From the Archdiocese Website:
The Legionaries of Christ are prohibited from functioning in the Archdiocese of Miami. Furthermore, Regnum Christi - a group of lay Catholics related to the Legionaries of Christ - are not and have never been approved by Archbishop Favalora to work in any parish, school or other Archdiocesan entity.
A los Legionarios de Cristo se les ha prohibido funcionar en la Arquidiócesis de Miami. Además, el grupo laico Regnum Christi - el cual esta asociado con los Legionarios de Cristo - no tiene y nunca ha tenido permiso para funcionar en ninguna parroquia, escuela o entidad de esta arquidiócesis.
More on American Papist.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
A Growing Trend: In but really out.
Dear Gateway families,
I've been in the Legion for 23 years. It's been a very fulfilling time in my life, particularly the time spent at Gateway Academy.
Through pray and discernment, I've asked for the opportunity to work in a parish and have been assigned in the Diocese of New Jersey. I remain a member of the congregation of the Legion of Christ, and am grateful for the years I have worked in the many apostolates of the Legion.
I am thankful to all of you for allowing me to be a part of your life. I ask that you keep me in your prayers and know that you will always be in mine.
God bless,
Fr. Thomas Maher, LC
I've been in the Legion for 23 years. It's been a very fulfilling time in my life, particularly the time spent at Gateway Academy.
Through pray and discernment, I've asked for the opportunity to work in a parish and have been assigned in the Diocese of New Jersey. I remain a member of the congregation of the Legion of Christ, and am grateful for the years I have worked in the many apostolates of the Legion.
I am thankful to all of you for allowing me to be a part of your life. I ask that you keep me in your prayers and know that you will always be in mine.
God bless,
Fr. Thomas Maher, LC
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Take That, National Chaotic Register!
From a comment on Life-After-RC posted by Steve, in response to the National Catholic Register's proposed makeover announced by the editor and chief, Fr. Owen Kearns, L.C.
Got a solicitation email from Fr. [Owen] Kearns on this last night. My response is below.
Fr. Kearns:
Given the recent ongoing revelations about Fr. MM; about the non-canonical and very tenuous way young girls are drained of their best years and energies and then dismissed without cause from the Consecrated; the stories of malfeasance on the part of Fr. MM and his LC inner circle in supporting multiple previously undisclosed children/consorts; and the remarkable way that some of the Church’s “Best and Brightest” (LCs, of course) not only failed to detect what a monster their founder was, but seem incapable of figuring out that he had confederates who are still in their ranks,
PLEASE TELL ME on what grounds you think the NCR has any room to cast stones at an admittedly chaotic culture overwhelmed by secular aggression and government overreach.
Wouldn’t it be good to work on getting your own house in order first?
I’m not sure if anyone has said this to you lately, but just in terms of common decency, you guys (the LCs) are really stinking up the place.
Fr. Alvarro lets LCs know that he is privately meeting with all of Fr. MM’s victims. Word from folks who know many of the victims is that he hasn’t met with any of the folks that they know.
The Consecrated are still being dismissed w/out explanation, education, Social Security, retirement or any other protections afforded to religious or even to poorly run companies (I have a friend who has a daughter still in the Consecrated—she’s told her dad that girls still disappear w/out explanation…)
And in the midst of a Visitation that might end in dissolution of the order, we’re still supposed to be recruiting at full throttle?
Is this all crazy or what?
In Christ,
(my name, education credentials and status in RegC)
Got a solicitation email from Fr. [Owen] Kearns on this last night. My response is below.
Fr. Kearns:
Given the recent ongoing revelations about Fr. MM; about the non-canonical and very tenuous way young girls are drained of their best years and energies and then dismissed without cause from the Consecrated; the stories of malfeasance on the part of Fr. MM and his LC inner circle in supporting multiple previously undisclosed children/consorts; and the remarkable way that some of the Church’s “Best and Brightest” (LCs, of course) not only failed to detect what a monster their founder was, but seem incapable of figuring out that he had confederates who are still in their ranks,
PLEASE TELL ME on what grounds you think the NCR has any room to cast stones at an admittedly chaotic culture overwhelmed by secular aggression and government overreach.
Wouldn’t it be good to work on getting your own house in order first?
I’m not sure if anyone has said this to you lately, but just in terms of common decency, you guys (the LCs) are really stinking up the place.
Fr. Alvarro lets LCs know that he is privately meeting with all of Fr. MM’s victims. Word from folks who know many of the victims is that he hasn’t met with any of the folks that they know.
The Consecrated are still being dismissed w/out explanation, education, Social Security, retirement or any other protections afforded to religious or even to poorly run companies (I have a friend who has a daughter still in the Consecrated—she’s told her dad that girls still disappear w/out explanation…)
And in the midst of a Visitation that might end in dissolution of the order, we’re still supposed to be recruiting at full throttle?
Is this all crazy or what?
In Christ,
(my name, education credentials and status in RegC)
Thursday, October 15, 2009
There's need to fear! Underdog is not here!
From Desmontando a Maciel
¿Dónde está el P. Álvaro?
Where is Fr. Alvaro?
14/10/2009
Los legionarios sufren el silencio de su Director General
Legionaries suffer in the silence of their General Director.
Muchos legionarios están preocupados. Pero no, lo que les preocupa más no es ni la pederastia ni la paternidad biológica de su padre espiritual, que de este asunto apenas reciben noticias; tampoco es su primera preocupación lo que va a ser de la Congregación tras la Visita Canónica. Lo que preocupa más a los sacerdotes legionarios, lógicamente, es su propia persona, el lugar donde les destinen, y la encomienda que la Legión pueda dar a cada uno. Los legionarios se interrogan por su futuro inmediato pero su Director General no responde.
Many Legionaries are worried. But no, what worries them most is not the pedastry or biological paternity of their spiritual fater, which they have just only gotten news of recently; no is their primary worry what is to become of the Congregation after the Canonical Visit. What most worries legionary priests, logically, is their very selves, the place where they will be sent, and what the Legion will give each of them as a task. The legionaries are asking about their immediate future, but the General Director is not talking.
Así, a ojo, podríamos calcular que una tercera parte de los sacerdotes legionarios se encuentra en una “situación irregular”, es decir, viviendo un status especial dentro de la Congregación. Hay decenas de sacerdotes legionarios viviendo con sus propias familias, en un periodo de reflexión o descanso, o también replanteando su vocación en diferentes diócesis. Hay otros muchos separados de las comunidades, viviendo por su cuenta, solos o en parejas, a su manera, a la espera de superar traumas, asentarse, o con las escusa de descansar de alguna labor que les ha desgastado. No son pocos los legionarios que han necesitado ayuda psiquiátrica, algunos incluso necesitando ser ingresados. Un grupo amplio de sacerdotes permanece en Roma, estudiando una Teología que nunca acaba. Y luego están los proscritos, todos los desterrados a las misiones de Quintana Roo y que no han querido o no se han atrevido a abandonar la Congregación. Porque la península de Yucatán siempre fue una lenta y silenciosa puerta de atrás para los díscolos. Dicen que desde que fue Mons. Elizondo, el destierro no es a las misiones, sino a Brasil; que te mandan a Brasil y, cómo solíamos bromear los teólogos: “borran tu nombre del ordenador”.
