Understanding the Legion of Christ & Regnum Christi Movement

[Video] Fr. Maciel's Legacy; the Art of Seduction

2012-02-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

Like Father, like son.....

"Monsignor, everyone is happy here!"

"The shadow of your smile..."

got a tip about this video which illustrates one of the reasons the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi are successful: a very well orchestrated and choreographed image -smiling seminarians and priests, very charming, apparently happy and full of holiness, simpaticos- to the public and especially to clergy, particularly influential bishops in the USA, Mexico and the Vatican

French Justice Punishes Undue Influence

2012-02-03T05:32:00.000-08:00

The courageous have often compared the Legion and Regnum to Scientology calling them versions of Catholic Scientology, because of the methods, naturally. Some countries see through Scientology, listen to complaints of exploitation, and hold the organization and its leaders accountable, despite their lawsuits

Court upholds Scientology fraud ruling in France by RUADHÁN MAC CORMAIC in Paris The Irish Times

by dialogueireland

Friday, February 3, 2012

Court upholds Scientology fraud ruling in France

RUADHÁN MAC CORMAIC in Paris

The Irish Times - Friday, February 3, 2012

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2012/0203/1224311175786.html

A FRENCH appeals court has upheld fraud charges and a €600,000 fine against the Church of Scientology for cajoling followers into paying large sums for bogus personality tests and cures.

Rejecting the church’s appeal against a 2009 ruling, the court said two French branches of the US-based organisation were guilty of “organised fraud” and gave four of its leaders suspended jail sentences of up to two years.

A French parliamentary committee described Scientology in 1995 as a “dangerous cult”, not a religion, and individual Scientologists had been prosecuted before, but this case marked the first time the organisation as a whole was convicted.

There had been expectations the French courts might ban the group, but legislation passed just before the original trial in May 2009 ruled that out.

The latest ruling found Scientology’s “celebrity centre” and its bookshop in Paris had taken advantage of vulnerable individuals in the 1990s. A personality test offered to followers had “no scientific value” and expensive treatments recommended on foot of negative results were purely a source of revenue.

The five plaintiffs in the case had accused the group of persuading them to spend tens of thousands of euro on the personality tests, vitamin cures, sauna sessions and “purification packs”.

“This is very good news for those who fight against cults and it is a serious defeat for the Church of Scientology,” said Olivier Morice, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

Mr Morice said that while Scientology could still operate in France, the court’s ruling went to the heart of its activities and opened the door to a ban or dissolution as a possible outcome in other pending lawsuits.

Prosecutors had originally hoped the 2009 trial would lead to a ban in France. However, a change in French law that was approved shortly before a verdict briefly made it impossible to ban or dissolve a group convicted of fraud.

The law has since been changed back, but a ban on the group or its dissolution cannot be enforced retroactively.

Commenting yesterday, the church called the ruling “illegal” and said it would seek to have it overturned through a final appeal to the Cour de Cassation, France’s highest court, which can assess whether the law was applied correctly but not re-examine evidence.

“The church wishes that the fairness of justice, such as protected by our constitution, becomes a reality once again for all the citizens of our country, scientologists included,” a statement said.

The accused and their lawyers were not in court for yesterday’s verdict, but a few dozen scientologists protested outside the court with signs that read “I have the right to my religion”. In 1997 and 1999, French courts convicted Scientology members of fraud, while a court fined the church for violating privacy laws in 2002.

Founded in 1954 by science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard, the church bases its beliefs on the study of his 1950 book, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.

dialogueireland | February 3, 2012 at 4:43 pm | Categories: Scientology | URL: http://wp.me/pq5hv-1Bq

Regnum Christi Lacks Juridical Personality confesses Vicar Garza

2012-01-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

The Vicar General, writing in his unofficial officialcapacity, goes on to explain that the Regnum Christi is “an association of the faithful”,“fruit of the Holy Spirit’s charismatic action.” (2 a) As such it would be likethe Legion of Mary or the Society of St. Vincent De Paul. But the RegnumChristi “has some particular aspects insofar as it includes consecrated personsand insofar as it has a close relationship to a religious congregation. Neitherof these two aspects changes its nature as an association of the faithful, and itshould be understood as such,” like a third order. Fr. Garza goes on toexplain, rather surprisingly for this reader “Currently, Regnum Christi doesnot have juridical personality”

-------------

There recently appeared on the official Regnum Christi webpage a longish [21 page] reflection by Legion of Christ Vicar General, Rev. Luis Garza Sada, on the "Movement"

The status of such reflections is not clear -as if often the case with oblique Legion of Christ communications- whether the document is official or just personal or both of the above or a combination of both...

Providing the above link for readers.

It is expected that life.after.rc and Regain will comment.

Index

The Regnum Christi Movement in Our Current Situation
Outline of Reflections by Vicar General Rev. Luis Garza Sada.

1) Introduction

2) Nature of the Regnum Christi Movement
a. What is a movement?
b. Association of the faithful dependent on a religious congregation
c. Approval and juridical personality

3) Consecration of life in Regnum Christi
a. Consecration, a response to a call: Radical following of Christ through the
evangelical counsels
b. Consecration in institutes of consecrated life and in associations of the
faithful

4) The current reflection and the future
a. Just autonomy
i. Authority of the legitimate superiors
ii. General Chapter
b. Canonical structure for the consecrated members in Regnum Christi
i. Association of the faithful
ii. Institute of consecrated life
iii. Secular institute
iv. Society of apostolic life
c. Relationship with the Legion of Christ and with Regnum Christi in general
i. Canonical structures
ii. Administration
iii. Apostolate

5) Conclusion

etc.

Massimo Introvigne, Maciel Defender, not reelected to OSCE

2012-01-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

Massimo Introvigne, Italian sociologist of religion,who was a knee-jerk defender of Marcial Maciel and the Legion of Christ, and other ultra conservative power holders, has not been re elected to his position in the OCSE, European Organization for Human Rights as reported by Dialogue Ireland, one of the many groups he dismisses.

==

Bio:
Massimo Introvigne
Dr Massimo Introvigne, a sociologist of religions, is the author of some sixty books and
more than one hundred articles in international scholarly journals in the field of religious
pluralism and religious minorities. He is the managing director of CESNUR, the Center
for Studies on New Religions, in Torino, Italy, and the executive secretary of the
Piedmont Association for the Sociology of Religions (APSOR). He is a member of the
Italian government’s Committee on Italian Islam and has been appointed in 2011
Personal Representative of the OSCE’s Chairman-in-Office on Combating Racism,

Xenophobia, and Discrimination, also Focusing on Intolerance against Christians and
Members of Other Religions
--
Dr Introvigne was also present at the "Conclave" of Catholic politicians at Castelgandolfo with the Pope during last summer as reported by Inside the Vatican blog.

Most of the Regnum Christi Rules Useless according to Vatican Delegate

2011-11-30T16:31:00.001-08:00

REGAIN has just published an article explaining the fact that only the statutes approved by the Vatican in 2004 are valid; all the other "rules", norms, or whatever -made up by Marcial Maciel- that have for decades been taken as Gospel truth by the gullible Senoritas and Hombres Consagrados are not binding. "Play it again, Sam"

Same Old Die-Hard Legionaries to Renew the Constitutions

2011-11-27T20:59:00.001-08:00

Commission Members Named

U. S. A. | WHO WE ARE | NEWS

Appointments consolidate constitution review commission of two former territories.

Father Luis Garza, LC, the territorial director for North America, has named the members of the new commission to coordinate input during the review of the Legion’s constitutions. This commission unites the commissions that previously served the old Atlanta and New York territories.
The appointments are:
Fr John Bartunek (president)
Fr Owen Kearns
Fr Daniel Massick
Fr Thomas Moylan
Fr Robert Presutti

Fr Juan Sabadell is the secretary of the commission.
The territorial commission´s functions include making sure the relevant materials, which are prepared by the central commission under the guidance of the Papal Delegate, reach each community for their reflection and input. The territorial commission also helps resolve whatever practical problems arise as the process evolves, and make sure all the input from the separate communities is forwarded to the central commission in Rome.
As the review process moves forward during the next three years, any Legionary who so desires may also send in suggestions directly to their territorial commission or its individual members, or to the central commission or any of its members.

A Wonderful Group like the Regnum Christi

2011-11-21T15:39:00.001-08:00

This time we present readers with a very interesting You Tube special of a motivational speaker who may sound like a very motivated member of Regnum Christi. Just think "Regnum Christi" when you see/hear her and imagine all the very happy members of the organization and the many fruits it has produced.

The Religious Elements in Cults like the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi

2011-10-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

Text below taken from Wendy Duncan's web page

THE RELIGIOUS ELEMENT IN CULTShttp://www.religious.freeola.com/cults2.htm

Aside from fulfilling needs, a group comes to have a strong hold on followers through the religious element in the leader's teachings. Most people learn religious ideas from a young age when, because of their openness and vulnerability, the ideas penetrate deeply. Thus, the use of old religious ideas in NRGs touches an irresistible chord in many and renders members more impressionable.
The following are examples of attitudes which are enhanced by scriptural ideas from within the Judeo-Christian tradition:
A feeling of being chosen and therefore specialMatthew 7.6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Matthew 13.10-11 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Matthew 13.16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.
Matthew 22.14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Being ready to give up everything for spiritual developmentMatthew 4.18-20 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
Matthew 6.31-33 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek;) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Ignoring warnings that you may be making a mistake
Matthew 5.11-12 Blessed are ye, when men revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so men persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Embracing the need to endure suffering and humiliationMatthew 7.14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Matthew 10. And he that taketh not this cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Being prepared to make sacrifices
Matthew 16.24-26 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Relinquishing attachments to family and friends Matthew 4.18-20 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
Matthew 8.21-22 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
Matthew 10.34-37 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. for I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in low against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Becoming a more powerful person
Matthew 17.20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Accepting fear as a method of reinforcing teachingMatthew 22.12-14 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.
Matthew 18.34-35 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Giving to the group and accepting a life with few possessions
Matthew 20.21-24 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Being drawn to the inner circle of a group by the possibility of miracles Mark 16.15-18 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Matthew 13.10-11 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Not requiring proof of the leader's validity
Matthew 16.1-4 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

Adopting a childlike dependency on the leaderMatthew 18.2-4 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them. And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

SADA out RODRIGUEZ in as Secretary General of the Legion of Christ

2011-10-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

New General Secretary for the Legionaries of Christ

Fr. Jaime Rodriguez, LC, has been appointed.

Rome, October 3, 2011.
Today Fr. Alvaro Corcuera, LC, with the consent of the general council and with authorization from the pontifical delegate, has named Fr. Jaime Rodriguez, LC, to be the new general secretary of the Legionaries of Christ. As has already been announced, Fr. Evaristo Sada, LC, is at the end of the six-year term, which began in 2005.
Fr. Jaime Rodriguez, LC, was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1976 and was ordained a priest in 2008. He is an alumnus of Everest Academy, a Legionary high school in Madrid. In 1994, he entered the novitiate in Salamanca, Spain, where he also did his studies in classical humanities. For three years he did youth work in Valencia, Spain, mentoring at the Faro Club, a Legionary-sponsored youth group, as well as at the Cumbres School, a Legionary high school in the area. From 1995 to 2001, he directed summer camps at Santa Maria del Monte near Avila, Spain. He obtained his licentiate in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum College in Rome. Since 2005 he has lived and worked in the Legionaries’ General Directorate in Rome.
As stipulated in the constitutions of the Legionaries of Christ, the general secretary has no authority on his own. His task is to assist the general director of the congregation in everything that has to do with issues like official correspondence, council meetings, calendars, and appointments.

EXCLUSIVE: SCULPTING YOUNG MINDS, Does this look like a Legion/Regnum Christi boarding school

2011-09-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

Does this look like a Legion or Regnum Christi School?

EXCLUSIVE: SCULPTING YOUNG MINDS

Ex-students at ‘Scientology High’ describe intense, hands-on work and sit-still drills

By Benjamin Carlson Wednesday, September 28, 2011

In part one of this two-part series, The Daily reported on Delphian, Scientology’s premier boarding school, located in the mountains of western Oregon. Little known outside a tight circle, the school is presented by its administration as a magical Hogwarts. But in exclusive interviews with The Daily, some alumni tell a different story — including the revelation that many graduates have gone on to enroll in the Sea Org, a Church of Scientology religious order that has been described by insiders as something approximating human slavery. Today, we take you inside the school.

For more than three decades, the Scientology-affiliated Delphian School has operated without academic accreditation — but that could change soon.

The 250-student boarding academy is in the final stages of becoming a full, accredited member of the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools, Meade Thayer, the executive director of the association, told The Daily.

The association is a voluntary group with 108 members, including Bill Gates’ alma mater, the Lakeside School. Currently a “candidate member” in the group, Delphian has worked for seven years to gain full standing in the association, Thayer said.

"From our standpoint, they’ve been doing a lot of good work on making their school a stronger school,” he said. “We hope they will eventually gain that full accredited member status.”

When and if that happens, this secretive and secluded Scientology boarding school would take one big step closer to the mainstream. As the flagship school of Delphi Schools Inc. — which operates seven private schools under the same educational philosophy, including day academies in Los Angeles and Boston — the Delphian School in Oregon is arguably the most prestigious Scientology-affiliated school in the world.

Think of it as the Eton or Andover of the “Dianetics” set.

But the accounts given to The Daily by former students paint a picture very different than that of your average elite boarding school. From rules and discipline, to academics theory and practice, Delphian is a place apart.

Inside and outside of class, students are subject to a sprawling and intricate set of regulations derived from L. Ron Hubbard’s precepts. At Delphian, not only are sex and drugs verboten, so are casual Fridays, public kissing and facial hair. Elaine Ke, a 2011 graduate who is not a Scientologist, explained that “one of the most commonly broken rules is that you’re not allowed to show any PDA except holding hands. They’re pretty strict about that.”

Kids at Delphian tend to get caught misbehaving in one of three ways, alumni say: Student watchdogs called “rovers” catch them, schoolmates turn them in or students voluntarily report themselves.

“It was a very fear-oriented student life,” said Paul Csige, who attended Delphian in the late 1990s. Csige is not a Scientologist. “Students were encouraged to tell on other students.”

On the school’s “ethics and integrity” website, administrators quote one anonymous student praising this system: “My first year here was the total opposite of what I’d seen before, where the cool kids were breaking the rules, stealing, etc. Here the cool people are the ones who call you on doing that.”

Csige said this includes quizzing students who yawn or have blank looks on their faces — both giveaways, according to L. Ron Hubbard’s notions, of a dreaded “misunderstood word.”

The consequences of a “misunderstood” can be grueling, Csige said. Students suspected of not fully grasping every word that they’ve spoken, read or heard can be subjected to a “method 3” questioning, he said. When this happens, “you have to read aloud, and if you pause and hesitate, you have to look [the word] up. And if you pause or hesitate again, you have to look up every word in the definition. It once took me three days to go through two and a half pages. They ask you the definition of ‘the,’ and I didn’t know what the precise definition of ‘the’ was.”

If caught for a more serious breach, like making out in the woods or a broom closet, students can be sent to the ethics officer. Someone who misbehaves — a condition called “out ethics,” in Delphian’s lingo — might need to make “amends” by doing chores for whomever he wronged.

Rule-breakers’ names and violations are also listed on a sheet called the “Golden Rod” that hangs on the ethics officer’s door, alumni said.

“If you were a real joker kind of person, you probably would have had a tough time,” said Mac Stevens, who graduated in 1989 and went to 16 straight Delphian alumni weekends until 2009, when he was told he was a “bigot” and was no longer welcome. He said he suspects this is because he had repudiated Scientology in an open letter.

“I considered the staff there my family,” he said. “It was very, very difficult for me, and it’s still kind of tough.”

The account is consistent with stories of former Scientologists being cut off from friendships, marriages and family relationships after leaving the church.

Apart from individualized courses and strict rules, alumni said that daily manual labor and hands-on learning exercises — in particular, clay modeling — are an integral part of the Delphian experience. Csige said that, as a high schooler, he was asked to sculpt the numbers one through 10 in clay. He began smashing the clay into the shape “3”, but was told this didn’t have enough “mass.” To show the number three, he had to roll up three balls of clay.

The students also do drills called “TRs” — “training routines.” One such drill conducted at Delphian requires students to sit still for two hours staring into another student’s face. If you flinch or slump, you fail, and have to start over.

The most exciting drill is TR-3, or “bull baiting,” Ke said. This assignment requires students to sit without twitching or laughing while other students tease them, make faces or say lewd things.

“It’s the funniest thing in the world when you watch people do it,” she said. “We’re 17, 16 at this time. A lot of what people say at this time has to do with sex and boyfriends, things like that … It’s like one of the best things to witness at Delphi.”

A more advanced drill called “TR-7: High School Indoc.” is designed to teach students how to make people do what they are told, by physical force if necessary.

Ke explained, “You learn to control your body, and to control other people’s — so you don’t feel shy about pushing someone, or getting someone to do what you need them to do. It starts simple. You tell him to look at the wall. If he doesn’t, you try to make him look at the wall, physically.”

It may sound like fun and games in a high-school setting, but defectors say church “training routine” drills are a core part of Scientology practice. In her book, “Inside Scientology,” Janet Reitman refers to some of the church’s “training routines” as “part of early Scientology indoctrination.”

Beyond “training routines,” students at Delphian also study conventional subjects. As they progress through Forms 6 and 7, the equivalent of high school, students select a major — for instance, arts, business, humanities or science and technology.

Students typically do one course at a time, often of their own choosing, and study independently with little or no classroom discussion. To pass, students must cross off every step on “check sheets,” which list requirements of each course such as writing a song, making a clay model, undertaking a practical project or writing an essay.

“The check sheets are very similar to what you see in the Church of Scientology as far as the kinds of things you do,” said Stevens, who spent over 30 years in the church.

“That’s something I think is kind of unique about the school, and something other people could learn from,” Stevens said. “How non-stressful this exam is. If you don’t get it right you’ll just redo it. There’s no grades. When they have to make a report card, a transcript for college, they give you a 4.0.”

For extremely self-driven students, this solitary curriculum can work quite well. During his high school years, Stevens built a 50-foot tall windmill with sheet-metal blades, welded a sign and hacked a printer to print out flash cards. Another student built a laser.

For others, it’s more of a challenge. The school is teeming with international students from Russia, Switzerland, Taiwan and China, according to Kylor Melton, who graduated in 2011. Alumni said this is because Delphian recruits overseas, portraying itself as a powerhouse in English as a second language. More than 40 percent of the students are from abroad, Ke estimated, with most of these from Asia. “Most of them don’t complete, but some of them do,” she said.

But paying students are paying students. In the 2011-2012 school year, the cost of tuition, room and board comes to more than $42,000. In addition, Stevens said that during his time at Delphian, students known to be Scientologists would go to off-campus events where they were encouraged to make more donations.

