joke), unable to give up the machinations of a child-molesting fraud.

If you are for real (I have a hard time believing you are not being facetious, in all seriousness), I do hope you keep posting here. You and your ilk do more to show the world what the LC/RC are all about than any rational human being ever could.

Anonymous said...

Maciel's Legionnaires are still fund raising like mad and also recruiting young men..I thought they were supposed to cease until the investigation was over. Also, why should Maciel be permitted to leave any money to anyone...THE MONEY IS NOT HIS AND NEVER WAS!! I don't know what should happen to the Legionnaires...the Holy Spirit will guide Pope Benedict but I think the top men of the Legion should retire to monasteries, at least those who were close to Maciel. How could they not have known what he was doing? I think the Legion should be disbanded, and the young Priests formed by someone chosen by Rome...the sickness must have permeated the whole order...and there needs to be a real cutting out of the evil sickness...some still call Maciel their beloved father...let's just pray for them all...

Anonymous said...

People who want to repent retire to monasteries. These people have shown no signs of repentance.

Anonymous said...

Now, would you say that the entire Petters company was bad, every last employee, because of what the President did? How about Enron? How about the other companies where the top person or people were deceitful, to say the least? Are all of the employees down to the last janitor likewise evil and guilty of wrongdoing? No, they were deceived and victims of lies and scandal. In the same way is the LC and RC. Many people involved were deceived and in the dark, and yes, many people were not. All guilty parties should be identified and punished, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Marciel Maciel should be denounced by RC and the LC, everything should be announced to the public, and there should be an inquiry into who else was involved, to the fullest extent, and they should be punished, to say the least. It is definitely a travesty what has happened, and beyond my comprehension. Not only do I not understand how he could have done these things, I don't understand how people could go along with it. In any case, God is the Just Judge, and will take care of it all in the end. Pray for everyone involved.

Anonymous said...

When every last employee has lived, breathed, and worshiped the President (ignoring decades of accusations from abused children as well as other clear signs of arrogance and general unkindess), ministering to his every whim and thus participating in the abuse of his victims, I DO think all the followers are guilty of wrongdoing.

Their personal culpability I would never dream of judging. But wrong is wrong, and when you find out you were used to abuse others, you apologize profusely because you realize that someplace along the way, you got terribly lost.

If I give people poison (causing them untold suffering) because the president of my company told me it was health food, once I find out the President really was the perverted old lying goat so many had claimed him to be for decades, I go and beg forgiveness of my poisoning victims, on my hands and knees, and resolve to figure out what went wrong inside me that I could have been so blinded to the cries of the victims and could have been so deceived and used to inflict harm on others.

Instead, we see the LCs refusing to admit that they themselves were complicit simply by being cooperators in this great scam. If they started to beg forgiveness for their participation in this cruel abuse of others and asked for help in figuring out what was wrong with themselves that allowed them to be used in such a fashion, I would have some hope.

Instead, we see the "Move on, People! Perverted Old Goat is dead (besides, he did a lot of good for US, and we feel enduring gratitude for it!), and now that we are free from his failings, we can happily pursue our mission to re-Christianize the world. No need to apologize, as we never did anything wrong. Oh, and please donate some money for all the priests we are recruiting. Must recruit! The work is urgent!"

You say that Maciel should be denounced, but it's kind of moot because it's just not happening. If it hasn't happened after all that we have learned in the past year, I'd say it's very unlikely to ever happen. We still have LCs around here who truly believe the man is a saint.

Pete Vere said...

With regards to Maciel, LC/RC, and the baby and bathwater analogy, I urge you to read the insights of Fr. Francis Snell, LC (writing under the pseudonym Fr. Damien Karras) on this topic:

http://changobeer.blogspot.com/2009/07/leave-bathwater-take-cannoli.html

Thought-provoking, regardless of which side of the issue one stands.

Anonymous said...

There is a 0% chance of Maciel ever being canonized a saint. To suggest otherwise completely destroys credibility.

Anonymous said...

as one having fought this multiheaded beast for about thirty years (we have over 40 family members involved with LC/RC)and
hearing the accusation of calumny
for all those years and still,
if the officialdum of the Church
can squealch the cries for justice
now, as has been done in other cases for many,many,many years:
They just might make,"Nuestro Padre", a saint AND leave the LC/RC
in tack.