Esta situación insoportable no se debe tanto a los pecados del fundador, como al legado de carencias y manías irracionales que la obra ha heredado. La Legión machaca psicológicamente a sus propios hijos, hasta hundirlos.
With a quick view estimate, we can say that one third of Legionary priests are in a "irregular situation", that is, living some sort of special status within the Congregation. There are dozens of Legionary priests living with their own families, in a period of reflexion or rest, or reconsidering their vocation in different dioceses. There are many others separated from their communities, living on their own, or in pairs, in their own way, waiting to overcome trauma, getting away, or with the excuse to rest from some labor with which they were charged which has worn them out. There are not just a few legionaries who need psychiatric help, and some have had to be committed. A large group of priests are in Rome, studying theology courses that never seem to end. And then there are the ostracized, those exiled to the missions of Quintana Roo, who have not wished or don't dare to leave the Congregation. Because the Yucatan Pennisula was always a back door for the less fortunate. They say that since Bishop Elizondo was sent there, the real exile is no longer the missions, but rather Brazil: as we used to joke, "when you get sent to Brazil, your name is erased from the computer." This absurd situation is not due so much to the sins of founder, but rather to the legacy of shortcomings and obsessions inherited by the order. The Legion phycologically mutilates its own children, to the point of wounding them.
Y en este escenario el Superior General está ausente. Sí, recorre los frentes para declarar su inocencia, pero no responde a los sacerdotes que necesitan una decisión, una respuesta, un nuevo rumbo. Está dejando que situaciones incómodas se alarguen sine die porque no decide. Y en la Legión nadie se mueve si el Director General no habla. Decenas de sacerdotes necesitan al P. Álvaro, quieren saber qué va a ser de ellos y qué les pide la Legión. El Director General, desde que empezó este annus horribilis, debería haberse entrevistado uno por uno con todos los sacerdotes legionarios. Así tendría más claro cuál es el pulso de su Congregación. Pero está muy ocupado escondiendo la basura bajo la alfombra.
In all of this reality, the Superior General is absent. Yes, he is going from house to house to declare his innocence, but he has not answered his priests when they need a decision, a reply, a new path. He is allowing these uncomfortable situations to grow indefinitely because he will not decide. And in the Legion, no one will mover if the General Director does not speak. Scores of priests need Fr. Alvaro, they want to know what will be of them, and what the Legion will ask of them. The General Director, since this annus horribilis began, should have interviewed each and every one of the Legionary priests. This would give him a clearer view of the pulse of his Congregation. But he is very busy sweeping trash under the carpet.
Por otro lado, la Congregación se jacta de tener ochocientos sacerdotes. Pero no dicen nunca que han ordenado a más de mil doscientos. Sí, más de un tercio lo ha dejado. Y la mayoría ha abandonado también el ministerio. Además, nueve de cada diez seminaristas lo dejan antes de la ordenación. Los constantes cambios de centros que sufren los religiosos esconden las deserciones.
On the other hand, the Congregation brags of having 800 priests. But they say nothing of the fact that they have ordained more than 1,200. Yes, more than a third have left. And the majority have left the ministry, too. Also, 9 out of 10 seminarians will leave before ordination. The continual changes of religious from place to place helps hide the desertions.
De todo esto se concluye que la Legión no es un “árbol tan sano” como dijo el Vaticano en su comunicado del 2006 y que la visita apostólica no puede centrarse solamente en el problema del fundador. Lo que quieren los legionarios de base es que el Vaticano les ayude a ejercer su ministerio sin trabas, con autenticidad y posibilidades pastorales. Quieren salir de la burbuja de mentiras, paternalismo y actitudes maximalistas que les mantiene ausentes de la realidad para poder ejercer su sacerdocio con verdadera eficiencia eclesial.
From all of this, we can conclude that the Legion is not a healthy tree as the Vatican said in the 2006 communiqué and the apostolic visit cannot only focus on the problem of the founder. Legionaries want the Vatican to help them to exercise their ministry without hindrance, with authenticity, and pastoral possibilities. They want to leave the bubble of lies, paternalism, and maximalist attitudes which keep them away from reality to be able to exercise their priesthood with true ecclesial efficacy.
¿Dónde está el P. Álvaro?
Where is Fr. Alvaro?
14/10/2009
Los legionarios sufren el silencio de su Director General
Legionaries suffer in the silence of their General Director.
Muchos legionarios están preocupados. Pero no, lo que les preocupa más no es ni la pederastia ni la paternidad biológica de su padre espiritual, que de este asunto apenas reciben noticias; tampoco es su primera preocupación lo que va a ser de la Congregación tras la Visita Canónica. Lo que preocupa más a los sacerdotes legionarios, lógicamente, es su propia persona, el lugar donde les destinen, y la encomienda que la Legión pueda dar a cada uno. Los legionarios se interrogan por su futuro inmediato pero su Director General no responde.
Many Legionaries are worried. But no, what worries them most is not the pedastry or biological paternity of their spiritual fater, which they have just only gotten news of recently; no is their primary worry what is to become of the Congregation after the Canonical Visit. What most worries legionary priests, logically, is their very selves, the place where they will be sent, and what the Legion will give each of them as a task. The legionaries are asking about their immediate future, but the General Director is not talking.
Así, a ojo, podríamos calcular que una tercera parte de los sacerdotes legionarios se encuentra en una “situación irregular”, es decir, viviendo un status especial dentro de la Congregación. Hay decenas de sacerdotes legionarios viviendo con sus propias familias, en un periodo de reflexión o descanso, o también replanteando su vocación en diferentes diócesis. Hay otros muchos separados de las comunidades, viviendo por su cuenta, solos o en parejas, a su manera, a la espera de superar traumas, asentarse, o con las escusa de descansar de alguna labor que les ha desgastado. No son pocos los legionarios que han necesitado ayuda psiquiátrica, algunos incluso necesitando ser ingresados. Un grupo amplio de sacerdotes permanece en Roma, estudiando una Teología que nunca acaba. Y luego están los proscritos, todos los desterrados a las misiones de Quintana Roo y que no han querido o no se han atrevido a abandonar la Congregación. Porque la península de Yucatán siempre fue una lenta y silenciosa puerta de atrás para los díscolos. Dicen que desde que fue Mons. Elizondo, el destierro no es a las misiones, sino a Brasil; que te mandan a Brasil y, cómo solíamos bromear los teólogos: “borran tu nombre del ordenador”.