Stevens, who was a Scientologist when he attended Delphian, said he gave roughly $20,000 to the school on top of his tuition. And that’s not counting the nearly $350,000 he said he spent on Scientology itself during his 30-plus years as a member.

Most non-Scientologist students say there’s little pressure to join the dominant religion on campus, even if they are surrounded by it. In fact, even alumni who are now critics of the Church of Scientology speak highly of their alma mater. Stevens said it’s “only the good parts of Scientology” that come through at Delphian.

Others credit the school with advancing their academic careers. Ke told The Daily that Delphian made her a better student and allowed her to gain admission into Johns Hopkins University, when her plan had been to attend community college. “They changed my life for the better,” she said.

Gal Ezra, who graduated in 2010, said he had no plans to extend his formal education beyond middle school — until he visited Delphian. “At first, I was the kind of student who said, ‘Oh, high school? I can easily succeed without that,’ ” he told The Daily.

But despite the conventional success stories and the Hogwarts image projected by the school administration, there are those students who elect to enroll in the Sea Org — a path that many defectors would describe as seriously lacking in magic.

Alumni from the last two classes told The Daily that Delphian students have continued to join the Sea Org.

David, one alumnus who enlisted in the Sea Org after graduation, remarked when he heard that others were following his path:
“It’s just heart-wrenching.”

Benjamin.Carlson@thedaily.com

Delphian takes ethics very seriously — in L. Ron Hubbard’s sense of the term. Here’s a rough guide to what constitutes rule-breaking here, drawn from alumni accounts and the school’s own handbook.

OFFENSE: “Nattering” — i.e., grumbling, griping or fault-finding.
PUNISHMENT: Write down all the bad things you’ve done. Says the handbook: “If a student honestly writes down everything so that he or she is ‘clean,’” then penalties are much lighter.

OFFENSE: Yawning, spacing out or hesitating over a word.
PUNISHMENT: According to Hubbard, your torpor has likely been caused by a “misunderstood” word — so you must look up the word in a dictionary.

OFFENSE: Making out with a fellow student (or anyone).
PUNISHMENT: Sex? Don’t even think about it. As a “Category 2 Violation,” hanky-panky could land you an on-campus suspension.

OFFENSE: Decorating your room with posters of bands “known to be involved in the use of drugs.”
PUNISHMENT: Unknown.

http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/09/28/092811-news-scientology-school-part2-1-6/

No Authentic Catholic Spirituality without the Exercise of Free Will

2011-09-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

REGAIN, INC and other individuals and groups have forever critiqued the Legion and its "formation system" insisting on the fact that there cannot be true spirituality, vocation, and/or service of Christ and the Church if the formands do not have Free Will and exercise it freely. So often, people in the LC/RC seem to be "neutered" in their decision-making capacity. In their fear of making wrong decisions, such members and formators have abdicated the use of their free will. There is no true Christian spirituality without this risk.

Listen to the inspired words of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, just before he left his homeland:

FREIBURG, Germany, SEPT. 25, 2011.
Here is a Vatican translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today when meeting with a gathering of Catholics active in the Church and society. Underlined by blogger. Only in freedom, use of free will, can the human person be a true partner with the Father in building the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Church’s mission has its origins in the mystery of the triune God, in the mystery of his creative love. Love is not just somehow within God, he himself is love by nature. And divine love does not want to exist in isolation, it wants to pour itself out. It has come down to men in a particular way through the incarnation and self-offering of God’s Son. He stepped outside the framework of his divinity, he took flesh and became man; and indeed his purpose was not merely to confirm the world in its worldliness and to be its companion, leaving it completely unchanged. The Christ event includes the inconceivable fact of what the Church Fathers call a commercium, an exchange between God and man, in which the two parties -- albeit in quite different ways -- both give and take, bestow and receive. The Christian faith recognizes that God has given man a freedom in which he can truly be a partner to God, and can enter into exchange with him. At the same time it is clear to man that this exchange is only possible thanks to God’s magnanimity in accepting the beggar’s poverty as wealth, so as to make the divine gift acceptable, given that man has nothing of comparable worth to offer in return.

Legion keeps changing its Legal Evidence -Oops- Residence!

2011-09-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

spread rumors for the Kingdom of Christ, hide, deceive, sue...avoid being sued...

Where is the Legion of Christ's legal residence?
Not an easy one to answer
Not in Connecticut
Not in Rhode Island [that might be the Regnum Christi; but do they have legal identity separate from the Legion of Christ...?
Where are they when I want to bring a legal suit against them?

they know where you are
but you don't know where they are

Marcial Maciel or the Mexican Elmer Gantry

2011-09-12T23:10:00.000-07:00

I will always associate Marcial Maciel with the Movie Elmer Gantry; once you see the movie and know Maciel you can't help see the connection. Although Gantry kind of redeems himself in the end -he is not such a dirty rotten scoundrel. But yes, the gift of the gab, the glibness, the opportunism, that is vintage Maciel.

Oh, my dear friends, how so many of you were deceived by his pious appearance, by the aureola he construed around himself, by his Catholic Fundamentalism and his Vatican I spirituality, by his Anti-Modernism and Papism... Oh, brothers and sister, how you were deceived. Repent and acknowledge your Catholic shallowness, your love of holy appearances, your belief in glittering images, your adoration of idols, your despair, your lack of hope in the One True God, in the One True Savior who alone can save us and the world; Who alone can save the Church from all the dangers that our lack of trust in God make us perceive and project!

The Cult the Killed the Baby

2011-09-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

An example of Mind Control
Seems far from the prim and proper life of Regnum Christi consecrated members but deep down its the same; powerful people take over your mind and make you do crazy things; you think you are close to God, you are doing his Will but it is really the Leader's Will, the superior's will, the group's will...
"the end justifies the mean"

--

WESTMINSTER, Md. (AP) — When Ria Ramkissoon's spiritual mentor ordered her to deny food and water to her toddler son, she didn't know what to think or do. She was paralyzed by fear and confusion.

The 19-year-old mother had been living with the woman, who called herself Queen Antoinette, for several months when Ramkissoon's son did not say "amen" before a meal one morning. That word was one of the few Javon Thompson could say at 15 months old, and Antoinette told Ramkissoon not to feed him until he said it. Like always, she cited the Bible as her authority.

In Antoinette's unusual household — which police and prosecutors later described as a cult — no one questioned her orders.

Ramkissoon thought about defying her leader, grabbing Javon and leaving the house. But she didn't think Antoinette would maliciously make up her claim that the boy was possessed by an evil spirit. And she didn't want to defy God's will, guaranteeing eternal damnation.

So she did nothing.

Nobody else in the 10-person household came to Javon's aid either. Over the next week, he whimpered and grew sluggish and sallow. By the time Antoinette relented and told Ramkissoon to feed the boy, it was too late. Javon died in his mother's arms.

Investigators discovered his body more than a year later.

Antoinette is serving a 50-year sentence for second-degree murder; her adult daughter and another follower are also in prison.

Now living in a faith-based treatment center, Ramkissoon says she knows it's difficult to comprehend how any mother could watch her son starve. She freely uses the word "crazy" to describe her actions, which were set in motion by her desire to provide a better home for her son.

"It's like it's somebody else's life, but it's not," Ramkissoon told The Associated Press in her first interview since Javon's death. "That is my life, and those are the choices that I've made and those were the fears that I dealt with, no matter how ridiculous they may be to somebody else."

For years, Ramkissoon clung to the belief that Javon would be resurrected, as Antoinette said he would. When Ramkissoon pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death, she insisted on a provision stating that her plea would be withdrawn if Javon came back to life.

Only since her release from custody last year has she fully let go of that belief, allowing her to properly mourn the boy who would have turned 6 on Saturday.

"None of that had to happen to him. He's in a house surrounded by people who are basically doing this to him," Ramkissoon said. "I felt like if anyone had a responsibility to him there that it was me, and I basically gave that up. So yeah, that's a difficult thing. To die and to suffer in that kind of way, that's not easy to have to swallow. That's something that I'm very much responsible for, as much as anybody else."

___

For much of her life, Ramkissoon has felt isolated and confused. She believed in God but didn't understand how to practice her faith, making her vulnerable to someone who claimed to have all the answers.

When she was 7, she left her native Trinidad to join her mother and a new American stepfather in Baltimore. Her mother is Hindu but didn't practice her religion in the United States.

Ramkissoon sought solace in Christianity, but became disillusioned with traditional churches. When she tried to read the Bible on her own, she was frustrated and sometimes threw it against the wall in anger.

Shortly after Ramkissoon graduated high school, she began dating a young troublemaker named Robert Thompson. He was her first boyfriend, and even when he ended up in jail, she insisted he was a good guy. He got her pregnant around her 18th birthday.

Thompson broke off the relationship before Javon was born. The only times he saw his son were through a plastic barrier at the Baltimore jail when Ramkissoon brought Javon for visits every Friday. Thompson was ultimately acquitted of charges including attempted murder. The AP could not locate him for comment for this story.

Meanwhile, Ramkissoon's relationship with her stepfather, Craig Newton, was deteriorating. He drank and was volatile. At times he was physically abusive, including one occasion during her pregnancy when Ramkissoon says he tried to choke her.

In a telephone interview, Newton did not dispute Ramkissoon's account of his drinking or the choking incident. But he denied her claim that he once locked Ramkissoon, her mother and her brothers out of the family home.

Javon's birth only intensified the pressure Ramkissoon felt.

She began training to be a pharmacy technician, but her heart wasn't in it. She didn't want to be away from her son, and she began to think her mother might take the infant away.

Around this time, she got an unexpected phone call from a high school friend, Tiffany Smith, who also had a baby. Smith said she wasn't working, allowing her to concentrate on her son and her faith. She said she was living in her "father's house," although it was clear she didn't mean her biological father.

___

Members of Antoinette's group took turns recruiting Ramkissoon. Though they were stingy with details about the arrangement, she was desperate, and their offer began to sound attractive.

"I had a really strong fear that (Javon) was going to get taken away from me if I didn't know what I was doing," she said, tears flowing. "That's kind of when I took things in my own hands."

In April 2006, Ramkissoon asked her mother to drive her and Javon to a park. She packed a few outfits and other supplies for him in a diaper bag. For herself, she brought nothing but the clothes she wore. Cult members met them and drove them to their home.

Ramkissoon stopped answering her cellphone, then turned it off and handed it over to Antoinette, who claimed her commands came directly from God. She and other members destroyed their identification documents. Antoinette took her shopping for clothing in the colors she said God favored: blue, white and khaki. Doctor visits were forbidden, and Smith gave birth to her second child — fathered by Antoinette's teenage son — at home, without medical care.

The group had a sole benefactor: Antoinette's boyfriend, Steven Bynum. He paid their rent and provided food and other necessities. No one else had a job.

Antoinette always made sure the kids had enough to eat and admonished followers who she thought were being neglectful.

But she seemed wary of Javon from the beginning, planting the seeds of doubt in Ramkissoon's mind. Out of the blue, she would say, "There's something wrong with that child." The boy's failure to say "amen" confirmed Antoinette's suspicions. She said Javon had a "spirit of rebellion" inside him, and that only fasting could exorcise it.

Antoinette represented herself at trial, and she acknowledged telling Ramkissoon not to feed Javon. But she characterized it as a "suggestion," not an order. The jury disagreed.

___

When Javon died in late 2006 or early 2007, Antoinette told her followers to pray for his resurrection. They packed the body into a suitcase. Ramkissoon sprayed it with disinfectant and stuffed the suitcase with fabric softener sheets to mask the odor.

After Javon's death, Bynum distanced himself from Antoinette and stopped paying the rent. The cult leader and her followers left Baltimore, the suitcase in tow.

Ramkissoon kept looking for signs that the horrific events were part of God's plan, and seemed to find one during a police encounter. When the group was evicted from a Pennsylvania hotel, officers handled the suitcase with Javon's body but didn't seem to suspect anything.

Antoinette continued to bend people to her will. She persuaded an elderly man to store some of their belongings, including the suitcase, in a shed behind his Philadelphia home. The cult moved to New York City, where Antoinette talked a man into kicking his wife and family out of his Brooklyn apartment and moving Antoinette and her followers in.

Back in Baltimore, Ramkissoon's mother was waging a futile battle to alert authorities. Seeta Khadan-Newton spoke to her daughter once, through an intercom at the building in Brooklyn. She said Ramkissoon sounded "like a zombie."

In court, Ramkissoon spoke in a quiet monotone, reciting the facts of the case without apparent feeling.

"I didn't feel anything for a long time," she told the AP.

___

Today, after more than a year in treatment, Ramkissoon has more life behind her eyes, and tears and laughter come easily. She dresses smartly and has a stylish short haircut. When she arrived, she told the center's staff that she didn't want to talk to anyone. Now she works as an intake coordinator, the first point of contact for incoming residents.

She's expected to finish this fall and hopes to enroll in college.

Edwin "Tito" Matos, Ramkissoon's pastor and the director of the treatment center, said the key to Ramkissoon's transformation was teaching her to think for herself. He would ask her to interpret Bible passages, giving her a Bible dictionary to aid her research.

When she realized that Antoinette had manipulated passages to support her commands, Ramkissoon would cry.

After several months, Ramkissoon began to open up about her experiences, and did a lot more crying. She began to realize that Javon died because of her own decisions, not because of God's will.

"It is difficult," she said, "because I don't think it's settled, fully, the weight of what was lost."

Ramkissoon said she's often asked how she can still believe in God. But she credits her faith, and the fellowship she's found at the treatment center, for allowing her to take control of her life.

"Coming from a cult, people don't want to hear you talk about God," she said. "I may have ... approached it the wrong way. It doesn't mean that God isn't true and that the community and love and family don't exist in the right way."

Several months into Ramkissoon's stay at the center, Matos wasn't sure he was getting through to her. She'd tell him she wanted to talk, then sit in his office and say nothing. One Sunday, he was invited to preach at a church in Baltimore, and Ramkissoon accompanied him and sang in the choir. From the pulpit, he referred to her obliquely, talking about the difficulty of building relationships and trust.

For years, Ramkissoon had avoided drawing attention to herself. But in the middle of the sermon, she stood up. She walked to the pulpit, climbed the stairs and extended her arms toward Matos. The pastor and his pupil embraced.

___

Editor's note: Ben Nuckols has been covering the Ramkissoon case since her arrest. This report is based on lengthy interviews with Ramkissoon along with court testimony, documents and other interviews.

___

Ben Nuckols can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/APBenNuckols .

Basic Human Rights for Children and Youth in Residential Setting

2011-08-24T16:57:00.000-07:00

HUMAN RIGHTS as peryour Local Department of Human Services

In residentialsettings, each individual has the right to:

• Havesufficient and suitable clothing for his/her exclusive use. Receivenutritionally adequate, varied and appetizing meals consistent with anyindividualized nutritional program.

• Live in a humane, safe, and sanitaryenvironment.

• Practice a religion and participate inreligious services.

• Have access to paper, pencils and stamps.

• Have help in writing or reading mail asneeded.

• Communicate privately by mail or telephone.

• Have or refuse visitors.

Schools and Seminaries Neglect Human Rights of Students?

2011-08-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

Ever thought of that?

When superiors/prefects/staff monitor incoming and outgoing mail
or listen in on supposedly private phone messages to family and friends.
When pen, paper and stamps are not readily available to write freely to parents, priests or bishops...
When all incoming and outgoing information is monitored, filtered and censored

My friends, these are all against the students' human rights.

Parents, do you know that this is against your children's basic human rights?

What kind of 'human formation' can there be when such basic rights are infringed?

And if you don't believe me

Research your local Department of Human/Social Services Human Rights[Child and Family Service Division] for children who are in "Residential Services"

Grace, as St Thomas Aquinas, says presupposes nature; it does not supplant it. The truly spiritual cannot exist in an atmosphere of abuse of human rights.

The "Total Obedience to the Holy Father" Game

2011-08-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

The following excerpt struck the blogger a few minutes ago on the DialogueIrleand blog where the Controversy regarding the "House of Prayer" on Achill Island, Co Mayo, was aired.

See full article

After years of discussion between the local bishops and herself, the founder, Mrs Gallagher, has decided to close the work of God.

The comments alluding to Mrs Gallagher and her 'Work of God" could, perhaps be applied to the Fr. Maciel and his Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi who always proclaim to the high heavens their absolute fidelity to the Vicar of Christ.

1. “Total” obedience to the pope

Many will find this first warning sign surprising. As Catholics, are we not all called to obey the Holy Father? Indeed, we are. When a new association sincerely seeks to obey and follow the teachings of the Holy Father, canonists are for the most part satisfied the group is doing what Catholic groups ought to do.

Nevertheless, some new associations abuse Catholic sensibility in this regard. These groups cite “total obedience to the Holy Father” when what they really mean is partial obedience to selected teachings of the Holy Father, without embracing the entire papal message. Additionally, when challenged over their partial obedience, these groups will appeal to their “total” reliance upon the Holy Father in an attempt to bypass the authority of the diocesan bishop. This brings us to Fr. Morrisey’s second warning sign.

2. No sense of belonging to the local church

As Catholics, we belong to the universal Church. Yet we also belong to the local church community, meaning a local parish and a local diocese. Even the Holy Father is not exempt in this regard; he is, after all, the Bishop of Rome and thus belongs to a local Roman Church. Thus the ministry and apostolate of any association should focus on the local church. If a new association or religious order has no sense of belonging to the local church, then this becomes cause for concern.

3. Lack of true cooperation with diocesan authorities

To belong to the local church, one must cooperate with local diocesan authorities. After all, Christ instituted His Church as a hierarchy. Within this hierarchy, our Lord instituted the office of bishop to oversee a portion of Christ’s faithful. Thus the local bishop, and not a particular religious group or association, bears ultimate responsibility for the care of souls within a particular geographical location. If a new association refuses or impedes cooperation between itself and the local diocesan authorities, then its fidelity to the Church is questionable.

Former Consecrated Director Reveals Regnum Christi and Legion Secrets

2011-08-09T19:31:00.001-07:00

Not Nelly, just a pretty lady representing any Consecrated who may have packed their bags. (I have the impression that they pack light when leaving)

[taken from Mexican source and Google translated, forgive errors]

www.sectas.org

The kingdom of Marcial Maciel

Nelly Ramirez, who left the Legion after seven years of running the house of Consecrated in Leon, Guanajuato, has just published a revealing book about, among other things, the discretionary management of the finances of the Order.

Managing the finances of the Legion of Christ is a murky issue, restricted to a small centralized group in Rome and used all the loopholes needed to operate not as a religious congregation, but as a holding company, the resources of the Regnum Christi , managed through the Ethical Funds Integer Group (IEF), funds will be subject to the volatility inherent in financial markets, which has caused to be dragged by the current economic crisis, the book reveals the kingdom of Marcial Maciel ( Mexico, Planeta, 2011) written by Nelly Ramírez Mota Velasco.

It is still a mystery where the money for tuition fees of colleges and universities of the Legionaries -15 universities, 50 colleges called American Development Bank, 177 schools and 133 thousand students, because buildings and infrastructure of these have been achieved through donations, while its personnel is not voluntary, it is usually paid with the minimum of the market.

