Legion of Christ to respond to scandal on Tuesday

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Comments: 15

Father Alvaro Corcuera, General Director of the Legion of Christ

Vatican City, Feb 23, 2009 / 03:02 pm (CNA).- Vatican officials confirmed to CNA on Monday that the leadership of the Legion of Christ will release a major statement in response to the controversy surrounding the double life of its founder and the future of the order. The statement will be released on Tuesday “or Wednesday at the latest.”

Highly anticipated by members, sympathizers and critics of the Legionaries, as well as its lay organization, Regnum Christi, the statement was completed a “few days ago,” but has been submitted for review by “several Cardinals” of the Roman Curia, a Vatican source told CNA, without specifying which Cardinals or which dicasteries are reviewing the document.

The Legion of Christ, as a priestly congregation of Pontifical right, is overseen by the Congregation of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, whose head is Cardinal Franc Rodé. Regnum Christi, being a lay apostolic movement, is overseen by the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

According to the Vatican source, the forthcoming document will address “the difficult circumstances created by the recent discovery of the double life led by Fr. Maciel and the need to restore peace, trust and apostolic vitality within the spiritual family he founded.”

The document “will also sketch the concrete future steps the leadership of the Legion of Christ will take to achieve these goals.”

Asked if the document will be “final,” the source told CNA that it will be a foundational document that will be decisive in determining future action. “I would say it is a definitive document... it is too soon to tell if it will be, indeed, final,” the source said.

The Vatican contact also added that, despite the fact that he has read the document, “I prefer not to anticipate any of its content, I think it will speak for itself.”

Comments: 15

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Joan
Argentina 03/08/2009 09:22 PM EST

Of course we know that the sins of Maciel are not the sins of his followers, and we know that God alone can judge him. But as children in a family with erroneous parents are marked by the errors of their parents psychologically, so too, followers and admirerers who have idolized their founder are marked by the erroeneous concepts of their founder, especially if they have studied faithful volumes of letters written by him. Also leadership in the foundation that have encouraged the innocents to idolize a person they knew was living a double life and damaging young persons are not innocent. If the group is ever to clean up the mess made by their founder, traces of his double life must be cleaned up, including the leadership which has lied to the followers. Then those influenced by the greed and search for power of the founder must get psychological help, just as children of disfunctional families need to get psychological help. This has nolthing to do with guilt, it has to do with errors in training.

Published by: Mike Anderson
San Francisco / CA / USA 03/04/2009 12:16 AM EST

When will they release this "final" letter - Tuesday of next year? Don't they see the damage they have caused? Why aren't they doing more to console the victims and make amends with the body of Christ and Mother Church?

Published by: Tom Bavis
Chicago, IL 03/03/2009 04:29 PM EST

I have had contact with a number or Regnum Christi people. There seems to be a certain arrogance and self righteousness. They target the wealthy. This is a cult pure and simple. Maybe the Holy Spirit is chastising them.

Published by: A.L.
Denver 03/01/2009 12:37 AM EST

"Judge not and you shall not be judged"

I'm not a Regnum Christi member. I've met many 'good and zealous' L.C. priests, Brothers and R.C. members over the years. it is simply impossible even to consider the L.C. as work of devil. We are all human, born with original sin. The sins of Fr. Marciel is his alone. The whole congregation should not be punished for someone else's sins even he may happen to be the founder. Jesus alone is the "true" foundation that will last forever. Anyone who adheres to him will stand firm in times of trial. I pray for such faith and trust in Jesus for all the L.C., R.C. and anyone who was scandalized by some actions of Fr. Marciel.

Published by: Augustus A.C
Onitsha, Anambra, Nigeria 02/27/2009 06:26 AM EST

first of all the group should accept my sympathy for crisi they are passing through.
my advise to them is that they shlould go and consult the canonists, Religious father founders before the curch decides on them.

Published by: Susan
Louisiana, USA 02/26/2009 02:32 PM EST

"They will know you by your fruits". God can use any instrument He wants to do good. The more broken the instrument, the more glory to God. The Legion and Regnum Christi that I have encountered over the years have been excellant examples of Christian love and service. If they are in line with the Vatican, have the blessings of the Holy Father and follow the directives of the Magesterium, who else has the right to say whether they should exist or not. Look at all the good that has been and is being done by faithful Catholics in Regnum Christi.