Esta situación insoportable no se debe tanto a los pecados del fundador, como al legado de carencias y manías irracionales que la obra ha heredado. La Legión machaca psicológicamente a sus propios hijos, hasta hundirlos.
With a quick view estimate, we can say that one third of Legionary priests are in a "irregular situation", that is, living some sort of special status within the Congregation. There are dozens of Legionary priests living with their own families, in a period of reflexion or rest, or reconsidering their vocation in different dioceses. There are many others separated from their communities, living on their own, or in pairs, in their own way, waiting to overcome trauma, getting away, or with the excuse to rest from some labor with which they were charged which has worn them out. There are not just a few legionaries who need psychiatric help, and some have had to be committed. A large group of priests are in Rome, studying theology courses that never seem to end. And then there are the ostracized, those exiled to the missions of Quintana Roo, who have not wished or don't dare to leave the Congregation. Because the Yucatan Pennisula was always a back door for the less fortunate. They say that since Bishop Elizondo was sent there, the real exile is no longer the missions, but rather Brazil: as we used to joke, "when you get sent to Brazil, your name is erased from the computer." This absurd situation is not due so much to the sins of founder, but rather to the legacy of shortcomings and obsessions inherited by the order. The Legion phycologically mutilates its own children, to the point of wounding them.
Y en este escenario el Superior General está ausente. Sí, recorre los frentes para declarar su inocencia, pero no responde a los sacerdotes que necesitan una decisión, una respuesta, un nuevo rumbo. Está dejando que situaciones incómodas se alarguen sine die porque no decide. Y en la Legión nadie se mueve si el Director General no habla. Decenas de sacerdotes necesitan al P. Álvaro, quieren saber qué va a ser de ellos y qué les pide la Legión. El Director General, desde que empezó este annus horribilis, debería haberse entrevistado uno por uno con todos los sacerdotes legionarios. Así tendría más claro cuál es el pulso de su Congregación. Pero está muy ocupado escondiendo la basura bajo la alfombra.
In all of this reality, the Superior General is absent. Yes, he is going from house to house to declare his innocence, but he has not answered his priests when they need a decision, a reply, a new path. He is allowing these uncomfortable situations to grow indefinitely because he will not decide. And in the Legion, no one will mover if the General Director does not speak. Scores of priests need Fr. Alvaro, they want to know what will be of them, and what the Legion will ask of them. The General Director, since this annus horribilis began, should have interviewed each and every one of the Legionary priests. This would give him a clearer view of the pulse of his Congregation. But he is very busy sweeping trash under the carpet.
Por otro lado, la Congregación se jacta de tener ochocientos sacerdotes. Pero no dicen nunca que han ordenado a más de mil doscientos. Sí, más de un tercio lo ha dejado. Y la mayoría ha abandonado también el ministerio. Además, nueve de cada diez seminaristas lo dejan antes de la ordenación. Los constantes cambios de centros que sufren los religiosos esconden las deserciones.
On the other hand, the Congregation brags of having 800 priests. But they say nothing of the fact that they have ordained more than 1,200. Yes, more than a third have left. And the majority have left the ministry, too. Also, 9 out of 10 seminarians will leave before ordination. The continual changes of religious from place to place helps hide the desertions.
De todo esto se concluye que la Legión no es un “árbol tan sano” como dijo el Vaticano en su comunicado del 2006 y que la visita apostólica no puede centrarse solamente en el problema del fundador. Lo que quieren los legionarios de base es que el Vaticano les ayude a ejercer su ministerio sin trabas, con autenticidad y posibilidades pastorales. Quieren salir de la burbuja de mentiras, paternalismo y actitudes maximalistas que les mantiene ausentes de la realidad para poder ejercer su sacerdocio con verdadera eficiencia eclesial.
From all of this, we can conclude that the Legion is not a healthy tree as the Vatican said in the 2006 communiqué and the apostolic visit cannot only focus on the problem of the founder. Legionaries want the Vatican to help them to exercise their ministry without hindrance, with authenticity, and pastoral possibilities. They want to leave the bubble of lies, paternalism, and maximalist attitudes which keep them away from reality to be able to exercise their priesthood with true ecclesial efficacy.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Installment Three
Screenplay Act 1 Scene 3
THE CULT – ACT ONE 7.
FADE IN:
INT. KITCHEN – DAY
Elena and ISABEL, another Mexican, are talking about the retreat
and snacking on a variety of food left on the table. We thought they
were dignified, women of God, and suddenly, they have let down
their guard.
ISABEL
So what did Lia want?
ELENA
I think the Holy Spirit is working. We
may have another recruit for the summer
program.
ISABEL
I figured as much, the way she was crying
during your meditation. She’s seemed like
a good recruit for a while. Well, I guess
you have a new “face.”
ELENA
I was thinking maybe I would write her some
letters so she doesn’t get distracted by
school and boys or stuff.
ISABEL
You must be joking, boys? Lia’s surely
never been kissed. Homeschooled girls
rarely have boyfriends, and Lia least
of all.
ELENA
She is very sheltered. But that makes it
easier for her to feel God’s call and
leave behind the world she really doesn’t
know. I, on the other hand, got to know it
well enough.
ISABEL
You did have a boyfriend, didn’t you?
CONTINUED.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 8.
CONTINUED:
ELENA
I did have a boyfriend. He was very much
in love with me, and I loved him, but he
never filled me. Of course, I have a past
I am sorry for.
ISABEL
Let’s not talk about those things. I don’t
want to remember past temptations. It
could distract me from my vocation.
ELENA
How many girls on the retreat talked to you
about a vocation?
ISABEL
Of the forty girls, I had twenty for spiritual
direction and you had twenty. Four of mine
told me they were thinking about a vocation.
ELENA
And five of mine.
ISABEL
I guess that is a pretty good outcome. Jenny
told me she would like to come to the summer
program, but the rest of mine are afraid.
ELENA
I have Lia, Erin, and Emily for the summer
Program.
ISABEL
That’s really not enough. Valeria wanted us
to have at least fifteen from Michigan.
ELENA
We should probably get into another school by
January so we might get another girl or two from
there. We’re going to have to work some of
these girls harder in spiritual direction.
CONTINUED.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 9.
CONTINUED:
ISABEL
We need the girls to start bringing
more girls to the retreats. These girls
aren’t really leaders if they only have
one friend or two. We need the popular
girls, who have groups and friends, who
will all follow our leader into the
summer program.
ELENA
Girls like Lia may be deep and spiritual,
nd easy to recruit, but they just
aren’t real human leaders. People
don’t follow them.
ISABEL
And then later on they turn out as
washout consecrated…
ELENA
Like Elise.