For example, Ramirez exposes the lack of transparency of resources for the construction of the pool at the Summit Institute Vistahermosa, a project which was raised three times the resources of both parents and other benefactors, and not yet yet managed and where the money is unknown.

The financial brains of the Legion has been the religious Luis Garza Medina, who, as she says, has stressed the need to use all legal loopholes to grow the work. Therefore, for the administrative operation Garza created the IEF group, which when driven by wage-they lay themselves up to 200 pesos a month, and not by religious-like Legionnaires down the rules of the Legion, has moved away control structures of the Order, which is why his work has been questioned in the review conducted by the Apostolic Delegate, Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, who qualifies as a IEF "tangled and convoluted corporate structure," which acts against Canon Law to grant broad authority to lay, even beyond the territorial directors of the Legion.

For the administration of all apostolic works, the Legion also has custody of funds, which are controlled from Rome, where donations are received and centralized procurement of goods necessary for the Order. el destino". Stresses the author: "If a priest needed to purchase a computer and asked for help from family, who sent him, say, 200 dollars, they are moved to Rome and then from there is sent to the applicant's computer, but gained U.S. $ 700. The rest of the money no one knows the destination. "

Similarly operate homes and consecrated, of which the majority of their budget, detailing Ramirez is supported by donations, that is, "much of the operating expenses covered by grants, and administrative criteria for Consecrated houses into force in 2009 was to get 40 percent of the budget for donations and 60 percent of the general administration. " All money raised by donation for the house or as a personal gift, including the 40 percent is deposited into the account planning.

Nelly Ramirez managed to break the bonds of the Legion, after being seven years director of the first house of Consecrated in Leon, Guanajuato. Emphasizes in her book her deep knowledge of how it works and economic structure of the religious congregation, and how is the life of submission and obedience within the Order founded by Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, "They are robots , not people; they are slaves, not men or women "no insight or maturity, so some consecrated behave like girls, not as adults.

Ramirez devotes a chapter to explain the mechanisms that favor the Order to achieve this submission, for example, how they are recruited away from their families and women religious, how standards are imposed to defend the Legion even beyond criticism or family social, and makes them believe that the good of the Order is superior to any other.

One of the successes of this control is the management of what they call "healthy distrust" that sustain the belief that human weakness can be alleviated only God and ladder, the superior legionnaires, and where they are taught that everything should be reported to their managers. Así, es común y fomentado el informar en contra de los compañeros. Thus, it is common and encouraged to inform against their peers. Through this mechanism of domestic spying, which is sold as beneficial for the smooth running of the order, the hierarchy knows every movement of his subordinates, resulting in a pervasive climate of institutional paranoia that is rarely shown to the outside: the author mentions that in the manual of Consecrated are specified, on receiving visits should always cheerful and smiling, no matter how they really feel.

JUSTO MULLOR & ALBERTO ATHIÉ
Father Marcial Maciel used to discredit his critics showing them not as such, but as enemies of true Christian virtues of the Legion of Christ, a case is a former papal nuncio to Mexico, Justo Mullor, responsible for failing to report complaints to Rome of sexual abuse made by former legionnaires. Soon after, when he would not play the complicity of Maciel, among friends with the power of Michoacan circulated the rumor that the nuncio was a danger to the Holy See's relations with Mexico, and the work was seriously Mullor hampered in the country.

Another case of the then priest Alberto Athié, who denounced abuses against Maciel José Manuel Fernandez Amenabar, a former rector of the Universidad Anahuac. The Legionnaires were responsible for a rumor about Athié which soon spread that "he had left his post as executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Social Caritas taking money and then flee to Chicago," when in fact Cardinal Norberto Rivera, a friend and without Marcial Maciel certainly complicit in, he closed his former right hand all the doors of its activities in Mexico.

GRUPO MONTERREY CUPULA

On analysis of the men of power within the Legion, details how the concentration of the main panel is the so-called Monterrey Group: the religious Luis Garza Medina, Gabriel Evaristo Sada Derby Sotres.
Garza Medina, el actual vicario general. Garza, the current vicar general for years concentrated economic power and territorial be responsible for the direction of Italy, the consecrated and the intellectual and spiritual formation of the Congregation, still handles the IEF group, whose control keeps family and friends.
Evaristo Sada Derby for over 30 years as general secretary of the Order provides for the movement of personnel and the correspondence file that includes the data of "consciousness" Copies and consecrated by other members of Regnum Christi. A lover of scuba-diving, sport prohibited by cost and irrigation for the Legionnaires, but he constantly practice in Cozumel. He has two brothers, Alfredo Salvador, Legionary priests who were once strong and needed medical treatment and psychiatric treatment, and are now completely marginalized in the Legion.

Gabriel Sotres, a confidant of Evaristo Sada, was responsible for the private correspondence of Marcial Maciel and external communication of the Congregation. "His position has always been to keep the spotlight away from the inner workings of the Congregation. The priest has his office in the testimonies of many who were abused by Father Maciel, and letters of complaint which he never paid attention . It was the main brain of concealment. Sotres is now faced with Garza, who "does not forgive the past few days have revealed the life of Father Maciel," while it is still the idea of purifying the Legion of the rebels to just stick with the older and younger , and take others' to build the Legion as God intended from the beginning. "

For the author, this nomenclature is holding strong to the Legion, and the current official director, Alvaro Corcuera, calls him a man "kind", "very weak" in government and without much room to maneuver. In general, the higher the Legion are a "breed" apart, because nobody knows what they do have a special way of life. For example, if you get sick, go to U.S. hospitals rather than their local health centers, can handle the exclusive use of luxury cars and eat at select locations. "The CEO even has a chapel, dining room and separate offices in an apartment built in the same structure of the house inhabited by the other Legionnaires." Members of the cupula were "revered as if they were more gods than men. Nobody can take the opposite, so it is a serious fault criticism and there is a duty to always speak well of them."

Given this reality, Nelly Ramírez is not satisfied with the effort made by the Holy See to renew to the Legion, their structures and beliefs, unless "there is a personal conversion of each and every Legionnaire Consecrated (o) ".
So far, despite the shocking discovery of the double life of its founder, there are still those who refuse to any change: the Legionaries' silence the flood, is the private atmosphere: the complacency of the Legion. "

Legion Money Collection

"Proceeds from the works of each country may vary from one area to another. Thus, the territories of Mexico and Monterrey can exceed 20 million dollars annually, but only Chile and Argentina arrive at 10. Similarly, in the amount of expenses, Italy would be one of the biggest spenders, over 30 million, followed by Spain, which is around 20.
"There is a remarkable system of raising money for scholarships for seminarians called Pro-Scholarship. Consecrated Parents and literally kill to get people to sponsor the training of future priests or consecrated, either monthly or annual donations. In Pro-scholarships are often given a deductible receipt to the benefactors. Mrs. Adriana Lemus is in charge of collecting that money in the territory of Mexico. Monthly delivers it to the territorial administration and the money it receives a society that in turn sends it to the United States, the accounts of three companies incorporated in that country. These companies then delivered the money to Rome in the form of dividends to its members. "

Source: Nelly Ramírez Mota Velasco, Kingdom of Marcial Maciel, Mexico, Planeta, 2011.

Garza's Going, Context and Meaning

2011-07-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

Sandro hearkens back to the betrayel of Jesus by Peter "I don't know the man". Now, Maciel's handpicked successor says he never knew the man. Dear reader, in case you don't know, these 'holy men' tell barefaced lies. Whom did they learn that from?

Marcial Maciel? "I Don't Know Him"

Exiled to the United States, the former first in command of the Legionaries of Christ, Luís Garza, says that he never knew anything about the private life of the founder. The surprise moves of the pontifical commissioner, Cardinal De Paolis. The names of the "dissidents"

by Sandro Magister

ROME, July 27, 2011 – The removal of Fr. Luís Garza Medina from the leadership of the Legionaries of Christ is the turning point that could change the future of this embattled congregation.

The news came unexpectedly in the middle of July, with a letter from the director general of the Legion, Álvaro Corcuera. Effective August 1, Garza will no longer be vicar general. He will move to New York as territorial director of the United States and Canada: a territory that is anything but friendly to him, one of those in which the Legion is most disabled, already abandoned by its best men, Frs. Richard Gill, Thomas Berg, Jonathan Morris and others, who have gone into service with the ....

Link

Legion of Christ's Vicar General Resigns

2011-07-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

See the controversy stirring on the National Catholic Reporter webpage where Joan Frawley dared to report on Legion happenings:

Daily News

The title of the entry is:

Legion of Christ's Vicar General Resigns

You can see the comment at the following URL:

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/legion-of-christs-vicar-general-resigns/

The Vatican communique identified the need to respect conscience.

I believe that the reason they included this is because the Legion

leadership have not respected conscience. I have not seen any significant

progress in this regard for LC or RC consecrated since the visitations

concluded.

I am a critic of the structure of LC and RC because I believe that there is

so much control of peoples' behaviour, information, thoughts and emotions

that there is no free will left and especially for the 3gf women almost no

basic human rights. I do not hate the Legion or even their founder (although

I believe he was extremely evil) but I definitely disapprove of the

structure that my daughter lives in and I feel that she has been taken

advantage of, deceived, misinformed and spiritually deformed following a

program that was designed by a monster to satisfy his lust for power, money

and sex. I definitely do not hate the women my daughter lives with, in fact

I think they are the cream of the crop. However, they also have been

manipulated and used as cheap labour so that the current leaders can enjoy

the fruits.

The Scribes and Pharisees tried to legislate holiness by creating an

environment where there were rules to cover every situation. Jesus did not

approve of that style of holiness. He did not approve of false prophets

either.

I am very pleased that the NCR is willing to present different viewpoints

regarding the Legion and RC. This was not allowed previously and was a

classic example of information control used by controversial religious

groups.

Apostolic Delegate Testy with Dissidents Inside Legion

2011-07-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

Picked up on Internet from reliable sources:

“While it is true that in 2010 the institute suffered its greatest losses, it is also true that the exodus has been contained with regard to priests,” he said.

However, regarding the abandonment of the order by its youngest members, Cardinal De Paolis noted “the negative influence exercised by some companions who, upon entering the process of renewal, have adopted an absolutely critical attitude towards the path of renewal.”
“From the beginning, a group of members have joined together and has been described, by whom I don’t know, as ‘dissidents’,” the cardinal continued.

“In reality it is not a very large group, as there are very few people leading it. In emphasizing a ‘structural contamination’ of the congregation, they have manifested a radical lack of confidence in the continuation and renewal of the congregation. And in every way they have become antagonistic towards the legitimate superiors, seeing themselves almost as custodians of the orthodoxy of the road that must be traveled. They are using the internet extensively, with a network that extends to perhaps 200 or more people, including Legionaries, ex-Legionaries or friends of Legionaries with whom they usually meet,” Cardinal De Paolis stated.

The pontifical delegate said these “dissidents” act like “depositories of a prophetic mission in which some think they have a particular vocation to take the place of their superiors, to set themselves up as masters of the spiritual life and masters of sound doctrine.” They exercise “negative influence on the youngest members.

"This kind of information for some is the reason why the youngest members abandon the Legion,” he continued.

“Some of the leaders of this group are unsure about their vocations and share their doubts with others for no good purpose,” he said.
“As they are stuck on the harm suffered by the congregation, they seem to enjoy looking at the wounds and continuously reopening them, instead of looking toward the future with greater depth and hope, working for true renewal and taking the true path of conversion,” he added.
“We do indeed need to recognize that we are sinners. But to stop there is death! If that is a time for realizing that we need God, then it is a grace, and grace is what comes to meet us,” the cardinal said.

“The community, or our group of interest, is not an instrument for venting our frustrations or finding justifications. Our community is a not a ‘spit bowl.’ And we should feel humiliated when we are used like this,” he said
----------------------------------
Does his Grace need to wake up and smell the coffee?

How the Legion Pays off Maciel's Victims and Continues to GAG them!

2011-06-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

Does not look like they are going out of their way; the process is convoluted and not user friendly.

-meet with Legionaries -your pepetrators!
-tell them your story -again!
-they let you know up front that there will be a gag order
-they will take note and investigate it
-then they will write a report
-the report with be discussed with the commision in charge
-the commission will consult with the Papal Delegate and his men
-if they give the green light they let the Legion know
-the Legion will write the check for the minimum amount -they do not really want to remunerate you for damages; that is in the past; just give you something to keep you happy in the present such as pay your mortgage or your kid's college....
-we are not talking millions here!

The writer is aware of only one victim who has approached the Legion.
Most victims dont trust the current major superiors -all appointed by Maciel

Legionaries Report on Each Other

2011-06-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

Recent testimony/documentation for recently exited Fr. Juan Pedro Oriol proves that superiors continue to write up their subjects on a monthly basis; their reports are often judgmental and lacking in Christian Charity.

[docs to be translated from Spanish]

Opus Dei and Legion of Christ: the Difference

2011-05-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

http://ericsammons.com/blog/2011/05/11/the-difference-between-opus-dei-and-the-legion-of-christ/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DivineLife+(Divine+Life+-+A+Blog+by+Eric+Sammons)

Eric Sammons blogged the article

I began my study of the Catholic faith in 1991 as an Evangelical Protestant, converting to the Catholic Church in 1993.

I serve as head of evangelization at St. John Neumann parish in Gaithersburg, MD, and am cofounder of Little Flowers Foundation, a non-profit whose mission is to assist Catholic families seeking to adopt children with special-needs.
I regularly speak to parish groups and other organizations on a variety of topics - contact me to schedule a talk for your group.
You can email me at eric@ericsammons.com.
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Opus Dei is again in the press, this time because of the release of the movie There Be Dragons, which is somewhat based on the life of Opus Dei’s founder, St. Josemaría Escrivá. Whenever Opus Dei comes up, it seems that strong opinions and even controversy is sure to follow. Some of this is understandable – after all, any organization that quickly grows and becomes as influential as Opus Dei is sure to attract both strong friends and enemies – but some of it is also laughable for those who even have an inkling of knowledge of the group. But one thing I’ve noticed is how often in many minds the scandals involved with another Catholic movement – the Legion of Christ – have impacted Opus Dei.

The reason for this is due to the many similarities between Opus Dei and the Legion of Christ. A few include:

Both were founded by Spanish-speaking men in the first half of the 20th century.

Both desired to promote an orthodox understanding of the Catholic faith.

Both were embraced by the Church hierarchy as a means to reform the Church after the troubles that followed Vatican II.

Both focused on helping lay people grow in holiness in their daily lives.

Both dramatically increased in size and influence in a short period of time.

Both have been strongly attacked by outside forces, as well as by former members.

Because of these similarities, these two organizations have melded in many people’s minds almost into a single entity. So when the Legion faced serious scandals, some held Opus Dei in suspicion as well. I will admit to doing this myself. I personally have felt for some time that the Legion should be disbanded, and my strong feelings towards them seeped into my view of Opus Dei as well. I was suspicious that the failings of the Legion (which don’t just include the failings of its founder) were replicated by Opus Dei.

But over time I realized that my thoughts were an injustice to Opus Dei, which in fact is not in any real way related to the Legion. The similarities I mentioned above are superficial and none really relate to the Legion scandals. So to judge Opus Dei based on the sins of the Legion would be like judging Abel for the sins of Cain. And in fact, there is one big difference between the two organizations, which is:

The Legion of Christ doesn’t offer assassination training to its albino monks.

No, wait a minute, that’s not right (but realize that all articles on Opus Dei are required to have at least on albino monk joke). The real difference between the two groups is:

Opus Dei was founded by a canonized saint. The Legion of Christ was founded by one of the most notorious scoundrels who ever lived.

One cannot overemphasize this point too much. In the Catholic tradition, religious orders and movements are integrally linked to their founders. An authentic movement is faithful to its founder and keeps his or her spirit and teaching alive for future generations. In the case of Opus Dei, its founder has been officially recognized by the Church as living the faith heroically and in a way that can be imitated. In the case of the Legion, its founder has been recognized as a deceiver, an abuser, and an all-around scoundrel of the first order. Not exactly someone whose spirit we should keep alive, is it?

This of course does not mean that Opus Dei is for everyone or that its members have not sinned or done things at times improperly. But it does mean that as Catholics we should treat Opus Dei as we would the Franciscans or the Dominicans: as an authentic movement founded by a holy man whom we can look to as a heroic example of someone who lived the Christian faith well.

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This blogger's comment; the above opinion is too black and white; Escriva bought himself an honorary title in Spain -so much for his humility; and former OD members have many gripes, in the USA where there is ODAN and in Spain there is opuslibros which level strong criticisms from dissaffected former members, their relatives and friends. I believe Escriva was quite the despot in his way of ruling, thus similar de Maciel. Maciel without his sex life and Escriva are minnows compared to the greats: Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis of Assisi, Domingo [Dominic] de Guzman, or the Cure D'Ars.

Legion Methodology = Maciel's Pathology

2011-04-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

LEGION METHODOLOGY AND MACIEL'S PATHOLOGY

How each member's confidential personal secrets are passed from spiritual director up the chain of command so the superiors can better 'dispose' of him/her for the Good of the Kingdom

Q/

Can you tell me what is meant here by “datos de conciencia [conscience data]?” Of course, I understand what the words means, but I do not understand it in the context of the legion. What are they talking about?

A/
i think they are referring to those personal reports that the superiors would sent to the central office; information gathered from members through 'spiritual direction' and confidential reports from "prefects" and other superiors regarding each religious or consecrated member. I believe G. had first hand experience of those person reports that were gathered at the local, territorial and central level.

the phrase is a bit ambiguous....because it could indicate revealing something said in confession...you know that Spanish critics/reporters of mm and company tend to be more aggressive and 'looser' than their US counterparts...

However, i think the phrase 'pasar a cuenta de consciencia' is an old one meaning "go to spiritual direction". Therefore: information learned in spiritual direction is passed onto superiors up the chain of command.

This is from the beginning of the Legion; it is Maciel, and it is part of the system which is still in place; i assume it is against canon law, etc. but the Vatican may not really give a shit about this -once it keeps producing results. [it is a way of having the religious/seminarians/consecrated by the b]

One of Maciel's many gifts -any of which our dear SEXUALLY abused brethren find it hard to acknowledge- was being organized and getting people organized; I mean he set up this complex system of centralizing information on each one of his religious, everybody reporting on everyone BREAKING CONFIDENTIALITY AND CODE OF ETHICS...putting him in the driving seat, GIVING HIM THE POWER to direct the minutest details of the lives of hundred of young men -later women. Sometimes I believe this was Maciel's real pleasure: saying when, where, how....another human being does something; his special pleasure/drive/need was deciding when a young pubertal male was sexually initiated. Maybe another pleasure was decreeing what kind of clothes a female virgin should wear and how much make us she should use, etc.