Published by: Dan
Illinois 02/26/2009 01:06 PM EST

Yes - Where is this thing?

Published by: Glenn
DC 02/25/2009 07:43 AM EST

Glad that they said maybe Wednesday. They seem in no hurry while their own people express dismay and bite their nails.
I guess they need all those cardinals to review their document and stain the pages with red.

Published by: Mary Leland MacDonald
Ottawa Canada 02/24/2009 11:41 PM EST

There are many wonderful religious of Regnum Christi who will not have the consolation of having their founder canonized. But they may love him for what he did inspire within them and forgive him for what has not edifyied them in his actions. I wish them well and I symphatize with them for this hardship. Christ is merciful to all and because of HIS Kingdom of Light , truth always appears. May the Kingdom of Christ the King always Come

Published by: Lisa
Manassas 02/24/2009 08:41 PM EST

Should this be the tip of the ice berg? We should be scrutinizing the Jesuits, who have for years and years gone too far with their promotion of homosexuality as being normal in their high schools, including the production of the Laramie Project. The bishop who coordinated the Always Our Children document was never punished, and in fact, promoted homosexuality as being normal in his diocese. Then we have the Marianists, who tell the high school kids at the retreats they prepare that writing your sins down on a piece of paper and burning them constitutes confession. The Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati are well known for their acceptance of contraception and abortion as a viable option for women as long as they follow their conscience. The elementary schools run by Regnum Christi are among the best in the country. Some have Legionaries on staff and some don’t, but they are all solid and loyal to the Magisterium, providing a well rounded education rooted in… yes… moral integrity. We ought to be thankful to them for that.

Published by: Juanita Dorner
Diccckinson,N.D. 02/24/2009 08:00 PM EST

I am saddeened by both comments by Sr. Maureen and Mr. Barnes.
The deceit of the leader does not mean the followers are evil. Can we not pray for them and hope the best of the Legion to be salvaged and flourish.

Published by: Ann
CA/USA 02/24/2009 12:55 PM EST

I am curious about whether or not something similar to this scandal has happened in the Church through the centuries. Scandals have been present but I don't recall anything similar to a religious founder leading a double life and being found out.

Published by: JFC
Rome 02/24/2009 10:12 AM EST

Just for the records... The Regnum Christi Movement is ALSO overseen by the Congregation of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life - NOT by the Pontifical Council for the Laity as the article suggests. Thanks and prayers.

Published by: Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
New Castle, Delaware 02/23/2009 04:43 PM EST

Rate: Regular

THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LEGION OF CHRIST SHOULD PETITION POPE BENEDICT XVI AND THE HOLY SEE TO REMOVE THE LIGION OF CHRIST FROM EXISTENCE. THE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN CORRUPTED BEYOND REDEMPTION. SOME OF THE LEGION'S LEADERSHIP SHOULD BE DISCIPLINED BY THE VATICAN. THOSE PRIESTS WHO CAN BE DE-PROGRAMMED SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO OTHER LEGITIMATE RELIGIOUS ORDERS AND THOSE THAT CANNOT BE DE-PROGRAMMED OR REFUSE SHOULD BE LAICIZED.

Published by: Thomas Michael Barnes
Alexandria, VA 02/23/2009 04:41 PM EST

Rate: Good

I just want this to go away. I am not much of a Catholic, I am not much of anything. But I was educated and raised as a Catholic and I was taught early on that people will always remain people. A cassock or a habit does not make a man a priest. An inner life of sacrifice and Christian witness and the willingness to put personality and career aside makes a man a good priest. There are damned few of those people around. That was probably always true.

Maciel was obviously a criminal personality. There is no doubt about that now. But so what? He did not murder anybody and he was a fake and a phony. So am I. So are you. That is part of being human and you know that dirty little secret that you have never told anyone? Well, you have better hope to God that nobody finds out after you are dead or we might be reading about you in the paper too.

I don't see this as a big deal. A narcissistic sociopath started a religious movement and he died and was found out. It would not be the first time and it won't be that last. If he did some good, at least give him credit for that. God uses all sorts of people to do things. Maybe now the Legion of Christ will come down off its lofty perch of fantasy and join the rest of us down here in the mud trying to witness as best we can to Christ.

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