ISABEL
But who knows, Lia might have a real
vocation. Give her a year or two in
the boarding school and you might see
her change.
ELENA
Besides, she is pretty. We want to have
attractive girls at the high school.
ISABEL
And you know what? Her parents have money.
They’re not rich, but they could donate a
lot of money to us.
ELENA
And having a daughter in the group is always
A good way to get money.
FADE OUT.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 7.
FADE IN:
INT. KITCHEN – DAY
Elena and ISABEL, another Mexican, are talking about the retreat
and snacking on a variety of food left on the table. We thought they
were dignified, women of God, and suddenly, they have let down
their guard.
ISABEL
So what did Lia want?
ELENA
I think the Holy Spirit is working. We
may have another recruit for the summer
program.
ISABEL
I figured as much, the way she was crying
during your meditation. She’s seemed like
a good recruit for a while. Well, I guess
you have a new “face.”
ELENA
I was thinking maybe I would write her some
letters so she doesn’t get distracted by
school and boys or stuff.
ISABEL
You must be joking, boys? Lia’s surely
never been kissed. Homeschooled girls
rarely have boyfriends, and Lia least
of all.
ELENA
She is very sheltered. But that makes it
easier for her to feel God’s call and
leave behind the world she really doesn’t
know. I, on the other hand, got to know it
well enough.
ISABEL
You did have a boyfriend, didn’t you?
CONTINUED.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 8.
CONTINUED:
ELENA
I did have a boyfriend. He was very much
in love with me, and I loved him, but he
never filled me. Of course, I have a past
I am sorry for.
ISABEL
Let’s not talk about those things. I don’t
want to remember past temptations. It
could distract me from my vocation.
ELENA
How many girls on the retreat talked to you
about a vocation?
ISABEL
Of the forty girls, I had twenty for spiritual
direction and you had twenty. Four of mine
told me they were thinking about a vocation.
ELENA
And five of mine.
ISABEL
I guess that is a pretty good outcome. Jenny
told me she would like to come to the summer
program, but the rest of mine are afraid.
ELENA
I have Lia, Erin, and Emily for the summer
Program.
ISABEL
That’s really not enough. Valeria wanted us
to have at least fifteen from Michigan.
ELENA
We should probably get into another school by
January so we might get another girl or two from
there. We’re going to have to work some of
these girls harder in spiritual direction.
CONTINUED.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 9.
CONTINUED:
ISABEL
We need the girls to start bringing
more girls to the retreats. These girls
aren’t really leaders if they only have
one friend or two. We need the popular
girls, who have groups and friends, who
will all follow our leader into the
summer program.
ELENA
Girls like Lia may be deep and spiritual,
nd easy to recruit, but they just
aren’t real human leaders. People
don’t follow them.
ISABEL
And then later on they turn out as
washout consecrated…
ELENA
Like Elise.
ISABEL
But who knows, Lia might have a real
vocation. Give her a year or two in
the boarding school and you might see
her change.
ELENA
Besides, she is pretty. We want to have
attractive girls at the high school.
ISABEL
And you know what? Her parents have money.
They’re not rich, but they could donate a
lot of money to us.
ELENA
And having a daughter in the group is always
A good way to get money.
FADE OUT.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Installment Two
Screenplay Act 1 Scene 2
THE CULT – ACT ONE 4.
FADE IN:INT. OFFICE – DAY
Elena is looking over some papers in her office after the talk. Lia enters timidly. She KNOCKS first.
ELENA
Hi,Lia. What’s up?
LIA
Elena, I know we haven’t had spiritual
direction yet during this retreat. Do
you think we could have it now?
ELENA
Well, I was going to meet with the consecrated team for the retreat,
but if the Holy Spirit is really speaking to you now, maybe we should
meet now.
LIA
Ok, thanks.
ELENA
Have a seat.
Elena gestures towards a seat on the other side of the desk.
ELENA
Or would you rather walk? Let’s walk.
LIA
Ok. Why do all these offices have windows?
ELENA
The attitude of the Movement is transparency.
We have windows everywhere so that nothingis hidden or secret, and so that our souls
may be just as clear and open as the windows.
CONTINUED.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 5.
CONTINUED:
LIA
Ok, well anyways, I wanted to talk about
the meditation today. It was really inspiring for me.
Sometimes, I wonder if I really want to live out my life in an office,
just making money or getting up and going
home and then make enough money to buy a house,
then a car, then pay for my kids’
college…Sometimes I just wonder if I have the possibility of making a difference
in the world, of having a more exciting life.
ELENA
What do you mean? Do you think God is calling you to something?
LIA
Maybe. Sometimes I think about going tothe high school and discerning my vocation
to consecrated life.
ELENA
Well, you know we have the summer program
every year. You could come out to Rhode
Island and discern if that is the place
for you. I will have Isabel send you the information. Do you think your parents
would be opposed? After all, Elise
was consecrated.
LIA
I don’t know.
ELENA
Either way, Lia, God will bless you for your openness.
And speaking from personal
experience, a lot of people are unhappy
in life, and I believe that spending my life doing God’s will is the only truly
perfect way of finding happiness.
CONTINUED.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 6.
CONTINUED:
LIA
What do you mean?
ELENA
I could be serving God indirectly, by cooking,
cleaning, doing the laundry, but
as a consecrated woman, I served God
directly. That means I wake up and do
God’s work, I go to sleep, and when I do that
according to the schedule my directors set for me,
I do God’s will. I am so happy as a consecrated woman.
LIA
Do you mean that consecrated women can
be happier because they serve God in
everything they do?
ELENA
That’s the idea. Elise must have told you
about our Founder, about Nuestro Padre.
LIA
Yeah.
ELENA
Nuestro Padre went through many difficulties
And struggles in his vocation. He is
a very holy man of God. I recommend you
meditate on his words during these months
before the summer program.
The Holy Spirit will influence you with his words and
lead you towards God’s will.
LIA
Ok, thanks.
ELENA
You can pick up a copy of his latest book
in the bookstore at the school here.
FADE OUT.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 4.
FADE IN:INT. OFFICE – DAY
Elena is looking over some papers in her office after the talk. Lia enters timidly. She KNOCKS first.
ELENA
Hi,Lia. What’s up?
LIA
Elena, I know we haven’t had spiritual
direction yet during this retreat. Do
you think we could have it now?
ELENA
Well, I was going to meet with the consecrated team for the retreat,
but if the Holy Spirit is really speaking to you now, maybe we should
meet now.
LIA
Ok, thanks.
ELENA
Have a seat.
Elena gestures towards a seat on the other side of the desk.
ELENA
Or would you rather walk? Let’s walk.
LIA
Ok. Why do all these offices have windows?
ELENA
The attitude of the Movement is transparency.
We have windows everywhere so that nothingis hidden or secret, and so that our souls
may be just as clear and open as the windows.