The Suffering of Parents - Understanding Cults, God Willing

2011-04-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

Understanding Cults, God Willing, April 2, PBS

Technorati

Author: Bob Etier

March 31, 2011
Filmmaker Evangeline Griego’s nephew, Daniel, left home and became a member of the nomadic Jim Roberts Group, also known as The Brethren and The Garbage Eaters (because they eschew working in favor of foraging supermarket dumpsters for salvageable food). After he returned home she began work on a documentary, God Willing, an examination of The Brethren and families who have lost their children to the group.

God Willing will be shown on Public Television stations beginning April 2, 2011; check local listings for dates and times. Included are several former members of The Brethren who severed ties and returned to their families; they share some of their experiences and opinions about the group.

There are over 5000 cults in America; the Jim Roberts Group was founded in 1971 by Roberts, a “mysterious messianic figure” who has not been seen in public since 1998. The group is allegedly Christian, with a strong reliance on scripture, but that’s scripture as interpreted by Jim Roberts. “The group has survived for decades as a separatist society that preaches a strict path to salvation, proselytizes for new members, adheres to strict ascetic values, subsists on discarded food and refuse, and shuttles its members from town to town, often on the run from concerned parents…”

Video of one mother who reunites on the street with her daughter after seven years is heartbreaking. Although the daughter does not reject her mother, she is far from welcoming and refuses another meeting because she has “things to do.” Other parents report that they haven’t seen their son in 22 years, since he ran off and joined the cult.

Membership of the Jim Roberts Group is estimated at forty to sixty adherents, although the exact number is not known. Members joined with “sincere spiritual yearnings,” what once would have been called “missionary zeal,” and renounced their past lives and the world.

So…what does Jim Roberts get out of this? There is apparently no financial gain for him, so is being “master” of a group of indigent people the attraction? Isolating them from their families, negating their sexuality (even marriage is frowned upon), and relegating women to a subservient role—is that a power trip? And what happens to the group when he dies (since he does all the thinking and planning for them)?
God Willing is a melancholy look at lives and families destroyed by a cult, and the commitment parents make to liberate their children. While some families reunite, others remain fractured with parents who haven’t seen or heard from their children in years. For some, the only time they have seen their children is when they’ve been caught on videotaped surveillance of one of the group’s camps.

http://technorati.com/entertainment/tv/article/understanding-cults-god-willing-april-2/

Gateway leaving the Legion for Benedictines

2011-02-20T19:18:00.000-08:00

Gateway lay board chose Benedictines after being let down by the Legion of Christ

Is this a Cult?

2011-02-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

See Dr Phil today

Members of New Commission Vetted by Legion?

2011-02-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

Incredible!
but possibly true.

I have just heard that the supposedly neutral lay member of the new created Victims commission, from Mexico City, G.A.D., is a former student of the Legion's Instituto Cumbres founded by Fr. Marcial Maciel

Con respecto a la supuesta imparcialidad de la 'comision de acercamiento' (qué comedidos en sus términos!), me han dicho que el jurista Jorge Adame Goddard, del Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas de la UNAM, es también exalumno del Cumbres

Ceorcion in the Legion and Regnum Christi?

2011-01-30T22:35:00.000-08:00

Biderman's Chart of Coercion

Most people who brainwash ... use methods similar to those of prison guards who recognize that physical control is never easily accomplished without the cooperation of the prisoner. The most effective way to gain that cooperation is through subversive manipulation of the mind and feelings of the victim, who then becomes a psychological, as well as a physical, prisoner. (from an Amnesty International publication, "Report on Torture", which depicts the brainwashing of prisoners of war.

Isolation

· Deprives individual of social support, effectively rendering him unable to resist

· Makes individual dependent upon interrogator
· Develops an intense concern with self.

Once a person is away from longstanding emotional support and thus reality checks, it is fairly easy to set a stage for brainwashing. Spiritually abusive groups work to isolate individuals from friends and family, whether directly, by requiring the individuals to forsake friends and family for the sake of the "Kingdom" (group membership), or indirectly, by preaching the necessity to demonstrate one's love for God by "hating" one's father, mother, family, friends.

Abusive groups are not outward‑looking, but inward‑looking, insisting that members find all comfort and support and a replacement family within the group. Cut off from friends, relatives, previous relationships, abusive groups surround the recruits and hammer rigid ideologies into their consciousness, saturating their senses with specific doctrines and requirements of the group.

Isolated from everyone but those within the group, recruits become dependent upon group members and leaders and find it difficult if not impossible to offer resistance to group teachings. They become self‑interested and hyper‑vigilant, very fearful should they incur the disapproval of the group, which now offers the only support available to them which has group approval.

Warning signs

The seed of extremism exists wherever a group demands all the free time of a member, insisting he be in church every time the doors are open and calling him to account if he isn't, is critical or disapproving of involvements with friends and family outside the group, encourages secrecy by asking that members not share what they have seen or heard in meetings or about church affairs with outsiders, is openly, publicly, and repeatedly critical of other churches or groups (especially if the group claims to be the only one which speaks for God), is critical when members attend conferences, workshops or services at other churches, checks up on members in any way, i.e., to determine that the reason they gave for missing a meeting was valid, or makes attendance at all church functions mandatory for participating in church ministry or enjoying other benefits of church fellowship.

Once a member stops interacting openly with others, the group's influence is all that matters. He is bombarded with group values and information and there is no one outside the group with whom to share thoughts or who will offer reinforcement or affirmation if the member disagrees with or doubts the values of the group. The process of isolation and the self‑doubt it creates allow the group and its leaders to gain power over the members. Leaders may criticize major and minor flaws of members, sometimes publicly, or remind them of present or past sins. They may call members names, insult them or ignore them, or practice a combination of ignoring members at some times and receiving them warmly at others, thus maintaining a position of power (i.e., the leaders call the shots.)

The sense of humiliation makes members feel they deserve the poor treatment they are receiving and may cause them to allow themselves to be subjected to any and all indignities out of gratefulness that one as unworthy as they feel is allowed to participate in the group at all. When leaders treat the member well occasionally, they accept any and all crumbs gratefully. Eventually, awareness of how dependent they are on the group and gratitude for the smallest attention contributes to an increasing sense of shame and degradation on the part of the members, who begin to abuse themselves with "litanies of self‑blame," i.e., "No matter what they do to me, I deserve it, as sinful and wretched as I am. I deserve no better. I have no rights but to go to hell. I should be grateful for everything I receive, even punishment."

Monopolization of Perception

· Fixes attention upon immediate predicament; fosters introspection
· Eliminates stimuli competing with those controlled by captor

· Frustrates all actions not consistent with compliance

Abusive groups insist on compliance with trivial demands related to all facets of life: food, clothing, money, household arrangements, children, conversation. They monitor members' appearances, criticize language and child care practices. They insist on precise schedules and routines, which may change and be contradictory from day to day or moment to moment, depending on the whims of group leaders.

At first, new members may think these expectations are unreasonable and may dispute them, but later, either because they want to be at peace or because they are afraid, or because everyone else is complying, they attempt to comply. After all, what real difference does it make if a member is not allowed to wear a certain color, or to wear his hair in a certain way, to eat certain foods, or say certain words, to go certain places, watch certain things, or associate with certain individuals. In the overall scheme of things, does it really matter? In fact, in the long run, the member begins to reason, it is probably good to learn these disciplines, and after all, as they have frequently been reminded, they are to submit to spiritual authority as unto the Lord.. Soon it becomes apparent that the demands will be unending, and increasing time and energy are focused on avoiding group disapproval by doing something "wrong." There is a feeling of walking on eggs. Everything becomes important in terms of how the group or its leaders will respond, and members' desires, feelings and ideas become insignificant. Eventually, members may no longer even know what they want, feel or think. The group has so monopolized all of the members' perceptions with trivial demands that members lose their perspective as to the enormity of the situation they are in.

The leaders may also persuade the members that they have the inside track with God and therefore know how everything should be done. When their behavior results in disastrous consequences, as it often does, the members are blamed. Sometimes the leaders may have moments, especially after abusive episodes, when they appear to humble themselves and confess their faults, and the contrast of these moments of vulnerability with their usual pose of being all‑powerful endears them to members and gives hope for some open communication.

Threats sometimes accompany all of these methods. Members are told they will be under God's judgment, under a curse, punished, chastised, chastened if they leave the group or disobey group leaders. Sometimes the leaders, themselves, punish the members, and so members can never be sure when leaders will make good on the threats which they say are God's idea. The members begin to focus on what they can do to meet any and all group demands and how to preserve peace in the short run. Abusive groups may remove children from their parents, control all the money in the group, arrange marriages, destroy personal items of members or hide personal items.

Warning signs:

Preoccupation with trivial demands of daily life, demanding strict compliance with standards of appearance, dress codes, what foods are or are not to be eaten and when, schedules, threats of God's wrath if group rules are not obeyed, a feeling of being monitored, watched constantly by those in the group or by leaders. In other words, what the church wants, believes and thinks its members should do becomes everything, and you feel preoccupied with making sure you are meeting the standards. It no longer matters whether you agree that the standards are correct, only that you follow them and thus keep the peace and in the good graces of leaders.

Induced Debility and Exhaustion

People subjected to this type of spiritual abuse become worn out by tension, fear and continual rushing about in an effort to meet group standards. They must often avoid displays of fear, sorrow or rage, since these may result in ridicule or punishment. Rigid ministry demands and requirements that members attend unreasonable numbers of meetings and events makes the exhaustion and ability to resist group pressure even worse.

Warning Signs:

Feelings of being overwhelmed by demands, close to tears, guilty if one says no to a request or goes against a church standards. Being intimidated or pressured into volunteering for church duties and subjected to scorn or ridicule when one does not "volunteer." Being rebuked or reproved when family or work responsibilities intrude on church responsibilities.

Occasional Indulgences

Provides motivation for compliance

Leaders of abusive groups often sense when members are making plans to leave and may suddenly offer some kind of indulgence, perhaps just love or affection, attention where there was none before, a note or a gesture of concern. Hope that the situation in the church will change or self doubt ("Maybe I'm just imagining it's this bad,") then replace fear or despair and the members decide to stay a while longer. Other groups practice sporadic demonstrations of compassion or affection right in the middle of desperate conflict or abusive episodes. This keeps members off guard and doubting their own perceptions of what is happening.

Some of the brainwashing techniques described are extreme, some groups may use them in a disciplined, regular manner while others use them more sporadically. But even mild, occasional use of these techniques is effective in gaining power.

Warning Signs:

Be concerned if you have had an ongoing desire to leave a church or group you believe may be abusive, but find yourself repeatedly drawn back in just at the moment you are ready to leave, by a call, a comment or moment of compassion. These moments, infrequent as they may be, are enough to keep hope in change alive and thus you sacrifice years and years to an abusive group.

Devaluing the Individual

· Creates fear of freedom and dependence upon captors

· Creates feelings of helplessness

· Develops lack of faith in individual capabilities

Abusive leaders are frequently uncannily able to pick out traits church members are proud of and to use those very traits against the members. Those with natural gifts in the areas of music may be told they are proud or puffed up or "anxious to be up front" if they want to use their talents and denied that opportunity. Those with discernment are called judgmental or critical, the merciful are lacking in holiness or good judgment, the peacemakers are reminded the Lord came to bring a sword, not peace. Sometimes efforts are made to convince members that they really are not gifted teachers or musically talented or prophetically inclined as they believed they were. When members begin to doubt the one or two special gifts they possess which they have always been sure were God‑given, they begin to doubt everything else they have ever believed about themselves, to feel dependent upon church leaders and afraid to leave the group. ("If I've been wrong about even *that*, how can I ever trust myself to make right decisions ever again?").

Warning Signs:

Unwillingness to allow members to use their gifts. Establishing rigid boot camp‑like requirements for the sake of proving commitment to the group before gifts may be exercised. Repeatedly criticizing natural giftedness by reminding members they must die to their natural gifts, that Paul, after all, said, "When I'm weak, I'm strong," and that they should expect God to use them in areas other than their areas of giftedness. Emphasizing helps or service to the group as a prerequisite to church ministry. This might take the form of requiring that anyone wanting to serve in any way first have the responsibility of cleaning toilets or cleaning the church for a specified time, that anyone wanting to sing in the worship band must first sing to the children in Sunday School, or that before exercising any gifts at all, members must demonstrate loyalty to the group by faithful attendance at all functions and such things as tithing. No consideration is given to the length of time a new member has been a Christian or to his age or station in life or his unique talents or abilities. The rules apply to everyone alike. This has the effect of reducing everyone to some kind of lowest common denominator where no one's gifts or natural abilities are valued or appreciated, where the individual is not cherished for the unique blessing he or she is to the body of Christ, where what is most highly valued is service, obedience, submission to authority, and performance without regard to gifts or abilities or, for that matter, individual limitations.
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When good People do Bad Things, The Power of Social Conditioning

2011-01-27T13:29:00.000-08:00

Nuestro Padre charming some candidates

The work of Dr Philip Zimbardo, The Lucifer Effect, is important reading for those with children and loved ones in the Legion/Regnum Christ. And don't dismiss Dr Phil...

Legionaries who spy on Families....wolves in sheeps' clothing

2011-01-14T09:20:00.000-08:00

[From anonymous source]

For instance, Gonzalo Salgado, from Chile (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=529413763), who was a Legionary Brother for about 10 years. He did his "Apostolic Practices" in France. After he left the Legion, he joined the seminary of Versailles... one of the most catholic dioceses in France. The Bishop was a little bit suspicious, but he finally accepted him. Gonzalo stayed two or three years in this seminary but he left (Some families told me he was expelled from this seminary) and he joined another religious group "Les missionnaires de l'amour de Jésus", where he stayed four years, I think.

Once again, he left... and some parents told me that the reasons of his departure were not clear. This family ... received him for a couple of weeks, because his LC superior wanted him to "have an experience of living with a family". The family told me they initially accepted out of generosity... Their son was still in the Legion, but they were getting more and more suspicious of the order, because of the revelation of the double life of Maciel. This brother became, according to the family, a real nightmare: he was like a spy, watching them all the time. He was also very indiscreet... And was always trying to protect and justify the Legion. At a certain point, the family got upset and showed him the door.

They later discovered he was in touch with the Legion, and particularly with Corcuera [sweet holy-faced Superior General].

Legionaries act in good faith; or rather, in good ideology!

2011-01-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

[From Xavier Leger, French former Legionary; in a private discussion]

I believe Xavier's intuition can help us understand the mentality of Maciel and Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi leaders.

What makes them tick?

Personally, I do not believe in conspiracy theories. Maybe because I have suffered too much of those theories within the Legion. It was indeed one of tools that Maciel used to create a persecution complex among the community and to justify the measures of excessive isolation and of control. Ironically, the only real enemies of Maciel are actually those he had created himself.

We are often likely to conceptualize this kind of issue through a dualistic template, perhaps because this template helps us to explain the violence of some opposition. But it seems to me that the reality is still more complex.

I think that Maciel was a fool, who had his own vision of the Church, inspired by his tremendous pride. He has been able to transfer his vision of a glorious and powerful Church to his disciples, but I doubt he created the Legion to destroy consciously the Church, by making some pact with the devil, even if it appears that he has been definitely a very good tool in the hands of the latter. "Quidquid agitur, sub specie boni agitur" (Whatever we act, we are always acting under the aspect of the good). Maciel was intimately convinced that he was acting for the good of the Church, and this was his strength.

Corcuera, Garza and others are in the same pattern. They are actually convinced that they are acting correctly, because their conscience has been totally and dramatically perverted. They are following an ideology, and are refusing to challenge this ideology. Anything that could defeat their idealized vision of the Church must disappear: this is why they are fundamentally unable to turn themselves towards the victims and those who have dared challenge the way of life and methodology of the Legion. Because we are walking on their dreams. It is pretty amazing to see how Corcuera, known for his legendary kindness and his “teddy-bear-smile”, turns into a tyrant, as soon as one touches HIS Legion. Psychology would identify there a kind of obsessive attitude of anxiety. [Paul: Fierce protection of the love-object]

The Legion represents the ideal Church for the followers of Maciel. A perfect Church, a wonderful world... So perfect that it forgets the individual, and true charity, which is always discreet and quiet... and the personal path of a spiritual journey. Instead of leading souls to God, the Legion turned to destroy souls by crushing them in the ruthless mechanisms of its methodology. This leads to real spiritual rape. And that is maybe the worst sin that man can actually do/commit on earth: remove souls from the source of real love, without leaving any traces; and all that, in the name of God. There no sin worse than robbing men of God [God to men -Stealing God from men and women].

In my opinion, the solution of the problem lies in the teaching of the fox of the Little Prince of Saint Exupéry: Love requires taming.

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Women Inside Male Dominated Cult

2011-01-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Faces often hide Deep Suffering -All for Jesus and the Movement

Inside cult of a man's world

[any similarity to the life of a 3gf Regnum Christi woman is entirely coincidental]

Herald Sun

Letitia Rowlands

From: The Daily Telegraph

January 10, 2011

IT'S a secretive community that works on the philosophy of "what's yours is mine".

It is led by a self-proclaimed prophet who demands followers pray three times a day and convinces women their role is to serve their husbands.
Members give up access to their own money, they are stripped of the ability to make decisions and are told if they leave they will go to hell.

This is life inside the North Queensland Jesus Group, a quasi-religious cult of about 150 run by Sydney man Dawid Daniel Yosep Abishai Yokannan Landy-Ariel.

The group has communes in Cairns, southern Queensland and the NSW town of Parkes, but its existence has remained largely a secret.

For the first time, an ex-member has spoken about the 28 years she spent on the inside, painting a picture of an organisation that tries to use mind control to recruit and rule the lives of followers.

Tamar Joha said Mr Landy-Ariel presides over a community dominated by men and in which women are inferior. All females are required to wear headscarves from the time they are toddlers and violence against women goes unchecked.
Ms Joha, 47, said members are encouraged to allow the group to access their bank accounts so money can be pooled and shopping is done only when a strict shopping list is approved by one of Mr Landy-Ariel's appointed group leaders. They are only allowed a limited number of clothes which must be purchased from charity shops.

The mother-of-nine said adults would physically discipline any children in the group, not just their own, which had led to some abuse and bullying.

Members must take a biblical name within weeks of joining, learn the ancient Aramaic language and study spiritual guidelines written by Mr Landy-Ariel.

Women learn their role is to serve their husbands, men are told they are not allowed to shake hands with women and mothers are expected to give birth at the commune.

Mr Landy-Ariel has denied he dictates how members live their lives, but said individuals abide by the group's rules out of "respect" for him as the "founding father".

He said he did not condone or authorise violence and said it was pregnant women who chose homebirths.

He claimed he started the community almost 40 years ago to create a "healthy, creative environment" where members could experience the teachings of Christ and that members were free to leave.

He said the group was only "secretive" because members "mind our own business and take care of our own affairs".

It's not a description that fits well with Ms Joha's memory, or that of other ex-members who have also told of their experiences.

Ms Joha and her ex-husband Levi Joha, 52, have six sons and three daughters. Only one of them was born at a hospital due to complications.

Six of the children have the genetic physical and mental disability fragile X syndrome.