Anonymous said...

Thanks to the internet and other forms of information sharing these days, its much harder for the Church or anybody else to squelch the cries for justice.

A hundred years ago, I would agree with you that Maciel may very well have been canonized.

Today, I think not. Nor a hundred years from now. There is too much information out there for any and all to access.

Praise God for the internet!

fbcallicoat@gmail.com said...

I know several people who are actively involved with Regnum Christi, as well as a few LC priests.

All of them are exemplary Catholics and a credit to the faith. I've never had even the slightest doubt of their sanctity - nor has anyone else who has met these people.

Makes me really wonder about those who attack them.

Anonymous said...

The same way everyone wondered about those victims of Maciel who "persecuted" him and the Legion all those years, no doubt.

Maciel was once considered an exemplary Catholic and a credit to the faith by no less than the Pope himself. There was not a single doubt about his sanctity among innumerable "orthodox" Catholics.

I no longer trust outward signs of "sanctity". If there is anything we have learned about piety, it's that the most heinous of abusers can feign it like nobody's business.

The truth is, none of us is in any position to make statements about others' interior sanctity. As we learned with Maciel, we just don't know what is in the heart of people.

What we do know is that this order of priests has participated in the spiritual abuse of children by forcing them to read and absorb the teachings of a child molester long after this order of priests knew he was a fraud. No amount of outwards signs of piety and holiness can make up for that.

We also know that this order of priests and its lay order of followers has not made any kind of restitution for the terrible sin of calumny they committed against all those victims that Maciel sodomized when they called them "enemies of the Church" and "workers of the devil".

It makes ME really wonder about those who wonder why so many faithful Catholics are outraged and scandalized by the terribly unchristian and cult-like behavior of this group.

Anonymous said...

It appears evident that Maciel was an evil, evil man who fooled many people. I know that many were fooled because I was In RC and received priests and consecrated into my home for years. Somehow, I could never warm up to the image of Maciel or his writings even though I found no flaw in them. The RC religious are among the most hard working, praying, Christ loving people I have ever known. It is heart breaking to realize that many noble souls who have led lives of great sacrifice have been so profoundly betrayed. Surely some of them are suffering a martyrdom of betrayal. I sincerely pray that EVERYTHING will be exposed and justice served. I think it is impossible to know who has actually brain washed and who consciously knew what they were doing. I would bet my life that there are many very holy, sincere religious that were taken in without realizing just how much. It could take years of therapy to get inside of the heads of all the good, unsuspecting souls who are damaged without realizing it..

Pete Vere said...

Anonymous, things were indeed different 100 years ago. Having said, the Holy Spirit remains constant. Maciel probably would not have been able to perpetuate his world-wide fraud 100 years ago, because the means of instant communication and near-instant travel were not there. So he would have been found out in his local community.

Additionally, justice was a little more harsh back then. Meaning Maciel would have been more likely to die from public lynching (i.e. Rasputin) than from natural causes.

helgothjb said...

I too know those in RC and some priests in the LC. They are trying to live a holy life the best they can. It makes me wonder how they can stay. However, I know that it must all be very confusing. The whole distinction between being a holy Catholic and being a member is blurred so much in all of the formation. I can understand why one would think that they were turning their back on Christ if they left the movement. Add to that the constantly taught 'doctrine' that the will of your superior is the will of God for you and you can see were people are at. We must pray. The whole thing is very dangerous, even if it wasn't for Fr. Maciel.

Anonymous said...

I have no doubt many entered with the best of intentions, but we all know what the road to hell is paved with.

They won't get any therapy if they never acknowledge they are brainwashed in the first place.

Whatever the case, even the brainwashed are morally responsible for bad actions they partake in. These oh-so-holy-looking priests and oh-so-holy-acting RCs have abused countless souls through the methodology.

I won't pass judgment because only God knows what is in a person's heart. But I won't give all these people a pass, either.

BTW, we know and love several LC priests. I still hold them accountable for their participation in spiritual abuse and for their continuing expressions of gratitude and respect for the Master Molester.