CONTINUED.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 5.
CONTINUED:
LIA
Ok, well anyways, I wanted to talk about
the meditation today. It was really inspiring for me.
Sometimes, I wonder if I really want to live out my life in an office,
just making money or getting up and going
home and then make enough money to buy a house,
then a car, then pay for my kids’
college…Sometimes I just wonder if I have the possibility of making a difference
in the world, of having a more exciting life.
ELENA
What do you mean? Do you think God is calling you to something?
LIA
Maybe. Sometimes I think about going tothe high school and discerning my vocation
to consecrated life.
ELENA
Well, you know we have the summer program
every year. You could come out to Rhode
Island and discern if that is the place
for you. I will have Isabel send you the information. Do you think your parents
would be opposed? After all, Elise
was consecrated.
LIA
I don’t know.
ELENA
Either way, Lia, God will bless you for your openness.
And speaking from personal
experience, a lot of people are unhappy
in life, and I believe that spending my life doing God’s will is the only truly
perfect way of finding happiness.
CONTINUED.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 6.
CONTINUED:
LIA
What do you mean?
ELENA
I could be serving God indirectly, by cooking,
cleaning, doing the laundry, but
as a consecrated woman, I served God
directly. That means I wake up and do
God’s work, I go to sleep, and when I do that
according to the schedule my directors set for me,
I do God’s will. I am so happy as a consecrated woman.
LIA
Do you mean that consecrated women can
be happier because they serve God in
everything they do?
ELENA
That’s the idea. Elise must have told you
about our Founder, about Nuestro Padre.
LIA
Yeah.
ELENA
Nuestro Padre went through many difficulties
And struggles in his vocation. He is
a very holy man of God. I recommend you
meditate on his words during these months
before the summer program.
The Holy Spirit will influence you with his words and
lead you towards God’s will.
LIA
Ok, thanks.
ELENA
You can pick up a copy of his latest book
in the bookstore at the school here.
FADE OUT.
Monday, October 12, 2009
A screenplay: The Cult
By Lotus Point, all rights reserved to her....
Screenplay Act 1 Scene 1
THE CULT – ACT ONE 1.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 1.
THE CULT
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
INT. CHAPEL – DAY
A gorgeous, Mexican woman stands behind a podium in a chapel filled with teenage girls. ELENA is reading with a marked accent.
ELENA
Now it came to pass, as they went, that
he entered into a certain veellage: and a
certain woman named Martha received him
into her house. And she had a sister called
Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet,
and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered
about much serving, and came to him,
and said, Lord, dost thou not care that
my sister hath left me to serve alone?
Bid her therefore that she help me. And
Jesus answered her and said unto her,
Martha, Martha, thou art careful and
troubled about many things: But one thing
is needful: and Mary hath chosen that
good part, which shall not be taken
away from her.
Alright girls, now kneel on your knees
and we will begin the meditation.
The girls GET UP from their pews rather loudly and CLANK onto the kneelers. There is a BLUSTER of notebooks moving around and girls turning around and facing forward again. This is when we notice LIA. She is a pale-faced, serious-looking teenager of thirteen. She is focused and attentive to every word coming from Elena’s mouth. In fact, too attentive.
CONTINUED.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 2.
CONTINUED:
ELENA
Let’s start with a composeetion of place.
We are walking along the dusty streets
of Galilee with H-esús and decide to dine
with his dear friends, Maria and Marta.
Let’s enter the cottage and see what is
going on. Marta has been cleaning the house
all day. She dusted. She swept. She even
took a bucket of water from the well
to mop. She caught the fish from the lake.
She cleaned it. And then she cooked it.
There were many hungry men in the house,
and they had to eat. She wanted to sit and
talk with Jesus, but there were many works
to be done. At the same time, her sister
Maria has not lifted a finger to help her.
Maria woke up, bathed, and sat in the
window waiting for Jesus. When he came, she
ran out to meet him, screaming and crying.
Marta would have liked to greet Jesus like
that, but she could not leave the hot stove
with no one to watch it. Jesus came in, and
she stood in the kitchen, while Maria
washed his feet with her hair and kissed
them. Finally, Marta can stand it no more.
She becomes so angry, she goes up to Jesus,
forgetting that they have yet to even say
hello to each other, and she complains!
“Jesus, my sister has not lifted a finger
to help me! Send her immediately to the
kitchen to help me!” Instead of sending Maria
immediately to the kitchen to help her,
Jesus said something else. “Maria has
chosen the better part and it will not be
taken away from her.” You girls can sit down if you
like.
Some of the girls begin to sit down. Some stay fixed in prayer. Lia, especially, has not moved since the beginning of the meditation. Lia takes out a notebook and writes.
CONTINUED.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 3.
CONTINUED:
LIA(writing)Dear God, please help me to find your will
for me, like Mary. I feel called to
do something more in my life.
ELENA(Continuing the talk)
Maybe some of you have experienced the call
of God. You are at prayer, and you feel that
you need to give more to make the world a
better place. Maybe, you have even felt the
call to be consecrated, to give your life
to God in the Regnum Christi Movement, the
Movement so loved by the Pope and the
Greatest gift to the Church in the
Twentieth Century. Maybe you have felt
the call to spend your youth discerning
your vocation. Maybe you don’t feel sure
yet, but you would like to spend some
time in our high school in Rhode Island
to find out what God wants of you, and spend
the most precious years of your life
looking for God’s will. And God, I, like
Maria, want to choose the better part.
And God, I remember that I don’t need to
be afraid of setbacks. There will be
many setbacks in my vocation. But if I
am brave, you will guide me through all of
them. There is the case of the consecrated
whose parents would not allow her to join the
high school when she was fourteen, and so
she became consecrated inside her house,
and even at eighteen, they still forbid
her. But she told them that she was
eighteen and they could no longer forbid her
from following God’s call, and she walked
out of their house, a consecrated woman.
God, maybe my family will never understand
my call, but I will not quiet its sound
in my heart.
FADE OUT.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Thomas Williams Strikes Again.
Remember, Williams defended Maciel on 20/20 back in 2002 and said that all the accusers were lying, since he really knew Maciel....
CBS, Rev. Thomas D. Williams and the Theoconning of America
by Frank Cocozzelli
Fri Oct 09, 2009 at 02:17:47 PM PDT
Recently I discussed the disturbing world view of CBS's go-to rightwing Catholic guy, pundit Rev. Thomas D. Williams, a member of the far right Legion of Christ. This is part of a larger trend that merits further discussion.
Neoconservatives and their theocon allies have had considerable success in getting us to see the world through their eyes; and each other as solely as all good or all bad; enemy or friend. These distortions often contribute to grotesque distortions of fact being presented as given truths.