Ms Joha said that despite discovering she was the carrier of the faulty gene, the group did not allow contraception, with Mr Landy-Ariel believing birth control would lead to teenage pregnancies and promote adultery.
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MR Landy-Ariel, 58, began the group in Cairns in 1972. It also has houses in Redfern and Hebersham. By his own admission, Mr Landy-Ariel did not undertake any formal religious training and has not registered the community as a church with open records as he believes in the total separation of church and state.

The majority of children who have grown up in the group have received most of their education through home schooling. No females have finished high school beyond Year 10 or attended university, although several have obtained TAFE qualifications.

Ms Joha grew up in Sydney before joining the group when she was 17 after her brother came back from a trip to North Queensland and told her about the commune.
She said she was a bit "lost and rebellious" and thought it would be fun to experience something new.
"I thought I would go there for a year or so and check it out," she said.

"Try a different way of life and then come back to Sydney with a good story to tell."

But once there the group's - and in particular Mr Landy-Ariel's - influence became overpowering.

"It was a lot different to what I expected," she said. "Everybody just kept saying the same things over and over until that became your way of thinking. That's what the group does, everything that he says becomes the truth, nobody has their own mind."

Ms Joha finally fled to a women's refuge three years ago, initially taking only her youngest disabled son. Four of her sons, all sufferers of fragile X, now live with her.

She fears her children left in the community will marry early, become pregnant quickly and may suffer physical abuse.

She also fears for their education after one of her daughters, who is not disabled, recently sat a national NAPLAN exam that showed her numeracy and writing were below the minimum national standard.

Mr Landy-Ariel has 13 sons and three daughters by a number of women. He claims he does not approve of polygamy, but admits he once took a second wife because he believed the woman he was married to could no longer have children.

Another former cult member said she met her future husband, a group member, when he travelled to India aged 18.

She described the group as "male-dominated", with women not being allowed to make decisions and remembered that Mr Landy-Ariel had to approve any book, video or music.
\
She said she did not get to name her first four children, with her husband and Mr Landy-Ariel choosing the names.

She said finances were controlled by Mr Landy-Ariel and his group leaders. She said she once begged her husband to buy clothes for their children but he refused unless he had approval.
Ms Joha recalls one incident in the early 1980s when her disabled son dirtied his pants.
"I had four young babies and was breastfeeding one of them," she said. "All of the disabled boys had problems going to the toilet."
The incident was reported to the group leader and it was decided that Ms Joha would have to be punished for being a "bad mother". Punishment involved having the can that everyone used as a toilet emptied over her bed and being made to clean it up.
----------

A MALE former group member said he had assaulted his wife while in the group after being taught that it was the correct way to behave. The violence ultimately led to the breakdown of his marriage and he has since left the group.

Another former member said Mr Landy-Ariel and his appointed leaders read all the incoming mail.

Some community members accused Ms Joha of several outbursts while she was in the group. Ms Joha does not dispute the incidents, but said they were rare occurrences and in response to one of her disabled children being tormented or treated badly.

Ms Joha is currently seeking legal advice and is considering suing the group and Mr Landy-Ariel for damages.

Mr Landy-Ariel declined to answer any questions about any of the allegations.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/inside-cult-of-a-mans-world/story-fn6bfmgc-1225984706930

Maciel's Little Toy Soldiers are Ordained by Papal Delegate

2010-12-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

Holy Father, what is your message re the Legion?
Do you want our sons and daughter to join?

Today hundreds of LC and RC flocked to the General Audience, see a short audiovisual.

BUT LOOK AT THE LEGIONARIES! THEIR FRIGHTENED FACES, THEIR HANDS ALL HELD IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, THEIR HAIR GROOMED THE SAME WAY, NO FACIAL HAIR, LOTS OF GLASSES, PALE FACES, DRAWN...

MACIELS LITTLE TOY SOLDIERS

Did the Pope address them?

Revolt Stirring in Legion ranks?

2010-12-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

The blogger is less hopeful than Roman Church watcher, Sandro Magister, regarding revolt stirring in sectors of the Legion; but he always welcomes glimmers of hope regarding true reform of the Maciel/Legion/Regnum Apparat.

-----

With Maciel Buried, His Centurions' Fires Are Burning Out

The leaders who covered up the misdeeds of the "false prophet" continue to occupy their positions of command. But their end is in sight. Among the Legionaries of Christ, revolt is stirring. The slow but inexorable pace of the papal delegate

by Sandro Magister
ROME, December 16, 2010 – The order is binding. All the houses of the Legionaries of Christ must be emptied of photos of the founder, Marcial Maciel Degollado, the man of "foolhardy, wasted, bizarre" life whom Benedict XVI called in his recent book-interview "a false prophet."

Not only that. They must no longer call him "Our Father." They must no longer celebrate his anniversaries, but only pray for him on the anniversary of his death. They must no longer display or sell his writings. In Cotija de la Paz, Mexico, where he is buried, his grave must no longer have any distinguishing marks. Next to the spiritual retreat house there must be built "a place dedicated to reparation and expiation."

These provisions were issued on December 13 to all the Legionaries in the world by their director general, Álvaro Corcuera, by the order of Cardinal Velasio De Paolis (in the photo), the pope's delegate to get the congregation back on the right track.

They follow the insistent requests that had been building up within the congregation itself, as www.chiesa had documented in an article last August 30:

Maciel's Ghost Still Haunts the Castle

But the real news of recent weeks is that within the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, the critical voices and the calls for renewal are no longer those of a few isolated individuals, but have become a chorus.

The seal of silence and fear that was weighing on many of the Legionaries has been broken. The criticisms have become a topic of public discussion. And they are aimed precisely against the leadership group, the circle of those who stood in allegiance around the disgraced founder and still occupy the positions of command.

In a short time, their credibility has dropped so dramatically that some of the criticisms are being directed against pontifical delegate De Paolis, who is being blasted for moving too cautiously, when he is instead expected to "make heads roll."

An open letter that is circulating among the Legionaries under the title "Velasio De Paolis, entre la expectación y el despiste" highlights precisely this contrast between the expectations invested in the pontifical delegate and the disappointment over how little he is doing.

Cardinal De Paolis is being criticized for dedicating "only three mornings a week" to the renewal of the congregation, of holing up inside the offices of central management, of not speaking or understanding Spanish, the prevalent language in the Legion, and above all of submitting to the smothering control of the leaders, who have remained the same before and after Maciel's death.

The few changes at the top decided so far by De Paolis have been seen by many as proof of his inertia.

On November 23, when the most powerful of the leaders, vicar general of the congregation Luís Garza Medina, had to give up the offices of prefect general of studies and of territorial director for Italy, the news was met by many with disappointment rather than relief, because those appointed to succeed him were two of his proteges, José Enrique Oyarzún Tapia and Óscar Náder Kuri, the latter of these from Monterrey, the Mexican city where Garza was born and where he located the general headquarters of Grup Integer, the personal financial structure with which he controls all the schools and activities of the congregation.

On December 8, when the general management of the Legionaries of Christ revealed the composition of the commission that will revise the constitutions, many of the reactions were again of disappointment.

The commission will be headed by Cardinal De Paolis and by two of his four assistants: Gianfranco Ghirlanda, a Jesuit, and Agostino Montan. But all of the Legionaries called to be part of it seem tied in to the circle of the founder.

One of these, Roberto Aspe Hinojosa, Mexican, belongs to the group of Maciel's first followers, the ones he formed personally.

Another, José García Sentandreu, Spanish, is head of the works of the Legion's apostolate.

A third, Anthony Bannon, was head of the Legionaries in the United States from 1976 to 2004, and was a member of the congregation's general council until 2005.

The fourth, Gabriel Sotres, was for twenty years the head of communications for the Legion, the "spin doctor" who protected Maciel's double life so successfully that Benedict XVI said, in the book-interview "Light of the World," it really "was covered up very well."

At the same time, the director general of the Legion, Corcuera, has released an interminable letter in which he announces a series of provisions that will be enacted in the future, as if he were still the one fully in command of everything.

But that's not the case. And various indications make this clear.

First of all, Corcuera's letter prompted public reactions on the part of Legionaries, including some of the most prominent, something that had never happened before, when no one dared to criticize the word of the superiors.

A letter of reply to Corcuera, highly critical, bears the signature of Fr. Pablo Pérez Guajardo, 56, Mexican, a pastor in Cancún after a period spent at the central headquarters in Rome.

In it, Fr. Guajardo asks three things: that Maciel be definitively disowned as "founder" of the Legion; that every Legionary be authorized to confess to a priest selected by him instead of by the superiors; that the Holy See be given back the Notre Dame institute in Jerusalem, taken "by deception," he writes, from John Paul II in 2004.

Of these three requests, the first was essentially granted by the provisions of December 13.

The third has no chance of being effected. Meanwhile, however, Cardinal De Paolis has entrusted to his assistant Ghirlanda, a former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University and a proficient canonist, the task of organizing the administrative structures of the Legion, taking power from Grupo Integer – meaning Garza – and attributing managerial autonomy, with its own directors, to each individual university, school, activity. This work of cleaning and reorganization is proceeding at a fast clip. The European University of Rome will be one of the first to benefit from this rearrangement.

As for the second request, the free choice of confessor is already becoming an increasingly widespread practice, at the initiative of individual Legionaries. Freedom of conscience and the distinction between "external forum" and "internal forum," together with the exercise of authority, are in any case at the top of Cardinal De Paolis' agenda for the renewal of the congregation's rule of life.

But what really makes Garza, Corcuera, and the entire coalition of power that came together with Maciel tremble is above all the fact that for the pontifical delegate, this group has its end marked out for it.

De Paolis is moving at the snail's pace typical of the Roman curia, in which he is a perfect example of the old school ways. He is still studying the terrain, but he already knows where he's going. He is absolutely convinced that there can be no renewal of the Legion with the same men who brought it to disaster still at the top. He has the full support of Benedict XVI. In a few months, maybe for Easter, the first heads will roll.

_________________

Vatican Allows Maciel Virus to Spread!

2010-12-13T06:42:00.000-08:00

Do we keep Maciel? No; but perhaps, maybe, yes...who knows

I write this with sadness and sick to my stomach. I enlarge what I refer to in the news.
I just read the small print in Superior General Corcuera's decree: Provisions Regarding the Founder of the Legion of Christ. There still persists an element of ambiguity in the Legion and Vatican's stance re Maciel, his charisma and his work. As they would say very cleverly in Mexico: Maciel? No, pero quiza, quien sabe...

The general director, authorized by the pontifical delegate, formalizes guidelines on the Legion and the Movement’s relationship to the figure of Fr Maciel.

Rome, Italy. December 11, 2010.

Following authorization by the pontifical delegate, Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, Fr Alvaro Corcuera, LC, general director of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi, issued norms regarding the figure of Fr Marcial Maciel. The decree, promulgated on December 6, is the result of many considerations and suggestions, and of an ongoing exchange among the major superiors of the congregation. The decree formalizes in broad strokes what has for the most part already been general practice:

- In institutional writings, the way of referring to Fr Maciel will be as “founder of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi” or simply “Fr Maciel.”

- It is confirmed that photographs of the founder alone or with the Holy Father cannot be placed in Legionary or Regnum Christi centers.

- Dates having to do with his person (birthday, baptismal day, name day, and priestly ordination anniversary) are not to be celebrated. The anniversary of his death, January 30, will be a day dedicated especially to prayer.

- The founder’s personal writings and talks will not be for sale in the congregation’s publishing houses, centers, and works of apostolate.

- The crypt of the Cotija cemetery with the mortal remains of the Maciel Degollado family, Fr Maciel and other Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi consecrated members will be given the value that pertains to any Christian burial place. It will be treated as a place of prayer for the eternal repose of the deceased.

- The retreat centers in Cotija will continue offering the same services, but a place for prayer, reparation, and expiation will be created there.

Along with these institutional provisions, the text indicates that the superiors and directors must proceed “according to the criteria of this decree also for all matters not explicitly covered in it, taking their communities’ and teams’ personal preferences into account.” In addition, respecting the personal freedom of the Legionaries of Christ and consecrated members of Regnum Christi, the norms leave space so that anyone who wishes to may privately keep a photograph of the founder, read his writings, or listen to his talks. In addition, the content of these writings may be used in preaching.

Upon issuing the decree, Fr Alvaro Corcuera expressed his firm hope that this institutional position will help all Legionaries and Regnum Christi Movement members to focus on the person of Christ and continue forward united in charity.

Regnum Christi Statutes and Charism?

2010-12-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

Yahoo shows me the way to this article by LC Fr. Schoggl re the Approval of the Statutes of RC and the Charism. I have two problems.

First:
To which edition, incarnation, version of the Statutes are you referring?
Fr. talks of the 6th anniversary of the approval. It is important to have historical memory. How many times has the Legion and Regnum Christi told us about the approval of Statutes and Constitutions, and how many different dates and anniversaries have we been given over the years for the Statutes and the Constitutions. These Anniversaries have become like Moveable Feasts. Each new generation of Legionaries re invents the history of the Legion with new dates and 'facts'. So the question is:

Second point:
read how the Charism is described....'the same as the Legion"... OK! but read carefully, there is nothing specific in that charism; it is just a generalization; it is too vague;

If we, past and present members could be more honest we should say that the Legion's
mission is to conquer the leaders in all spheres of society, especially in the worlds of finance, the media, church hierarchy, and politics so as to spread the Kingdom of Christ as it was envisioned by and using the methods applied by Fr. Maciel.

Legion of Christ Vicar General Garza's duties reduced - Collusion of Legion Superiors in Maciel Scandal -

2010-11-23T10:58:00.000-08:00

Canadian article says Garza's power being reduced

============

Report/comment from a friend:

Very negative press for the Legion at a large Vatican press event.

I don't know if this is old news, but this article confirms De Paolis appointed a new Territorial Director for Italy (Óscar Náder Kuri) and a new General Prefect of Studies (José Enrique Oyarzún Tapia), posts until now held by Luis Garza. (Im not sure if the General Prefect is for the Centre of Studies in Rome or Prefect for all LC centres).

http://www.lavanguardia.es/ciudadanos/noticias/20101123/54074756045/cesado-el-director-para-italia-de-los-legionarios-de-cristo.html

"In order to respect the difference between organs of General Government and those of Territorial Government with greater clarity, Fr. Alvaro Corcuera, with the consent of his council, has named Oscar Nader Kuri as TD for Italy, who will take up office from 24th December 2010"

Luis Garza is still in charge of the Consecrated Regnum Christ and Vicar General. It is also announced that next year De Paolis is extending the membership of the LC general council to 7 members instead of 5.

This article mentions that Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontificial Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation, was part of the Press Conference today that presented the Interview with the Pope - Light of the World - which is to be published soon. He says that "we" should find out who protected and covered up Maciel - and "we" should look for these protecters in the Legion and also in the Legion/Church hierarchy - who managed his schedule? Who drove him about? etc

http://sdpnoticias.com/sdp/contenido/2010/11/23/4/1163961

This Vatican Information Services article details the press event but makes no mention of Maciel or the Legion:

http://visnews-en.blogspot.com/2010/11/light-of-world-pope-and-signs-of-times.html

Power, Money & Mind Control

2010-11-08T22:02:00.001-08:00

Such is the title in the article appearing today in the New Oxford Review

"Those of us who are not in the News"

2010-11-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

Quite an eloquent article from Fr. Cuchillo, LC, a Mexican-born Legionary in the Legion of Christ's Salamanca Spain Novitiate Humanities Community.

It is the reaction of those "faithful" Legionaries who just go about their business the best they can in the midst of headlines, inquiring messages and phone calls from parents and relatives [I dont think they can receive communication from anyone else outside the circle] "What is going on?" How are you feeling?" What are you going to do?"

And this is the answer of the Legionary who see some of his companions depart and with a stiff upper lip goes about his daily routines.

There is a certain tone of pride in the lines written by one who '"does not make the headlines".

I think he is doing what Nuestro Padre and the Superiors would want him to do...
----------------------------------------

Y los demás… ¿no somos noticia?

Leopoldo Cuchillo, LC

Parece que las olas no dejan de llegar; es como cuando uno se baña en el Cantábrico, en esa playa de Guerra tan querida, con mar movido. Las olas llegan sin parar, una tras otra, sin tregua, y uno lucha por irlas pasando como puede, por arriba saltando, por abajo buceando, de espalda o de pecho si se deja…pero llega un momento en que se siente uno cansado, que los golpes marcan de dolor los músculos, y sin embargo…las olas no dejan de llegar. Y uno que es “marino por devoción”, aguanta, afronta y se curte, disfruta, pero no deja de ser doloroso y cansado.

Los legionarios seguimos siendo noticia. Algunos legionarios siguen siendo noticia. Desde que hace unos años saltaran a la luz los hechos que todos conocemos de sobra, y que se encargan de seguirnos recordando, no hay semana que en el algún punto de nuestro mundo, no seamos noticia. Algunos. De esos, como se habla mucho, me abstengo.

Hoy quiero dedicar estas líneas a todos aquellos legionarios, hermanos y compañeros, que nunca han salido en la prensa, aquellos que su vida es tan “rutinaria y gris”, tan oculta a las luces de los medios, tan sin noticia, que nunca salen. Cientos de sacerdotes legionarios, algunos miles de religiosos legionarios y seminaristas menores que siguen trabajando día a día, sin ser noticia y sin pretenderlo. Como no puedo escribir de todos, como digo son miles, hablo de los que me rodean.

Desde México, Madrid o Chile…nos llaman para saber qué está pasando. Y nos sorprenden las llamadas, pues… ¿qué está pasando?. Que nos hemos levantado a la misma hora y después de nuestro ofrecimiento a Dios, hemos seguido haciendo aquello que no es noticia: trabajando en lo de siempre, buscando cumplir nuestro deber, dejando la piel por los demás y por la Iglesia.

Aquí en mi comunidad, los sacerdotes y religiosos profesores, se levantan y cada día se enfrentan a una torre de cuadernos de latín, y lo que es peor, de griego, que corregir. Se sientan en sus despachos a preparar las clases de arte, literatura, elocuencia o estilo; bajan a atender en los despachos las dudas de los religiosos jóvenes, que no saben cómo atacar esas materias a veces arduas. Y como premio…algunos sábados se van de paseo a un bosque cercano a charlar y reírse un rato, para al volver, seguir con la torre de cuadernos y las dudas. Esto no es noticia, pues es lo de todos los días.

En mi comunidad también están un par de sacerdotes y unos jóvenes religiosos, que les ayudan, que se encargan de dar de comer y de vestir a los demás de la familia,…familia numerosa de 170 miembros. No sé cómo le hagan pero con frecuencia creo en los milagros al ver los resultados. Los he visto preocupados cuando no llega para comer, cuando no saben de dónde sacar para comprar lo que una comunidad tan grande necesita. Les veo y les admiro cuando salen a pedir ayuda, pues no es fácil atender a tantas necesidades. ¿Su descanso? Ver cómo desaparecen de las mesa las magdalenas del desayuno o los riquísimos callos de los miércoles. Pero esto tampoco es noticia, pues es lo de todos los días.