Loving somebody and the various good qualities within them does not mean we give them a pass on outrageous behavior. You call them "Christ-loving". I say they are so messed up they don't know what loving Christ really is. Instead they have abused countless people in the name of an imagined love.

I pray and hope for nothing but good for all these LCs/RCs, but without any self-recognition or humility, I see little hope for change. Pride really gets in the way of God's grace.

Pete Vere said...

I too know several fervent and well-intentioned RC and LC members. However, I hesitate to use the word "holy" for two reasons:

1 - Holiness comes from the inside. God alone knows who is holy and who is not. Externals can be deceiving. For instance, how many of us thought at one time that Maciel was holy?

2 - Among orthodox Catholics, the sexual abuse of minors and covering up for alleged are not considered acts of holiness.

helgothjb said...

Pete - I would agree. Unless we live in very close quarters with another person, it is hard to know what is real and what is not. Even then, only God knows the heart. Some seem pious, but they really just like to play with lace and incense, it has nothing to do with true piety.

Anonymous said...

Well, when Fr. Maciel is Canonized, then maybe you will start believing the words of the Legion = "Believe every good thing you hear and every bad thing you see!".

Anonymous said...

"Believe every good thing you hear and only the bad that you see".

Ah, a pedophile's dream!! I seriously can't think of a more enabling mind-set for getting away with child molestation and all sorts of other terrible abuses and deviances committed behind closed doors and in dark corners, where nobody can see.

And believing the "good you see" had thousands of people worshiping a sodomizer for over 60 years.

""Believe every good thing you hear and only the bad that you see" is not only contrary to Catholic charity, it is quite frankly not of God. Such a twisted methodology is born out of evil.

Anonymous said...

Seeking the truth is an honorable and just position. In today’s world we often find people who are content with knowing something regardless if it is fact or fiction. Our critical thinking skills and reasoning skills as a nation have grown slightly less sharp. It seems to me that those interested in the actions of Father Maciel are interested in the truth. While the truth about the situation will never be fully known by any singular audience, it will be and is known by God. Often times it is a critic which serves to bring about change. For the good or the bad, change is certain. Change within the Legion of Christ and its Lay Apostolate is certain. The results of the visitation are due in March. I am sure everyone on either side of the argument believes that some change will occur. The degree of change to occur remains with the Holy See, to whom the keys of the Church are given. I believe that the anecdotal and documented evidence which has been presented through the media, blogs, articles etc has been presented to those involved in the visitation.
“In mid March, a decision is expected from Benedict XVI. Right now, there are between 100 and 150 Legionary priests awaiting this report to define the there path within or outside of the congregation.”
I am sure that all of the LC Priests are awaiting this report. Being faithful to the Pope is one of the tenets of their Charism.
These Priests are to reflect Christ, not the actions of their founder and yet, it appears difficult for some to separate the two.
May we all accept the Pope’s decision and treat the men who have professed their vow as Priest to Christ to serve the Church and each one of us with our support, respect and gratitude.

Unknown said...

The life and death of Marcial Maciel should be a warning to us against the cult of an individual person.

'What I mean is that each of you
says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you?' 1 Cor. 1: 12

Anonymous said...

I will treat all priests with respect, because of the respect I have for the office.

I do not respect the characters of men who have participated in spiritual, emotional, and psychological abuse and continue to be proud of their participation in this group.

Nor do I have gratitude for those who saturated my children with the writings and beliefs of a child molester long after they knew he was a fraud.

There is no reason we have to "accept" the Pope's decision in the sense we will agree it is the right one. Catholics do not---nor should they--have to park their brains at the door. I will "accept" it in the sense that I have to, because if he basically gives a slap on the hand and lets the Legion get away with a bit of lip-service to reform, there is quite simply nothing I can do about that. It does not mean I will accept it was a good decision.

Popes have been known to make mistakes in the past; the matter of the Legion is not a matter of faith or morals, so there is no guarantee of infallibility.

Anonymous said...

If the report is true that he didn't want to confess and in fact lost his faith (if he ever had it), then this confirms what I have thought all along. Maciel was a complete narcissist and con man (like the characte in "Catch Me If You Can"). The fact that he used religion as his con game made it all the worse. But he was the con man par excellence who deceived even Pope John Paul!