This Manichean framing has infected the news media, which in turn functioned as a carrier of the disease. Apparently gone are the days of more nuanced newsman such as Edward R, Murrow, John Chancellor or Walter Cronkite, who assumed that we are intelligent enough to think and reason for ourselves; that the world is not black and white (even on TV) but that the news of the world mostly comprises shades of grey, where justice often only approximates the ideal.
The Manicheanism of the media is especially evident on television. MSNBC and Fox News act more like vehicles for affirming their views' current political outlook or, as we have seen with CBS, provide a platform to a Catholic priest whose view of both Catholicism and religious pluralism better reflects the über-reactionary Pope Pius X rather than the reform-minded Vatican II.
As discussed last week, CBS News' analyst Rev. Williams is no ordinary priest or theologian. He is a prominent member of the Legion of Christ, an authoritarian, anti-liberal organization that has a history of cult-like behavior and whose founder, a legacy of promiscuity. Rev. Williams believes that the only truth that should prevail is traditionalist Catholic orthodoxy, and that this worldview should be favored by and reflected in government.
Williams is a perfect example of the way that pundits pass for reporters, telling us what to think and how to act, while democracy is packaged for us as entertainment. The spectacle of media gladiators and bloviators is glorified over the participation of an informed citizenry. While this critique is not new, less well developed is the increasing role of religious right framed presentation of the news, and the risk of discounting the centrality of religigious pluralism as a key to constitutional democracy. One consequence of the creeping theoconism in the media is that we often fall prey to historical revisionism -- the weapon of choice of the Religious Right. Naturally, the narrative that emerges from this history of convenience attacks the very tenets of liberalism, such as religious pluralism as being sinister and evil. Faith and reason are not synonymous, but antithetical entities. Indeed, this is exactly how Rev. Williams approaches it.
For example, in an article he published in Richard Neuhaus's theocon journal, Crisis entitled "The Myth of Religious Tolerance:
Religion is a good to be embraced and defended, not an evil to be put up with. No one speaks of tolerating chocolate pudding or a spring walk in the park. By speaking of religious tolerance we make religion an unfortunate fact to be borne with, like noisy neighbors and crowded buses, not a blessing to be celebrated.
Here it is instructive to recall that modern ideas of religious tolerance sprang from the European Enlightenment project. A central tenet of this project was the notion of "progress", understood as the overcoming of the ignorance of superstition and religion to usher in the age of reason and science.4 In the words of Voltaire, "Philosophy, the sister of religion, has disarmed the hands that superstition had so long stained with blood; and the human mind, awakening from its intoxication, is amazed at the excesses into which fanaticism had led it."
Williams cites Voltaire as if he was the only Enlightenment philosopher to discuss the place of faith in secular society, which was far from the case. But does not stop there: he then goes after the idea of religious freedom itself. He this by first besmirching religious tolerance - the forerunner of contemporary religious freedom, as "exceedingly undesirable and counterproductive":
This definition mirrors that of the American Heritage College Dictionary, which states that tolerance is "(1) a fair and permissive attitude toward those whose race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry. A fair and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own."
If tolerance is a virtue, it is a decidedly modern virtue. It appears in none of the classical treatments of the virtues: not in Plato, not in Seneca, not even in Aristotle's extensive list of the virtues of the good citizen in his Nichomachean Ethics. Indulgence of evil, in the absence of an overriding reason for doing so, has never been considered virtuous. Even today, indiscriminate tolerance would not be countenanced. A public official tolerant of child abuse or tax evasion would not be considered virtuous.
The closer one examines tolerance and strives to apply it across the board, the more its insufficiency as a principle to govern society becomes apparent. Even if it were possible to achieve total tolerance (which it is not), it would be exceedingly undesirable and counterproductive to do so.
This disingenuous picking and choosing plays itself out later in the piece by going after John Locke:
John Locke (1632-1704) himself, in the midst of his impassioned appeal for religious toleration, notes that of course toleration does not extend to Catholics, Muslims or atheists. "To worship one's God in a Catholic rite in a Protestant country," he writes, "amounts to constructive subversion."
In the end, the question for everyone necessarily becomes not "Shall I be tolerant or intolerant?" but rather "What shall I tolerate and what shall I not tolerate?"
Williams continues:
Locke, on the other hand, dismissively notes that "everyone is orthodox to himself." His own ecclesiology that lacked belief in the existence of any one true church led Locke to the conviction that all Christian churches (except the Catholic Church) should be tolerated. "Nor is there any difference," he confidently wrote, "between the national Church and other separated congregations."
Locke further appeals to the "Business of True Religion." A true Christian,Locke asserts, will dedicate himself principally to a life of virtue and piety, which are the chief concerns of religion. He relegates to a lower tier "outward pomp of worship, reformed discipline, orthodox faith."
His own theological prejudices and political concerns led him to arbitrarily place morals above doctrine, since morals at the time garnered greater unanimity and generated fewer disputes. Their roles have been somewhat reversed today.
Williams cleverly acts as if the Founders never evolved from Locke's own prejudices. In fact they moved beyond Locke from a concept of tolerance to one of religious freedom, thereby enlarging Locke's original concept for the better.
But this is what Williams wrote in a theocon journal not for broadcast on CBS. So why then should we care?
The problem is that Williams is not the only one. In fact, this Theocon priest is the next step past neconservative pundits like David Brooks and Michael Gerson who hold that only the most orthodox teachings of conservative Christianity and Judaism even qualify as "religious" are disproportionately represented in our national media and dominate our religious discourse. In their universe those who people of faith who question such orthodoxies are labeled "quasi-religious" or sometimes simply "secular."
In Williams' universe religious freedom is an obstacle to a more theocratic society. Ironically, were his ideal society to come to pass, while allowing non-traditionalist Catholics to practice their respective beliefs (or non-beliefs) it would subject them to the supremacy of the pundit-priest's faith - an ironic outcome indeed as it would place Williams and his ilk in the same position for which he criticized John Locke.
Apparently, CBS News has either bought into this agenda or perhaps worse, has no clue about what their Catholic analyst of choice is all about.
Personally, I think that Cocozzelli gives this flim flam Williams way too much credit. This is just another example of Legion of Christ long but lite formation.
CBS, Rev. Thomas D. Williams and the Theoconning of America
by Frank Cocozzelli
Fri Oct 09, 2009 at 02:17:47 PM PDT
Recently I discussed the disturbing world view of CBS's go-to rightwing Catholic guy, pundit Rev. Thomas D. Williams, a member of the far right Legion of Christ. This is part of a larger trend that merits further discussion.
Neoconservatives and their theocon allies have had considerable success in getting us to see the world through their eyes; and each other as solely as all good or all bad; enemy or friend. These distortions often contribute to grotesque distortions of fact being presented as given truths.