En mi comunidad hay un grupo de religiosos y tres sacerdotes que se pasan la vida sentados en el despacho, atendiendo a todos estos jóvenes, que tienen la ilusión un día llegar a ser sacerdotes. Preocupaciones, alegrías, estudios, vida espiritual, …todo pasa por los despachos de estos formadores que no son noticia, pues así es un día y otro, sin brillo ni luces. Descansan en la merienda diaria, “discutiendo” sobre la cafetera convertida en tetera, o las últimas anécdotas del día. Pero son anécdotas grises que no son noticia.

Y, sobre todo, en mi comunidad viven 150 jóvenes de edades entre los 18 y los 26, que estudian, comen, juegan, pasean y rezan; jóvenes que han entregado su vida a Dios, que han dejado familia, país, amigos, un futuro próspero, pero que no son noticia tampoco. Conocer a cada uno es un reto y una aventura…pero de esas sin brillo, de las que no interesan a los periódicos, pues no hay “carne” que morder. No son noticia.

Para los medios no existen ni esos profesores, ni el equipo de formadores y administradores y mucho menos los jóvenes novicios y religiosos que viven en mi casa, porque no son noticia. Cumplen, son fieles, luchan, sufren y ríen,…pero no son noticia.

Algunos hermanos míos están saliendo de la Legión. Y me apena porque con muchos de ellos he convivido, reído, luchado y sufrido. Los conozco y me conocen. Son mis hermanos. Y me duele como no se puede, ni quiero, expresar aquí, pues los dolores de familia se llevan en familia. Algunos de ellos están siendo noticia. Mejor dicho…los están haciendo noticia. Y mi madre y mis primos y mis amigos de México y de Chile me preguntan por ellos, por los que hoy son noticia, los que los medios airean o los que en ellos se airean…les respondo como puedo, mordiéndome el dolor y a veces las lágrimas. Son mis hermanos. Pero cuando me preguntan: “Y tú, ¿qué haces?”…¿yo? Hombre!, pienso, ahora si voy a ser noticia. Quizás me saquen al menos en la hoja parroquial; “¿Yo?” y tratando de pulir mi elocuencia, trato de contar mi vida… “pues cada día me levanto, rezo, trabajo, sirvo a Dios y a su Iglesia, leo en la prensa a los que son noticia y sigo pasando las olas, alegre por poder disfrutar de lo que hago, de esta mar que me encanta. Feliz por estar rodeado de cientos de sacerdotes, de miles de compañeros legionarios y miembros del movimiento, ancianos, maduros, jóvenes, y niños que junto a mí, sin ser noticia, disfrutan de lo que hacen, aunque a veces el mar se pone “bravo”. Y miro la prensa, y veo las noticias…pero no salimos en las noticias.

INFO-CULT a bilingual French Web Page for all Touched by LC/RC

2010-11-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

A very good resource for parents, relatives, and friends of all those affected by the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi.

The point that many miss regarding these organizations is their cult-like qualities. Do not be deceived and do not reject this seemingly outlandish thought.

See article on REGAIN "How the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi came to be Associated with the Term 'Cult'?"

OR

Simply go to INFO-CULT with the Legion of Christ/Regnum Christi at the back of your mind and browse the articles.

May the lights go on in your head!

A Catholicity Complicit with Fr. Maciel?

2010-10-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

Curator Hans-Ulrich Thamer said he wanted to explore "how this power and influence, this domination of Adolf Hitler can be explained, and to make clear that one of the factors was the readiness to approve and the readiness to go along of large parts of society."

Dear Reader,
are we as Catholics ready to do the soul-searching that has taken Germans 75 years to begin?

"Hitler and the Germans — Nation and Crime" comes more than 75 years after the Nazis took control, as Germans increasingly look at Hitler not as a one-dimensional monster, but as a complex figure who enjoyed vast popularity before plunging the country into war.

Just as Germans are now ready, not only to reject Adolph Hitler and what he stood for but to examine the nation's complicity in his ascent to power and in his atrocities, are we as Catholics ready, not only to decry Maciel and his crimes but to examine the conditions in parts of the Catholic Church that allowed him to come to power, to gain influence in the Church, to commit crimes without accountability, and even to be applauded by the pope, by cardinals, and thousands of Catholics in Mexico, the USA, and other countries?

Such exhibits help emphasize the fact that "the persecution of political opponents, the persecution of Jewish fellow citizens, the deportation of Jewish citizens took place in front of everyone's eyes," said Thamer, a history professor at the University of Muenster.

What was it in this [our?] brand of Catholicity that permitted the Maciel Myth? What were the characteristics, where were/are the blind spots that permitted such an aberration? Perhaps a careful study of what happened in Germany could lead us to discover some similar parallels and patterns?

He who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it

LC Rank and File Stunned by Events!

2010-10-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

[From an email from blogger's friend]

Met one of my "classmates" from Rome recently who was here on a home visit. At this stage of his life change is impossible, they appear to be in deep shock and without full analytical faculties to help them understand the enormity of the events.

They just dont get it! De Paolis and LC Territorial Directors

2010-10-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

free translation of post on Trastevere, which T says he got from another source

The poster says they just spoke with a Legionary Brother who summarizes De Paolis recent address to LC Territorial Directors in Rome [circa Sept 20]:

ROMA // Sep 26, 2010 at 00:38

He hablado con un hermano en la LC que me puso al corriente de los siguientes puntos que Mons. DePaolis dió a los Directores Territoriales la semana pasada en Roma:
1) de Paolis gave the names of the "counselors"
DePaolis anunció los nombres de los “consejeros”, como ya se conoce.

2) The Revision will take at least 2 years, not more than 3
Se espera que todo el proceso de revisión se tendrá por lo menos dos años, pero no más de tres . años

3) De Paolis believes that the personal suffering of each LC, stemming from the Founder scandal, is a good sign that the Legion has a healthy conscience and is reacting to the evil.
El cree que el sufrimiento personal de cada LC, resultando del escándalo de su fundador ,es una buena señal que la Legión tiene una conciencia sana, y está reaccionando a lo malo que es.

4) He hopes that the superiors will not transmit negative vibes to the members, but will see alll that has happened like something that God has allowed to happen to bring the Legion to further growth.
Se espera que los superiores no transmiten tonos negativos, pero ver todo lo ocurrido como algo que Dios permite para llevar la Legión a un momento de crecimiento.

5) MAIN POINT: [according to Brother X]
The Legion is not structurally damaged.... But it is above all a work of God and the Lord does not give us contaminated gifts. There are a few irregularities that need to be fixed. Everything is fundamentally good, including the Charism to work with leaders.

[UN PUNTO CLAVE:] No se ha encontrado que la Legión es estructuralmente dañado, que es como un trabajo, contaminado. Pues, es sobretodo una obra de Dios y el Señor no nos da sus dones contaminados. Hay algunas irregularidades que tendrán que arregla, sin embargo. Aquí se notó que todo es fundamentalmente bueno, incluso el carisma para trabajar con los líderes.

6) Avoid two extremes: believe that everything has to change; believe that nothing has to change.

Dos extremos hay que evitar: creer que todo que hay, tiene que cambiar, o creer que nada tiene que cambiar.

7) The LC needs to learn how to encourage dialog between superiors and subjects, and between each other, in a brotherly way. They are going to find the way to have group discussions on the future of the congregation.
LC necesita saber cómo fomentar el diálogo real entre superiores y súbditos, y entre unos y otros, fraternalmente. Van a buscar el modo para tener grupos de discusión sobre el futuro de la congregación.

There will be a communicado en how the members are supposed to relate to the Founder.

Habrá un comunicado dando los criterios de cómo los miembros se relacionan con el fundador.

Internal Dissension in the Legion of Christ

2010-09-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Jack Keogh, who has contacts with people who have contacts with active members....
reveals there is dissension in the ranks.

From what I gather, the upper echelon and some of the old guard at in total denial of Maciel's and the Legion's problems. It is all work of the Devil to destroy the Work of God....

At the lower level there are individuals and groups that may be seeing the light.

At the Territorial level the ranks may be pretty closed

At the local level there may be more freedom to access information and to discuss....

Hot topics for the Legionaries of Christ?

A commenter over at the (Spanish language) Trastevere blog seems to have some good information on the current internal debate within the Legionaries of Christ. He suggests there are two levels of internal debate going on. One is the dialogue between the “major superiors” and the plebs. The other, much more animated, between Territorial Directors and the rank and file. He says the following are typical of the questions being frankly discussed with the local Territorial Directors who, he says, are very open with their responses.
I find it heartening to know this internal debate (about which we hear so very little) is apparently alive and well. I have roughly translated the topics which allegedly are "hot" right now within the ranks of the Legionaries. They include:

Finding the "truth in our history ("hacer la verdad en nuestra historia")

How to help the victims of abuse

How did we find ourselves being audited and subjected to a Vatican visitation without an official version of what happened?

How do we deal with superiors who may be still allied to the regime?

How were our finances managed during so many years?

Have we been living outside of canon law during all this time, not living with the appropriate jurisdictions?

What about the appointment of superiors who had not reached the age required by canon law?

What about Superiors who have held their posts for years, and years?

How can we participate in the change process?

How can we accept and obey the decisions of the Holy See - when some superiors question them or simply suggest that the Church sometimes makes mistakes?

I've always maintained that mutual trust amongst the members is vital for any organization to survive and thrive. In my opinion, the lack of trust within the Legion is an endemic problem. These questions are a beginning - they could never have been brought up in the not too distant past. Maybe they portend the start of a new experience for the members. I certainly hope so.

Legion of Christ Vicar General, Luis Garza, Resigned? [1]

2010-09-21T03:43:00.000-07:00

He handed in his resignation but, according to him, the Apostolic Delegate did not accept it!

The story comes from those pesky dissident active -but heretofore anonymous- Legionary priests on the Trastevere Spanish blog, .

[Post below with partial translation]

Misterioso // Sep 14, 2010 at 14:50

He spoke before about pardon, but you are right. It is not enough to ask for forgiveness at this stage of the game. It is necessary, and I insist, that there be true contrition and and sincere change of heart. New attitudes are visible but very few real actions. That is a sign they don't want to change, or that they want to keep covering up and deceiving and that is not true love of justice and Christian charity

Asalterio,

respondo a tu post de Sep 14, 2010 at 05:21.

Anteriormente hablaba de perdón, pero tienes razón, creo que no basta solo pedir perdón a estas alturas. Es necesario, y lo repito, que haya una verdadera contrición y una sincera enmienda. Actitudes de cambio se ven, pero acciones reales casi nada. Eso es señal de que o no quieren cambiar, o quieren seguir tapando y engañando y eso no se vale por amor a la justicia y caridad cristianas.

Our way of doing things which is often just efficiency and pragmatism, that institutional pride which leads us to step on each other under the pretext of proselytism and apostolic zeal. ...without mentioning the desire to control everything at any cost, no matter what...

Obvio que muchos cambios institucionales se llevarán a cabo en el capítulo general, pero tenemos que cambiar ya desde ahora muchas cosas. Entre otras, criterios, normativas que ya no rigen, nuestro modo de trabajar que muchas veces se traduce en eficientismo y pragmatismo, esa soberbia institucional que nos hace pisotearnos mutuamente so pretexto de proselitismo o celo apostólico… el sentido pastoral de nuestro trabajo con las almas y no solo empresarial y cuantitativo, etc, etc. sin mencionar el afán de querer controlar todo a toda costa, caiga quien caiga…

I think that if Luis Garza was really going to resign he would have done so long ago. According to him, he asked the Apostolic Delegate to relieve him of any position of authority, after all this nasty business was over. It even seems he handed in his resignation to the Apostolic Delegate, who did not respond...
[more from translator later]

Creo que si se tratara de dimitir, LG ya lo habría hecho hace tiempo. Según él, hace tiempo le pidió a AC que después de todo este lío, lo eximiera de cualquier cargo de gobierno, y hasta parece que ya presentó su renuncia al Delegado, aunque éste no habrá respondido… Es lógico, primero que arregle el desbarajuste y luego se podrá ir a las misiones y ser pastor de almas por lo menos algunos años de su vida y experimentar lo que significa vivir penuria, hambre, lo que conlleva levantar una parroquia y vivir en carne propia lo hermoso que es administrar los sacramentos.

El caso que mencionas es muy común en nuestras instituciones, sobre todo en los colegios. Cuántas injusticias con gente de buena voluntad que hace su mejor esfuerzo en el trabajo para sacar adelante a su familia, para que luego la despidan sin darle razones… Eso no es caridad, ni es evangélico. Esto es parte de la soberbia institucional que mencionaba antes. En otro artículo decía que nos encanta poner slogans, life motives o lemas que muchas veces están lejos de lo que ofrecemos hacemos y prometemos… Cuando parece que nuestro lema vigente es: “somos los mejores, el colegio no se equivoca, y si tiene alguna duda, consulte a Grupo Integer…” Penoso… Hay mucho por cambiar…

Pero, paciencia mi querido amigo, el Delegado ya está aquí y tiene que darse cuenta de cómo esta el panorama y ojalá que actúe sin reparos y movido en todo momento por la verdad. Gracias y un saludo.

Luis Garza, LC Vicar General, Leads Vatican Reform of the Legionaries of Christ

2010-09-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

Luis Garza, LC, to Lead Vatican Reform of the Legion of Christ

From: Friend of Active Legionary

Sent: Sun, September 12, 2010 11:27:37 PM

Subject: Summary of talk recently given by Luis Garza [L-G] to LCs in Monterrey, Mexico

(Blogger underlined some passages not underlined in original)

As I promised you yesterday, I am sending a summation prepared by an LC friend of the discussion that LG conducted a few days ago in Monterrey.

It was a discussion that lasted about two hours. In it LG spoke with great clarity, and is convinced that everyone has to work together in the process of change along with the (papal) delegate. The practical way for everyone to participate is becoming clear. It seems it will take the form of a synod. The LC member tells me this have given them a lot of hope, although there are still some issues that are not completely clear, as evidenced especially by the questions.

According to him [Luis Garza, LC Vicar General] the Delegate’s role will be to oversee and guide the changes that the LC’s themselves will identify and propose. He said that he [Apostolic Delegate] was not there to replace the authority of the superiors, but rather to make important decisions about the changes that they will identify. In trying to clarify this, he used the term “contralor/auditor”, "comptroller".

The pope has not named the four advisers, but they will yet be named. In the discussion the LC’s asked about everything. How to regain the trust in their superiors which is the thing that has so damaged the relationship between superiors and their subordinates, as well as the internal peace of the LC communities. The delegate will have as a point of departure and reference the communique from May 1 which bravely states the need for concrete actions to regain the trust of the followers - for example, in the LC’s finances, transparency in acknowledging the founder’s double life, the sexual abuses, etc.

And LG did a “mea culpa” for the clumsiness, slowness and lack of transparency in the decisions taken by superiors during this period. At one point he distanced himself from the actions taken, and mentioned that A-Corcuera did not feel comfortable making decisions while the apostolic visitation was ongoing, saying he did not want to act in a manner contrary to the Holy See since the Vatican works at its own pace. He mentioned that a serious and formal investigation will be carried out to determine who was involved in the mess. He talked about Internet filters, about superiors who insist everything is fine, that everything will continue as before, about those who think everything needs to change. And he came to the conclusion that radical stances will not lead us to a good place, that one must have the confidence to speak with good will in order to be able to rebuild.

Personally, I see a change in attitude in LG, although, as I said, there are still many issues to be resolved. . . but patience, everything in due course. I believe it is a good start, and if we all maintain this attitude, the delegate will find it easier to make the decisions that he will make. And we will have the willingness and openness to accept them, and more importantly to put them into practice.

Let’s keep asking this of one another, and working together to the best of our abilities so that truth may shine forth. “Ora et Labora in Veritate, in Iustitia et in Caritate.”

Bye.

====================
This blogger's comment:

It seems to me that if De Paolis lets the current superiors handle the reform it's like he is putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop, or asking the insane to improve the mental health clinic

Legionaries Trapped Inside like Chilean Miners, muses Jack Keogh

2010-09-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

Former Legionary, human resource specialist and author, Jack Keogh, compares Legionaries inside during the Apostolic Intervention to the trapped Chilean miners' saga

Information Control: The Games the Legion Plays

2010-09-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

Information Control, one of the instruments used by cults according to Cult Expert Steve Hassan,
is widely used by the Legion of Christ/Regnum Christi organization, a strategy taught by Founder Marcial Maciel.
I refer you to the work of Stephen Hassan, available on his webpage and books. See, for example.

========
Mind Control - The BITE Model

From chapter two of Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves*
*© 2000 by Steven Hassan; published by Freedom of Mind Press, Somerville MA

Destructive mind control can be understood in terms of four basic components, which form the acronym BITE:

I.

Behavior Control
II.

Information Control

III.

Thought Control

IV.

Emotional Control

It is important to understand that destructive mind control can be determined when the overall effect of these four components promotes dependency and obedience to some leader or cause. It is not necessary for every single item on the list to be present. Mind controlled cult members can live in their own apartments, have nine-to-five jobs, be married with children, and still be unable to think for themselves and act independently.

=======

Blogger - THE ORGANIZATION [LC/RC] uses this strategy -the control of incoming and outgoing information - in many ways; for example, it will keep secret certain information that the members or the public have a right to know, or it will delay the dissemination....

Case in question:
Cardinal Bertone's Decree regarding the Modalities of the Fulfillment of the

is dated July 9th but only released to the public on the Legion, Regain and ZENIT webpage on July 24

Why is this?
Is it to give the Legion/Regnum more time to prepare the members for it, to interpret it for the members, to take the sting out of it....to dilute it, analyze the life out of it...Prepare the strategic explanation and the timing of its transmission to membership at large and to the public?

Are Children of Regnum Christi Members Second Generation Cult Survivors?

2010-08-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

Healing from Cult Involvement. The children of people involved in Cults and Sects, who were thus "born in" the group have become the subject of study, recovery, and support efforts.

The question is can this paradigm be applied to the Children of parents who have been actively involved with the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi Movement (which appears to have some cult-like features) ?

Passing on this Info
April 8 – 11, 2011

Surviving and Moving On After a High Demand Group Experience

A Workshop for Second-Generation Former Members
(more information is available at: http://www.icsahome.com/infoserv_respond/event_workshops.asp)

When: Friday 3:00 p.m. April 8, 2011 to Sunday 2:00 p.m. April 11, 2011

Where: Workshop Location: Trinity Conference Center, 79 Lower River Road, West Cornwall, CT 06796 (860-672-1000).