Anonymous said...

He didn't deceive everybody. Ratzinger knew something needed to be done about him back in the 90s (although he couldn't do anything about him, because he was so dear to the Pope---makes me wonder how many other cons, frauds, and perverts were running rampant with Ratzinger paralyzed by the Pope's love for these people).

There were plenty of people trying to sound the alarm. Yes, he was a total con. But many bought in eagerly and happily ignored all the signs that something was seriously wrong (apparently, even the Pope---if Ratz knew he couldn't do anything about Maciel, that tells me he had already tried to tell the Pope and been quickly silenced).

Until we get to the bottom of why that happened, history is doomed to repeat itself.

I agree with the poster above about cult of personality. Whether it surrounds perverted frauds or popular Popes, it's just wrong. The sad saga of JPII and Maciel is the perfect example of why cults of personality should be condemned.

John Paul Francis McGuire said...

Re: “How about Enron?” et al. The opaque and the hypocritical—the hair-brained—though not “evil” ally themselves time and again with those that are. It’s really that simple, pal.

Re: “I think it is impossible to know who has actually brain washed and who consciously knew what they were doing.” Stuff un’ nunsense, as the Scotch say. Honestly, people. It’s called common sense!

Re: “The whole distinction between being a holy Catholic and being a member is blurred so much in all of the formation.” So astute.

Re: “[W]e know and love several LC priests. I still hold them accountable for their participation in spiritual abuse and for their continuing expressions of gratitude and respect for the Master Molester.” That’s exactly the mature attitude we have not been seeing!

Re: “Catholics do not—nor should they—have to park their brains at the door.” Right on, friend! Your fresh perspective is sorely lacking in, and I mean this sincerely, everyone who ever defends the Legion and Regnum Christi. Love of God, our call as Christ-followers, is predicated on freedom. (AND NO ONE WHO VOWS OBEDIENCE TO A PEDOPHILE IS BOUND BY THAT VOW; RATHER IT IS TO HIS ETERNAL SHAME IF HE KNOWINGLY KEEPS IT!)

Re: “Until we get to the bottom of why that happened, history is doomed to repeat itself.” AND KEEP ON BRINGING THIS TO LIGHT: THAT’S HOW WE BRING THE REAL KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH, RATHER THAN THE WEASEL-SCAM!

I mean this charitably, but for gosh’ sake, people, this is not about judging anyone but discerning spirits and avoiding mortal dangers! Good gravy, friends, get this through your thick skulls already! The Legion is founded on paranoia, mistrust of any outsider, as though they were contaminated, especially if tell the truth about the founder and superiors. This paranoia is founded on sin. It’s a cult and a cover-up; nothing could be more obvious, however individuals (see above) choose to rationalize and smooth it over so they can be at home with the demonic. “But as for me and my house…” And that’s really all there is to it. Ignorance has always been, will always be, evil’s best ally. God bless you all, stay informed and pray and praise on every occasion that your hearts may be soft while your minds are solid: be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves! A.M.D.G.! (Ad majorem Dei gloriam!)

Anonymous said...

I am not surprised at all as I have always thought that the devil was within the church and this is one of many examples how he is disguises himself. The Legion & RC has all the makings of a cult and I am glad that I have seen the light though it does disgust me since I have so many friends (victims) in denial still in LC/RC that I can't reach. I only hope and pray the Church dissolves the Legion and all its tentacles thus purifying the Church.

Now I know why Christ mentioned in the Gospel that if the days were not shorttened before his return would he find any faith on earth?

Look at the thousands of us that were victims of this guy life...even JPII and all the Bishops.

JP said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JP said...

"Tentacles" ... very apt imagery.

Maciel is the "Jesus" who says, "If you don't bring home the big bucks, you shall have no part in me." My conclusion? Bondage is, of its very nature, every bit as diabolical as disobedience! There is ever such an important distinction to be made in that we are called to be instruments of God, not man. Whoever speaks for God really needs to serve, as Jesus ordered--orders--or stand down and let a true shepherd's heart take office. Thank God for Benedict XVI! Can I get an "amen"?

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