This Manichean framing has infected the news media, which in turn functioned as a carrier of the disease. Apparently gone are the days of more nuanced newsman such as Edward R, Murrow, John Chancellor or Walter Cronkite, who assumed that we are intelligent enough to think and reason for ourselves; that the world is not black and white (even on TV) but that the news of the world mostly comprises shades of grey, where justice often only approximates the ideal.
The Manicheanism of the media is especially evident on television. MSNBC and Fox News act more like vehicles for affirming their views' current political outlook or, as we have seen with CBS, provide a platform to a Catholic priest whose view of both Catholicism and religious pluralism better reflects the über-reactionary Pope Pius X rather than the reform-minded Vatican II.
As discussed last week, CBS News' analyst Rev. Williams is no ordinary priest or theologian. He is a prominent member of the Legion of Christ, an authoritarian, anti-liberal organization that has a history of cult-like behavior and whose founder, a legacy of promiscuity. Rev. Williams believes that the only truth that should prevail is traditionalist Catholic orthodoxy, and that this worldview should be favored by and reflected in government.
Williams is a perfect example of the way that pundits pass for reporters, telling us what to think and how to act, while democracy is packaged for us as entertainment. The spectacle of media gladiators and bloviators is glorified over the participation of an informed citizenry. While this critique is not new, less well developed is the increasing role of religious right framed presentation of the news, and the risk of discounting the centrality of religigious pluralism as a key to constitutional democracy. One consequence of the creeping theoconism in the media is that we often fall prey to historical revisionism -- the weapon of choice of the Religious Right. Naturally, the narrative that emerges from this history of convenience attacks the very tenets of liberalism, such as religious pluralism as being sinister and evil. Faith and reason are not synonymous, but antithetical entities. Indeed, this is exactly how Rev. Williams approaches it.
For example, in an article he published in Richard Neuhaus's theocon journal, Crisis entitled "The Myth of Religious Tolerance:
Religion is a good to be embraced and defended, not an evil to be put up with. No one speaks of tolerating chocolate pudding or a spring walk in the park. By speaking of religious tolerance we make religion an unfortunate fact to be borne with, like noisy neighbors and crowded buses, not a blessing to be celebrated.
Here it is instructive to recall that modern ideas of religious tolerance sprang from the European Enlightenment project. A central tenet of this project was the notion of "progress", understood as the overcoming of the ignorance of superstition and religion to usher in the age of reason and science.4 In the words of Voltaire, "Philosophy, the sister of religion, has disarmed the hands that superstition had so long stained with blood; and the human mind, awakening from its intoxication, is amazed at the excesses into which fanaticism had led it."
Williams cites Voltaire as if he was the only Enlightenment philosopher to discuss the place of faith in secular society, which was far from the case. But does not stop there: he then goes after the idea of religious freedom itself. He this by first besmirching religious tolerance - the forerunner of contemporary religious freedom, as "exceedingly undesirable and counterproductive":
This definition mirrors that of the American Heritage College Dictionary, which states that tolerance is "(1) a fair and permissive attitude toward those whose race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry. A fair and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own."
If tolerance is a virtue, it is a decidedly modern virtue. It appears in none of the classical treatments of the virtues: not in Plato, not in Seneca, not even in Aristotle's extensive list of the virtues of the good citizen in his Nichomachean Ethics. Indulgence of evil, in the absence of an overriding reason for doing so, has never been considered virtuous. Even today, indiscriminate tolerance would not be countenanced. A public official tolerant of child abuse or tax evasion would not be considered virtuous.
The closer one examines tolerance and strives to apply it across the board, the more its insufficiency as a principle to govern society becomes apparent. Even if it were possible to achieve total tolerance (which it is not), it would be exceedingly undesirable and counterproductive to do so.
This disingenuous picking and choosing plays itself out later in the piece by going after John Locke:
John Locke (1632-1704) himself, in the midst of his impassioned appeal for religious toleration, notes that of course toleration does not extend to Catholics, Muslims or atheists. "To worship one's God in a Catholic rite in a Protestant country," he writes, "amounts to constructive subversion."
In the end, the question for everyone necessarily becomes not "Shall I be tolerant or intolerant?" but rather "What shall I tolerate and what shall I not tolerate?"
Williams continues:
Locke, on the other hand, dismissively notes that "everyone is orthodox to himself." His own ecclesiology that lacked belief in the existence of any one true church led Locke to the conviction that all Christian churches (except the Catholic Church) should be tolerated. "Nor is there any difference," he confidently wrote, "between the national Church and other separated congregations."
Locke further appeals to the "Business of True Religion." A true Christian,Locke asserts, will dedicate himself principally to a life of virtue and piety, which are the chief concerns of religion. He relegates to a lower tier "outward pomp of worship, reformed discipline, orthodox faith."
His own theological prejudices and political concerns led him to arbitrarily place morals above doctrine, since morals at the time garnered greater unanimity and generated fewer disputes. Their roles have been somewhat reversed today.
Williams cleverly acts as if the Founders never evolved from Locke's own prejudices. In fact they moved beyond Locke from a concept of tolerance to one of religious freedom, thereby enlarging Locke's original concept for the better.
But this is what Williams wrote in a theocon journal not for broadcast on CBS. So why then should we care?
The problem is that Williams is not the only one. In fact, this Theocon priest is the next step past neconservative pundits like David Brooks and Michael Gerson who hold that only the most orthodox teachings of conservative Christianity and Judaism even qualify as "religious" are disproportionately represented in our national media and dominate our religious discourse. In their universe those who people of faith who question such orthodoxies are labeled "quasi-religious" or sometimes simply "secular."
In Williams' universe religious freedom is an obstacle to a more theocratic society. Ironically, were his ideal society to come to pass, while allowing non-traditionalist Catholics to practice their respective beliefs (or non-beliefs) it would subject them to the supremacy of the pundit-priest's faith - an ironic outcome indeed as it would place Williams and his ilk in the same position for which he criticized John Locke.
Apparently, CBS News has either bought into this agenda or perhaps worse, has no clue about what their Catholic analyst of choice is all about.
Personally, I think that Cocozzelli gives this flim flam Williams way too much credit. This is just another example of Legion of Christ long but lite formation.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
So Much for Charism, Mr. Ed
From Life After RC comboxI remember one of the first Triduums I attended I was in Spiritual Direction with Fr. Ed. Hopkins, I was new to RC and was having difficulty understanding what is was about and what the apostalates were supposed to be doing. We didn't have any really up and running at the time, just a lot of talk about getting involved. I asked Fr. why we couldn't start something with the homeless shelter, or the food pantry and he screamed at me "that's not what we do, that's not our charism." I asked "what is the charism, I'm having a hard time figuring what it is we do?"He just said "well that's not it." I left, and I didn't go on another retreat for about 4 years.
Posted by: Molly Callahan October 06, 2009 at 03:51 PM
Monday, October 5, 2009
Transparency from the Legion of Christ? HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! (help, I can't stop laughing!)