Info: The International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) has run workshops for former members of high-demand, “cultic” groups for many years. In recent years increasing numbers of people born or raised in such groups (i.e., “second generation adults” - SGAs) have attended these workshops. These ex-members have special needs, which can be most effectively addressed through a workshop that focuses on them. SGAs do not have a “pre-cult identity” to which they can return. SGAs raised in fringe subcultures have to learn the implicit rules and expectations of mainstream culture. SGAs frequently have educational and other skill deficits that interfere with adjustment to mainstream culture. Having grown up in high-control groups that are often based on irrational belief systems, SGAs tend to struggle with issues of dependency, self-esteem, and social conflict. Because many SGAs were physically or sexually abused, they often have to deal with anger, resentment, and other emotions related to trauma.

This workshop will address the needs of SGAs through a series of brief didactic presentations (supplemented by written handouts) followed by discussions, to which attendees may contribute according to their comfort levels. Specifically, the workshop will address:
· critical thinking
· socialization, culture shock, and acculturation
· psychological development, child abuse and neglect, parenting styles, boundaries, and trust
· long-term psychological, educational, and emotional effects of growing up in a culture of abuse and neglect
· relationships with families and others
http://www.icsahome.com/infoserv_respond/event_workshops.asp

Legionaries Sexually Abusing Legionaries

2010-08-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

this is one of the most incendiary issues the Legion has to face; and it is still an active time bomb

On the pages of REGAIN, INC there is more than one testimony of a Legionary in Formation being abused by a Legion Formator

And it does not seem the Legion has a handle on this phenomenon.

Still trying to control and cover up

No sustematic treatment for perpetrator or victim

No understanding of the Nature of Sexual Abuse
---
IMHO

Bottom line seems to be they want to keep the lid on sexual abuse inside the Legion and are not really open to suggestions.

They are wary of letting any ‘outsider’ in to snoop around and uncover more skeletons in the closet, or even to assess them in some meaningful way. Theirs is the way of fear and defensiveness.

They do not seem to know how to handle sexual abuse, or even sexual education [or even human formation, I might add].

I believe Maciel’s contamination/poison is still active.

When you think about it: what kind of education and training have legionaries/superiors had in the area of healthy sexuality? Not to mention therapeutic skills. Their old fashioned Institute for the Psychological Sciences cannot deliver the goods as they are hell bent on intellectualizing and rationalizing human sexuality. Healthy Sexuality is not part of Maciel's legacy!
The Legion would really have to start way back and retrain all their ‘formators’ beginning with all those prefects in Apostolic Schools, Novice Masters. Seminary Rectors….etc. all those inept RC spiritual directors…
The more I think about it the more I despair. They are still Mickey Mousing around in my opinion.

Legion of Christ Discregards Papal Decree

2010-07-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Fr Maciel -as a participant in the Priesthood of Christ - laying his hands on newly ordained Legion priests

As the reader can see, the following Legion Invitation and Promotion is in direct contravention to the recently released VATICAN DECREE from Cardinal Bertone to the Apostolic Visitator where he must approve all recruitment and admissions, see #3 in the decree. The Decree seems to mandate that these activities need to be reviewed and approved by the Apostolic Delegate.

"Come and join this wonderful order that is presently being taken apart by the Pope!"

Scientology's Marcial Maciel, Abusive Leader David Miscavige

2010-07-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

Allegations against Scientology's pope - their Marcial Maciel- posted on Diaologue Ireland
[Thanks, Mike!]

Legion Superiors Knew about Maciel's Sins and Crimes

2010-07-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

Legion of Christ Vicar General, Luis Garza Sada (above) -from the Monterrey, Mexico Garza-Sada dynasty, formally denies that Legion superiors knew about Maciel's Crimes; he did this after Mexican Media released him on tape admitting that some of the Superiors must have known. He did not want to include himself and may have cast aspersions on Superior General Alvaro Corcuera, LC. His corrective measures may correspond to superiors scrambling to get back on the same page.

See what I mean, Verne?

When, in order to CYA because of an expose of his talk to Consecrated Senioritas on Mexican TV in which he confessed some superiors did know, in a statement to the media Fr. Garza denies that Legion superiors knew anything about Fr Maciel's double life, the opposite is probably true, i.e. They Did Know!

You mean Fr Garza is telling a BigFat Lie?

Absolutely!!

"Like Father [Maciel], like Son [Garza, Medina, Corcuera]!"

You mean a priest is telling a barefaced lie?

You bet

Blogger's interpretation is based on the principle of
"Lie through your teeth, they will give you the benefit of the doubt 'cause you are a holy priest" applied by Fr. Maciel. This principle was based on the strategy of American Gangsters back in the 1920's:

Why tell the truth if I can lie to cover my ass and get away with it?

"Shunning" of Departed Members calls into question Regnum Christi "Charity"

2010-07-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

If the Regnum Christi's charism is, in the words [THEORY] of Fr. Maciel, "Delicate and Universal Charity" where does the Practice [PRAXIS, terms of Dialectic Materialism, Marx] of "shunning" all exiting and exited members leave the Movement? Without a Charism, a raison d'etre, a reason to exist?

The RC Practice/Praxis of Shunning is discussed on at least two Orthodox Catholic Blogs today

Legion carries on Undaunted

2010-07-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

In the Image of Christ the Servant

ITALY | NEWS | NEWS

A group of 26 Legionaries were ordained to the diaconate, embracing the call to service and reconciliation.

July 1, 2010. Rome, Italy. Yesterday, a group of 26 Legionary brothers were ordained to the diaconate in the chapel of the Legion’s Center for Higher Studies in Rome. Bishop Josef Clemens, the secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, presided over the ceremony.



	Bishop Josef Clemens gives the book of the Gospels to Gregory Usselmann, LC.

The new deacons are from 6 countries: Germany (1), Italy (3), Mexico (16), New Zealand (1), South Korea (1), and the United States (4). The four American Legionary deacons are Edward Bentley, Nathaniel Haslam, Aaron Smith, and Gregory Usselmann.

A Call to Service and Reconciliation
Bishop Josef Clemens began the homily by emphasizing that the greatness of the diaconal ministry consists in the duty to represent Christ the servant in the time of the Church.
“Jesus is the Lord, and at the same time, the servant (or deacon) of



	A moment during the Mass, at which new deacon Aaron Smith, LC, assisted.

all. There is no contradiction between Jesus’ lordship and servanthood. On the contrary, his lordship is manifested and fulfilled in his servanthood,” he said, pointing to the passage of the washing of the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper as the supreme example of Christ lowering himself to serve.
Noting that the washing of the feet takes place before the Last Supper, he said, “It seems that this precedence is not merely a chronological fact, but rather an ‘existential’ fact.”
He then referred to the deacon’s task of showing the world the signs of Christ’s love, homing in on the importance of working to help others develop an interior life of prayer.
“Yes, Jesus’ love was often directed to the needs of the body (hunger, thirst, sickness, abandonment, exclusion) but Jesus was also seeing the deep interior needs at the



	Fr Alvaro Corcuera, LC, assists deacon Daniel Weber (from Germany) with his vestments.

same time,” he said.
His last reflection was on the ministry of forgiveness as an aspect of the diaconate. Although deacons do not yet have the sacramental power of reconciliation, he said, they can exercise an important role in the “diaconia reconciliationis” by awakening the sense of forgiveness and the need for pardon and “by helping people to find the path to reconciliation.”
To fulfill this mission, he said, the new deacons must themselves be “reconciled men.”
“Dear deacons! Your congregation is very committed in the field of education and formation. Always remember, no matter where you find yourselves in your future apostolate, that beyond the intellectual and strictly spiritual needs, there are also the hidden needs of the interior man. But, developing this type of interior diaconate [or service] requires great



	The group of newly ordained deacons, together with Bishop Josef Clemens, Fr Alvaro Corcuera, LC, and Fr Luis Garza, LC.

sensitivity, great tact. And these qualities are found only if the servant of reconciliation is himself a reconciled man.”
The complete homily can be read in Spanish at this link or heard in its original Italian at this link.
Bishop Clemens then joined the new deacons and the community for lunch, along with Bishop Luigi de Magistris, major pro-penitentiary emeritus of the Apostolic Penitentiary, who also assisted at the ordination.

Other Ordination Sites
Diaconal ordinations are scheduled in various locations around the world on the following dates:
Mexico City (June 17)
Brixen/Bressanone, Italy (June 27)
Rome (June 30)
Mérida, Mexico (July 3)
Guadalajara, Mexico (July 3)
Cozumel, Mexico (July 17)
San Cristóbal, Venezuela (July 17)
Cornwall, Canada (July 24)
Cheshire, Connecticut (USA) (August 7)
Río de Janeiro, Brazil (August 15)

New Ordinations for Legion

2010-07-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

Legionaries know that after the Vatican Visitation ("to confirm the Legion Charism"), the charism cannot wait and they must continue to spread the Good News of their Goodness, Orthodoxy and Superior Seminary Training to the cardinals, bishops, priests and faithful of the Catholic Church....

[From Clerical Whispers]

=========================

In addition, the pope is expected to name the papal delegate who will take over the Legionaries of Christ, the scandal-plagued conservative order. After years of denials, the order admitted last year that its founder, the Rev. Marciel Maciel, had sexually abused seminarians and had fathered a child. It now says he had at least three children.

Even as allegations against Maciel intensified, the Legionaries had long been favored by Pope John Paul II for its success in bringing in new vocations.

On Wednesday, 26 new Legionaries were ordained in Rome, a third of the estimated 60 Legion seminarians who will be ordained around the globe this summer — an indication that the scandal hasn't completely eroded the order's ability to attract new men for the priesthood.

-----------------

Fr. Corcuera, L.C., Begs Pardon face to face with Juan-Jose Vaca, a Maciel Victim

2010-06-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Remembering the object of this blog

The blogger does not know WHY but Fr. Alvaro Corcuera, Superior General of the Legion of Christ, met with Juan Jose Vaca in New York in May and apologized to him for Maciel's sexual abuse and for the Legion's abuse of Vaca and other survivors. Corcuera began to go down on bended knee when Vaca told him to cut the theatrics and be real.

[taken from a Jason Berry report on National Catholic Reporter 6/21/10]

If John Paul had acted on the allegations against Maciel that Juan Vaca detailed to the pope in a 1989 letter, in a request for dispensation from his vows as a priest, Maciel's career would have been derailed, cutting his access to Legion funds, and perhaps preventing Gonzalez from going to Ireland.

Vaca entered the Legion in Mexico in 1947, at age 10. Repeatedly abused by Maciel in Spain from age 12 through adolescence in Rome, the young priest went to Orange, Conn., as the Legion's U.S. director. In 1976, when Vaca left the Legion, joining the Diocese of be Rocville Centre, Long Island, N.Y., he sent a blistering 12-page letter to Maciel, naming 20 other victims. With support of Bishop John R. McGann, he sent the letter to the Vatican in a formal protest, which achieved nothing. With McGann's support he petitioned the Vatican to punish Maciel again, sent via diplomatic pouch from the Vatican Embassy, without action. His final attempt in 1989, again through Vatican channels, included an impassioned cover letter to John Paul specifying what Maciel did. In 1993 Vaca received the dispensation; the allegations against Maciel were ignored until another ex-Legionary, Jose Barba, filed the canon law case in 1998.

Corcuera, the current Legion director-general, 52, comes from an upper-middle class Mexico City family. Upon being contacted by him, Vaca arranged to meet at Mercy College in midtown Manhattan where he is an adjunct professor of psychology and sociology. They met alone in a conference room, Vaca told NCR. "He embraced me in a manly, Mexican way and was about to kneel down in asking my forgiveness, but I said no, and had him sit at the head of the table, and I to his immediate right.

"He was relaxed, and kind. After a while, I called him Alvarito" – the way of changing a name into a term of endearment among Mexicans. Vaca, married for many years, said he assumed a paternal role, asking the younger priest about his background. Corcuera recalled his youth in a Legion school, inspired by Maciel, joining the order in Mexico, on to seminary in Connecticut, where he had had Vaca as a superior. (The campus is now up for sale.) Vaca did not remember Corcuera, telling him he had worked with many seminarians before leaving for the Rockville Centre diocese. "Alvaro said, 'You were nice to me.' He went on about how, when he became director-general in 2004, the election came as a surprise for him. I said: 'Well, Maciel trained you for the job’”

Vaca said Corcuera insisted he was elected at an open chapter, not hand-picked by Maciel. When Maciel stepped down in 2004 from the post he had held for decades, Cardinal Ratzinger had just ordered an investigation based on the 1998 case, which had hung in abeyance under pressure from then-Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who had received financial gifts from the Legion [NCR April 6 & 12.]

Said Vaca, "I asked point-blank if Corceura knew about Maciel's abuses. He said no. I said, 'You knew he sent money to the ladies,' meaning the mother in Madrid, Norma, and her daughter. He said, 'I learned after 2004.' He didn't give a specific date on when he learned it, and I didn't press him."

After letting Corcuera talk for an hour or so, Vaca recounted how Maciel had abused him and other seminarians decades ago, and how, he claimed, he pulled Maciel, passed out on morphine, from drowning in a hotel bathtub in Tetuan, Morocco, in 1957, a year before Corcuera was born. "He felt ashamed,” said Vaca of Corcuera. “He hung his head, whispering I do believe you. He put his face in his hands."

Corcuera told Vaca that Legionaries had recently begun circulating his 1976 letter denouncing Maciel, naming the 20 other seminary victims. If that is true, it marks a striking shift from last summer, when two Legion priests in Rome told this writer that Legion seminarians were being taught about Maciel's heroic life, even after news of the daughter, Norma.

"I accept your apologies," Vaca says he told Corcuera, "but this is not a solution." He said the Legion should provide "honest and fair compensation for all the harm and damages" to him and the other victims.

Corcuera replied that the Legion in Rome had formed a committee to explore the issue. He asked what he thought would be fair compensation, says Vaca. Vaca told Corcuera to look at what American dioceses had paid in victim settlements. "I said, 'The Legion had for years been slandering me. Think about that. Come up with an amount. I'm not going to tell you how much.'"

When Legionary say NO, he mean YES, and vice versa (Confucius say)

2010-06-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

Still trying to understand what a Legionary means when he says...?

when he denies something it is usually true; when he affirms it, it is usually false; he might say something vague and nebulous, or wrap something nasty in nice paper [see comment at the end re New Appointment of Fr Connor as Territorial Director for Atlanta]

This is how I suggest you read Superior/Director General Fr Alvaro Explaining

Legion superior explains reasoning behind recent statement addressing 'misdeeds' of founder

Mexico City, Mexico, Apr 1, 2010 / 12:41 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Superior General of the Legionaries of Christ, Father Alvaro Corcuera, earlier this week explained the reasons that prompted his congregation to issue their March 26 statement which publicly acknowledged the misdeeds committed by its founder, Father Marcial Maciel, for the first time.

“Once a year we have a meeting with all of the superiors of the congregation, called our territorial directors, and with the General Council as well,” Fr. Corcuera explained. “We have talked a lot about the very difficult situation with which we are faced, and we all agreed to issue a statement in which, naturally, we cannot express all of our sentiments.”

“But we do wish to offer, once again, our feelings of profound sorrow and regret to all the victims who have suffered from these acts,” Fr. Corcuera noted. “It is an act of forgiveness that has no other purpose than to open our hearts with humility to each and every one of those who have been harmed, and unfortunately scandalized, by the actions of our founder, Father Maciel.”

According to the Mexican daily, Milenio, Fr. Corcuera added that there was no particular significance to the date on which the statement was issued. The statement, which was released one week before Good Friday, “was not an act of opportunism,” emphasized Fr. Corcuera. “Rather, I simply did not want to wait any longer, because it was necessary and appropriate to take a blunter, clearer and firmer action.”

After noting that he had spoken with some of Fr. Maciel’s victims to ask them for forgiveness, Fr. Corcuera added, “As soon as I can go to Mexico, I definitely want to meet with the others, who I esteem and who, I am sure, need a word and gesture of closeness.”

Fr. Corcuera said his conscience is at peace. However, he also stated that he feels great sorrow and sadness for what has happened. “It is something I could have never imagined the day I was elected at the general chapter. If I had known everything that was to come, there would have been a funeral because I would have had a heart attack. However, I am proud of this family, and I am very happy with everything that I see,” he said.
--------------

After all, isn't that how their founder, leader and formator acted?

"I categorically deny ever abusing any of those former seminarians. I have done only good to them. As a matter of fact I have received letters of thanks from them. I forgive them for their calumnies and recommend them to the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary..."

Legionspiel continues; latest news tells us that an unknown Fr Connor is taking over from Fr.Scott Reilly in Atlanta; that means that Reilly may be getting a bit too worldly or loose with the rules and needs someone strictrer to take over, somone more docile to orders from Central Command in Rome

One of the qualificiations of the New Leader is chaplain in the missions of Michoacan, Mexico.

Could someone please explain that to me!

Recruiting Diocesan Priests for the Regnum Christi [by Nuestro Padre Maciel]

2010-06-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

Thy Kingdom Come!

CONFERENCE December 25, 1993

THE MISSION OF REGNUM CHRISTI FOR DIOCESAN PRIESTS

1. INTRODUCTION
Before beginning this conference on the mission of Regnum Christi for the diocesan priests of Regnum Christi, I would like to analyze some excerpts of the writings of Nuestro Padre so that we can all come to share the deep concern which he has for helping the Church’s priests.

As you well know, the second section of our constitutions asks that we carry out works directed towards the attention and preservation of diocesan priests. In this section Nuestro Padre refers to priests as the group most loved by the sacred heart of Jesus Christ and most committed to the continuation of His redemptive work on earth. In order to understand the origins of the love and veneration which Nuestro Padre has for the figure of the priest, let us read an excerpt of the report which he presented at the chapter meeting:

Since my youth I have felt a deep appreciation for the figure of the priest, the group most loved by the sacred heart of Jesus. I clearly saw his vital importance in the mystical body of the Church. And I observed with deep pain that some priests were not living in an appropriately dignified way, that there were many priests, but few saints. For this reason, I saw from very early on that God was calling us to also dedicate our efforts to priests. As I wrote in a letter from 1946, in my first trip to Europe, “our mission should be also be extended to priests, to rechristianize the priest himself.” To make him live his participation in the mystery of Christ. To make him understand his mission of salvation.

In order to see examples of the veneration and deep concern Nuestro Padre has for priests, we need only look at two events:

1. When the first Italian priest to be incorporated into the Movement came to meet Nuestro Padre, he was met in the reception area of the General Director’s offices. At the end of the meeting Nuestro Padre knelt down and asked the priest for his blessing.

2. The efforts of Nuestro Padre to bring about the establishment of the international college, Maria Mater Ecclesiae, in spite of great difficulties.

1.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF RECRUITMENT OF PRIESTS FOR THE MOVEMENT

Now let us consider some reasons for cultivating and recruiting priests for Regnum Christi. As you know, the distinctive characteristic of the Regnum Christi Movement is the recruitment and promotion of Christian leaders. The Regnum Christi Manual enumerates various types of leaders, putting at the top of the list leaders in the religious field. There can be no doubt that the priest, as noted in Pastores Dabo Vobis, is called to be a pastor and head of the people of God. In brief, if Regnum Christi is to establish the Kingdom of Christ in society. both with and within the Church, it cannot ignore the pressing importance of transforming priests into effective co-workers in the mission of Christ in the world.