Legionarios de Cristo. Padres de Familia en el Grupo Transparencia Legionaria 4 Octubre 2009 por conlajusticia
Algunos padres de familia cuyos hijos aun continúan en diversos colegios de la Legión de Cristo, han constituido un grupo que han denominado Transparencia Legionaria, cuyo objetivo es el siguiente:
Unir a los padres de familia con hijos estudiando en escuelas de los Legionarios de Cristo con el fin de reclamar transparencia en dichas escuelas.
Tienen la intención de enviar la petición al Papa Benedicto XVI, los visitadores apostólicos, los directores de las escuelas, los superiores de la Legión de Cristo y Grupo Integer.
Exigen una respuesta oficial, pública y rápida a los 3 puntos que a continuación se plantean:
1. Dinero
*Pedimos un reporte mensual de ingresos y gastos de las escuelas.
¿A dónde va a parar el dinero de las colegiaturas que pagamos? ¿Se reinvierte el dinero en la escuela? ¿Cuánto? ¿Dónde? ¿Se usa para pagar a los hijos y esposas de Marcial Maciel? ¿Se va a Roma a pagar los estudios de seminaristas? ¿Se usa para otras obras de los Legionarios de Cristo?¿Cuánto les pagan a los maestros?
2. Misión de la escuela
*Pedimos una declaración de principios de la escuela
¿El objetivo de la escuela es educar? ¿Es tener un semillero de futuros sacerdotes o miembros del Regnum Christi? ¿Es ganar dinero? ¿Con qué intención se hacen los perfiles psicológicos de nuestros hijos? ¿Realizan archivos y reportes de los alumnos propensos a ser sacerdotes? ¿A quién se los entregan? ¿Qué dispensas, orientaciones, platicas o invitaciones a retiros hacen y con qué intención?
3. Curriculum
*Pedimos el curriculum de quienes educan a nuestros hijos.
¿Cómo contratan a los directivos y maestros en la escuela? ¿Bajo que estándares y perfil? ¿Existen limitantes de ser miembros de 2º o 3er grado consagrados del Regnum Christi? ¿Quienes son? ¿Dónde estudiaron? ¿Tienen demandas pendientes en algún otro lado? ¿Qué los acredita como profesionales de la educación?
Han constituido un Blog cuya dirección es la siguiente:
http://transparencialegionarios.blogspot.com/
1. Dinero
*Pedimos un reporte mensual de ingresos y gastos de las escuelas.
¿A dónde va a parar el dinero de las colegiaturas que pagamos? ¿Se reinvierte el dinero en la escuela? ¿Cuánto? ¿Dónde? ¿Se usa para pagar a los hijos y esposas de Marcial Maciel? ¿Se va a Roma a pagar los estudios de seminaristas? ¿Se usa para otras obras de los Legionarios de Cristo?¿Cuánto les pagan a los maestros?
2. Misión de la escuela
*Pedimos una declaración de principios de la escuela
¿El objetivo de la escuela es educar? ¿Es tener un semillero de futuros sacerdotes o miembros del Regnum Christi? ¿Es ganar dinero? ¿Con qué intención se hacen los perfiles psicológicos de nuestros hijos? ¿Realizan archivos y reportes de los alumnos propensos a ser sacerdotes? ¿A quién se los entregan? ¿Qué dispensas, orientaciones, platicas o invitaciones a retiros hacen y con qué intención?
3. Curriculum
*Pedimos el curriculum de quienes educan a nuestros hijos.
¿Cómo contratan a los directivos y maestros en la escuela? ¿Bajo que estándares y perfil? ¿Existen limitantes de ser miembros de 2º o 3er grado consagrados del Regnum Christi? ¿Quienes son? ¿Dónde estudiaron? ¿Tienen demandas pendientes en algún otro lado? ¿Qué los acredita como profesionales de la educación?
Han constituido un Blog cuya dirección es la siguiente:
http://transparencialegionarios.blogspot.com/
Friday, October 2, 2009
He should be made a cardinal
Full article here.
Boston-based Voice of the Faithful will present Jason Berry with this year’s St. Catherine of Siena Distinguished Lay Person Award at its biennial conference Oct. 30-31 in Long Island, N.Y.
Berry was writing about the sexual abuse of minors long before the national scandal erupted in the Archdiocese of Boston in 2002. His first book, “Lead Us Not into Temptation,” was later citied as “the bible of the survivors’ movement” by Rolling Stone magazine.
“Jason is that rare combination of skilled writer and compassionate disciple whose quest for justice withstood repeated attack,” said Voice of the Faithful President Daniel Bartley.
In 2004, with the late Gerald Renner, Berry co-wrote “Vows of Silence,” which uncovered sexual abuse by Legionaries founder Rev. Marcial Maciel. Under the Vatican’s direction, Maciel committed himself to a “life reserved to prayer and penitence, renouncing all public ministry.” He died in 2008 without ever facing a church trial.
Earlier this year, the Legion’s leadership began informing members of disturbing findings, including that Maciel fathered a daughter, now in her 20s. His photos have since been removed from Legion institutions, and Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver is leading a Vatican investigation of the order.
“If it weren’t for (Berry’s) work and his persistence—placed at the service of a formidable intelligence—it is not farfetched to think that the church would still be harboring its awful secrets,” wrote Tom Roberts, editor at large for the National Catholic Reporter, in nominating Berry for the prize.
Boston-based Voice of the Faithful will present Jason Berry with this year’s St. Catherine of Siena Distinguished Lay Person Award at its biennial conference Oct. 30-31 in Long Island, N.Y.
Berry was writing about the sexual abuse of minors long before the national scandal erupted in the Archdiocese of Boston in 2002. His first book, “Lead Us Not into Temptation,” was later citied as “the bible of the survivors’ movement” by Rolling Stone magazine.
“Jason is that rare combination of skilled writer and compassionate disciple whose quest for justice withstood repeated attack,” said Voice of the Faithful President Daniel Bartley.
In 2004, with the late Gerald Renner, Berry co-wrote “Vows of Silence,” which uncovered sexual abuse by Legionaries founder Rev. Marcial Maciel. Under the Vatican’s direction, Maciel committed himself to a “life reserved to prayer and penitence, renouncing all public ministry.” He died in 2008 without ever facing a church trial.
Earlier this year, the Legion’s leadership began informing members of disturbing findings, including that Maciel fathered a daughter, now in her 20s. His photos have since been removed from Legion institutions, and Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver is leading a Vatican investigation of the order.
“If it weren’t for (Berry’s) work and his persistence—placed at the service of a formidable intelligence—it is not farfetched to think that the church would still be harboring its awful secrets,” wrote Tom Roberts, editor at large for the National Catholic Reporter, in nominating Berry for the prize.
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