Looking at this from a merely practical point of view, we have a great need for the support of priests in order to extend the Movement among the lay faithful. Where there are priests who support and do not obstruct our work, we will always have an open and fertile field in which to work for the cause of Jesus Christ. In contrast, and we have seen this, where there are priests who do not support the work of Regnum Christi, our advancement is halted by obstacles encountered at each step along the way. For example, in the very work of vocational drives, we see that the word of a parish priest is at times the determining factor in whether a youth says “yes” or “no to the Legionary vocation.

Retrieved from "http://www.wikileaks.org/wiki/Censored_Legion_de_Cristo_and_Regnum_Cristi_document_collection/en"

"Legion will emerge stronger from this test' , Spanish Territorial Director

2010-05-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

Similar to a talk delivered ten days ago in Cancun, Mexico, by the Mexican Territorial Director, Spaniard, Fr. Mayagoitia, the Territorial Director for Spain, Jesus Maria Delgado [Spaniard] a day ago covered a lot of ground in his message to the members, supporters and public, beginning with why it took the Legion so long to respond to revelations about Fr. Maciel.

He began by explaining that the superiors had to find a way to break the bad news gently to the members:

From the beginning we have tried to tell the truth in such a way that the members could absorb that truth and not expire in the process. When we discovered that Fr Maciel was not who we thought he was, as well as the tremendous personal impact we suffered, we understood that it was our obligation to tell the rest of the family what we ourselves were uncovering. How to tell that, to whom, and when, were very difficult decisions. Our aim was that the truth should be known. But our aim was also not to harm people further, with a crude or violent attitude, or spreading news that we did not know with complete certainty.

Fr Delgado also suggests that the Legion will emerge stronger, purer, and more humble from its purgation.

The first thing is that we did not choose this. We did not consciously seek to have a founder who has behaved the way [Maciel] did. The second is that God knows why He has allowed what happened to happen, and He will indicate to us how we can remedy it and heal the wounds, with the help of our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith. One only grows through crises and mistakes. We have the hope that, through all this, we will emerge more mature, better prepared to evangelise, more humanly able to understand our own weaknesses and those of others, and more humble, in order better to serve.

On the Legion's future, he adds:

I would like the Legionaries of Christ to emerge stronger from this harsh test, because I am convinced that it is a work of God and called to do great good. I would like that all this adversity we are suffering help us to mature, to be better. Being better means being more humble and so to transmit the love of Christ for our neighbours, because that is what we are here for. I would like it that all this can be done together with those who have suffered, with [Maciel's] victims, because there cannot be justice except with them -- with their recognition, with their healing, and, if God and they desire it, with their forgiveness. That is the future I would like to see.

The blogger points out how well coordinated Legion superiors are, "like an army drawn up in battle lines", "Sicut acies ordinata"; there is remarkable cohesion between the tip of the pyramid at Central Headquarters on Via Aurelia 677, Rome, Italy, and with the next level of Territorial Directors [Legion Provincials] throughout the world. Fr. Maciel would be proud of them. Part of the Legion Spirit and Mystique is the Unity and Cohesion throughout the ranks. He was convinced that the Legionaries were the new Jesuits...

Cultish Tactics in Scientology [video with testimonies] See any Parallels with Regnum Christi?

2010-05-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

Scarlett Hanna [not her photo], daughter of Scientology leader in Australia speaks out despite threats from her father, still a member, to sue her
See video

Legion & Regnum Superiors Relaxed, awaiting further instructions from the Pope

2010-05-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,
once more we provide insight into the workings of the Legion, its particular way of understanding information and interpreting it, even if it comes from the Vatican Press Office.

It seems the Legion needs God to speak to it from a burning bush on Mount Sinai

On May 11th, 2010, Legion of Christ Territorial Director for Mexico, Fr. Mayagoitia [a Basque name] held a meeting with Regnum Christi members in Cancun. An unofficial report was published by a blogger on the Spanish blog El Trastevere The gist of the discourse:

-Fr. Mayagoitia does not know of any 'dissenters' inside the Legion,
!No los conozco!\

-The Vatican statement of May 1, 2010 was ONLY a statement for the Press (to keep them at bay?)

-The Legion awaits official communication from the Vatican before taking any steps.

"We are relaxed." "Estamos tranquilos"
"With a spirit of obedience" (to the pope)

SUMMARY:

He categorically denied there would be any RE- FOUNDATION; the media has misinterpreted the Vatican communique

The Legion does not take the May 1st statement as the last word

He asked for questions but there were very few takers. [Remember Legion and Regnum Obedience is absolute]. Most people thanked him effusively for the great work done by the Legionaries...

The Legion has learned a lesson of humility from all this: they should no longer declare themselves the best order in the world

It was wrong to center everything in Maciel instead of focusing on the holiness of many other Legionary priests.

Fr. M. has given instructions to all Territorial superiors and school principals so they can spread this correct interpretation of the the Vatican Statement according to their needs and any doubts they might have.

When someone had the bad taste to ask him about dissident priests and consecrated members he replied:
"I certainly don't know of any" and went on to say that numbers given by the press are inflated. "There are over 400 Legionaries in Mexico. If many had left we would have noticed."

-----------------------
[Original Text received by Understanding...]

Blogger on El Trastevere reports these comments from Territorial Director's meeting with Regnum Christi and parishioners etc. in Cancun. "He doesn't know of any dissenters at all", apparently, and the "Vatican statement was ONLY a statement for the press and the Legion is awaiting official communication from the Vatican".

exalumna con noticias frescas // May 12, 2010 at 16:55

Estimados amigos, el día de ayer el DT, P. Mayagoitia tuvo una reunión con miembros del RC en Cancun. Se citaron a los señores y las señoras, pero al parecer se dejó venir todo pesonaje que de alguna manera está vinculado con los legionarios en esta ciudad o quieren estar al tanto de la noticia fresca.
.
Había desde jóvenes del Reino, Ecyd, profesores de colegios… el salón abarrotado, parroquanos… gente sentada en el suelo y otros de pie afuera asomados por la ventana… otros muchos se retiraron pues no alcanzaban a oir.
.
El discurso siguió la línea de las indicaciones dadas para la interpretació n del comunicado y lo que hemos venido oyendo y leyendo en los medios, nada nuevo, la verdad: “nosotros tranquilos”, “con espíritu de fe y obediencia”, etc…
.
Insistió mucho en que esto no es una REFUNDACIÓN, el comuncado no dice nada de eso como mal se ha interpretado en los medios. ¿Por qué no refundación? Pues el padre explicaba que si fuera refundación entonces habría que destituir a las cabezas, cambiar los estatutos, reorganizar todo… Y eso no lo veía él viable.
.
Aclaró que este comunicado del 1 de mayo es un comunicado para la prensa mediática por la gran espectativa que había acerca de las conclusiones de la investigación, pero que ellos no lo toman como el definitivo. Más adelante la Santa Sede les hará llegar a ellos un documento, “como suele hacer a las congregaciones”, sobre los lineamientos a seguir…
.
Invitó a todos que confianza hicieran preguntas, pues toda espina que se queda enterrada, genera una infección. Que nadie se fuera con dudas. Insistió mucho que se animaran a hacer preguntas, que él sabía que mucha gente no se atrevía a preguntar por temor a lastimar… pero que él ya está “vacunado” contra esto pues parte de su trabajo es estar enterado de lo que se maneja en los medios y ya no hay nada que lo sorprenda. Y recomendó mucho que en dirección espiritual también aprovecharan para resolver sus dudas.
.
Comentó que para ellos ésta ha sido una lección de humildad pues han tomado conciencia de que siempre se han sentido muy orgullosos como grupo y superiores o mejores que los demás. Hay que ser humildes y cercanos a las personas. Que siempre dieron más importancia a la eficacia que a las personas.
.
También dijo que estuvieron muy centrados en la persona de MM y olvidaron reconocer los valores de tantos sacerdotes que han hecho mucho por la LC.
.
La gente se mostró tímida para preguntar, no faltaron los que jamás están presentes y de repente aparecen levantándose el cuello y desgarrándose “por lo mucho que les agradecemos y nosotros tan legionarios… cuenten con nuestro apoyo incondional” etc. De 20 preguntas 1 era buena.
.
Indicó que ya le dió él personalmente instrucciones a los Directores de los colegios para que den su parte de interpretació n del comunicado a los alumnos de secundaria y prepa. Y que lo comuniquen graduado según sus dudas.
.
Por último, respondió también a una pregunta y su respuesta causó disgusto en muchos. Le preguntaron sobre sacerdotes y consagradas disidentes, a lo que respondió: “Yo ni los conozco”. Y acalaró que las cifras que se publican están infladas, ya que sólo en México hay 400 LC’s y el que se hayan ido 100 se notaría…
.
YO NI LOS CONOZCO….

"Legion Welcomes Vatican Communique" declares Celebrity Fr. Thomas Williams, LC.

2010-05-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

If you want to know how they still think inside the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi you must read this interview by OSV of this charismatic legionary, TV commentator, Superior, Rector of the University Regina Apostolorum. The blogger believes that Fr. Williams formulates here the classic Legion response to the Vatican Communique re Maciel and the Legion.

In a masterful way he explains away the Vatican Communique; he euthanizes it, chops it into pieces and makes it digestible for the members.

"There is really nothing wrong with the Legion; just a couple of tweaks here and there."

Beware of the Malice of Maciel and His Brood of Vipers

2010-05-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

[a propos well-known LC hitman/damage-control-expert reaching out with "understanding" to a victim]
"I hear a hissing sound in the back of my head"

Most people who join the Legion/Regnum are "good-natured" people ;
it is hard for us to grasp human malice - our brains are not wired that way;
we are always looking for a glimmer of goodness -a redeeming feature - even in the worst people;
but sometimes there is none there - at least to human perception.

Maciel had a lot of malice, and he surrounded himself with like people:
a sick bunch, sycophants, ass-kissers, grafters…or rigid-minded conservatives, enforcers of rules, self-righteous, holier-than-thou...or hidden pleasure seekers...

He used them and they in turn used others, for Maciel and to satisfy their own needs of power, control, importance.

The back of your head -where you hear that "beware" voice alerting you to the hissing sound
is your ‘reptilian brain’
that fight or flight response warning us of danger;
we put it on hold when we joined the Legion/Regnum;
excruciating pain can reactivate it;
and it becomes a building block for recovery.

"Faithful" Legionaries await word/permission from Legion Superiors

2010-05-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

Fulfilling our duty to educate Catholics, the public and the media about what goes on INSIDE THE LEGION

We have just learned that a Legionary Seminarian, informed by his parents, about the May 1, 2010 Vatican statement, continues to believe in the CHARISM received from God, the rules, constitutions, etc. approved by the Vatican/Pope. He sees the LIBERAL MEDIA out to destroy the Legion and the Regnum Christi.

According to these Legionaries, maybe the Vatican is misinformed by ill-intentioned people who continue to slander the Legion despite its many good members and apostolates.

He is unmoved by the Vatican statement and by media coverage [which he does not read], firm in his Legion vocation.

And the Pope has just said that he is not alone; he is safe in the hands of his superiors and the pope.

Sexual Abusers and their Organizations VS Accusers

2010-04-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

FYI

Sad and sickening
the current article can help us understand how Fr. Maciel and the Legion defended themselves against the accusations and the accusers.
Read carefully and you will see very similar tactics used by Irish Sex Abuser and Con Artist, Meegan, as those used by Maciel, Kearns, Bannon, et al for the past two decades;

Sex claim Icross boss moves to grab Irish cash by Colin Coyle 25 April 2010

dialogueireland
April 30, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Categories: Abuse, Charity - Icross, Christian Origin, Cultism, Development groups
URL: http://wp.me/pq5hv-Qu
Sex claim Icross boss moves to grab Irish cash by Colin Coyle 25 April 2010, The Sunday Times
© 2010 Times Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved

ICROSS KENYA, the charity organisation fronted by Mike Meegan, an Irish aid worker accused of sexual assault and financial impropriety, is trying to seize control of funds held by its sister organisation in Ireland. Last month Icross Ireland, which has €266,000 in its accounts and the same again promised in bequests, said it was winding up its operations and would return all funds to the Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests to be redistributed to worthy causes. But Icross Kenya, Meegan's organisation, has sent a series of legal letters to Icross Ireland seeking the release of all funds. It claims that money donated to the Irish wing was intended for use "on the ground" in Kenya and that Icross Ireland has no legal right to return the money. The Irish wing of the charity decided to cease operations after The Sunday Times published an Irish Aid audit report, which showed that almost ¤100,000 of taxpayers' money is unaccounted for by Icross Kenya. The Irish wing of the charity has also become increasingly concerned in recent years about ongoing allegations of a sexual nature against Meegan, first revealed in this newspaper last month. Further claims emerged last week when Meegan failed in an attempt to stop the Mail on Sunday from publishing interviews with a series of alleged victims in Kenya. Five Kenyan men claim to have been sexually assaulted by Meegan, with the first documented case dating back to 1986.

In an interview yesterday with the Irish Times, Meegan denied all the sex charges. He claimed they are the result of a "campaign of raw vindictiveness" by former aid colleagues with whom he has fallen out. Meegan said he never had sex with any staff, or with a minor, and claims that all his sexual partners have been Caucasian. He said that he has shared beds with other men while in the bush, but this is common in Kenya.

Meegan claims that his "victims" were offered money by the Mail to make statements - the newspaper denies this - and claimed that one alleged victim, Meriape Ole Sangaire, retracted his original allegation.

Icross Kenya has made a criminal complaint against three Kenyan men who have spoken out about Meegan, accusing them of lying under oath. The organisation claims that Sangaire, one of the three, has sworn conflicting affidavits.

In the interview yesterday, the charity worker admitted that his organisation's failure to meet Irish Aid's standards was a "huge f***-up". "We didn't meet their criteria for [accounting for] expenditure. They didn't know where money went, but that didn't mean it was stolen or swiped."

Meegan and Icross Kenya did not respond to further queries from The Sunday Times last week. He has refused a series of interview requests with this newspaper. Questions about Meegan were first raised by the press in 2006 when it was discovered he had overstated his qualifications and was claiming to be a doctor. During the 1980s, the charity worker frequently represented himself as a priest. He said yesterday he had called himself a doctor "in good faith" and didn't realise that the "mail-order" college that awarded him his qualifications was not accredited. He intends staying in Kenya, despite having no "personal income".

Or is is just part of the Strategic Plan?

2010-04-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

Fr. Garza, Vicar General of the Legion of Christ on the eve of Visitators Meeting with Vatican official pleads his innocence, claims ignorance.... regarding the Founders Sins, Crimes, Double Life....

Fissures in Legion Leadership?

2010-04-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

According to CNA the Legion issued a statement today disavowing remarks made recently by Vicar General, Luis Garza. This strikes the poster as strange, being as it is that the Legion made a show of unity recently, 25 of March with its Apologia pro Vita Macieli. This could be the first time internal disunion has appeared

Legion issues clarification on vicar general’s call for pontifical commissioner

Vicar General of the Legion of Christ, Father Luis Garza

Madrid, Spain, Apr 23, 2010 / 07:35 pm (CNA/EWTN News).-

On Thursday, while speaking to members of Regnum Christi, Legionary priests and staff of the University Francisco de Vitoria in Madrid, the Vicar General of the Legion of Christ, Father Luis Garza, revealed that he had asked the Holy See to create a pontifical commissioner to bring order to the Legion of Christ. The Legion issued a statement today clarifying that their vicar general was only speaking on a personal basis and not for the order.
Friday morning, Luis Posada Pescador from Albadigital.es reported that while speaking at a conference, Fr. Garza explained that a pontifical commissioner would help bring credibility to the congregation and that the Holy See should review the charism, the statues and the policies of the order.
He added that the Legion previously asked for the participation from all of its members in any review.
Father Garza also said he requested that the Holy See appoint advisors to manage the order’s relationship with civil officials regarding the victims abused by the founder of the Legion, Father Marcial Maciel.
It was also reported that Fr. Garza mentioned that the congregation inquired about having consultants appointed to deal with the founder’s personal secretaries who were involved in concealing his double life.
The Legion responded on Friday evening with a statement explaining that the “author of the article –who was not personally in attendance at Fr. Garza’s conference- based his writing off information others had given to him, mixing it indistinctly with other pieces of information and opinions of a vague consistency.”
They said that as a result, the “majority of the article did not correspond” to what was actually said and that “now there are statements circulating that Fr. Garza did not actually make.”
The Legion statement continued, “Speaking about the possible conclusions of the apostolic visitation and the various speculations about its outcome which have been published in various sources,” Fr. Garza affirmed, “‘I don’t know what the Holy Father will decide.’” He added that no indication has been given as the official reports of the visitors “fall under pontifical secrecy.”
However, the statement continued, “Fr. Garza added, ‘Now it could be possible that the Holy Father will send someone from the outside, to help us in the congregation, as a commissioner, as an assistant, or in some other capacity.’”
The Legion’s statement then emphasized that Fr. Garza was only “sharing his personal beliefs on the topic.”
The religious order reported that Fr. Garza said:
“Sincerely, I consider, personally, that this sort of action on the part of the Holy Father would be something extremely useful and extremely good for the Legion because it would give much credibility and clarity to our whole process. I truly await it, and I asked the visitors with whom I spoke, I suggested to them that they do a thing like this to be able to effectively, not only comply–because I believe that our disposition is to comply – but so that there not be doubts on the part of anyone about the process of complying with what the Holy See will want to say to us.”
Fr. Garza also stated that the apostolic visitors had not formally investigated some issues within the Legion, so he expressed his desire for “the help of people from the outside” to investigate in order to provide credibility and clarity to the process.

Statement by Legion of Christ re VOWS OF SILENCE screening in Ireland

2010-04-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

Funny how the cover has a picture of the first Irish recuits to the Legion

Irish Regnum Christi Director warns members prior to April 11th screening of Vows of Silence documentary on Irish Television (RTE ONE)

Thy Kingdom Come!

Dear Regnum Christi members,

I hope and pray all is well and that you have had a very fruitful Holy Week and joyful Easter! Here at Leopardstown we enjoyed immensely a gift of an Easter egg to each one of the novices / priests from the Dublin RC section. One brother said: “Oh, it reminds me of what my mother would do!” So thanks for all that support and prayers. It means a lot to us. There is great peace here.

I think that Carmela sent out the communiqué of March 25th and I hope you all received it (if you didn’t I can send it to you). Sorry to take up more of your time, but I just thought it important to inform you that this Sunday evening, Divine Mercy Sunday, a documentary will be aired on RTE (Ireland). It deals with the “silence of the Church” when faced with abuse…and “the power of the Church”…and uses the case of Fr Maciel and the Legion of Christ as an example throughout the video. It also focuses on some aspects of Fr Maciel´s life and on the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi as a cult-like organization. The subtitle is the abuse of power in the papacy of John Paul II. It is probable that this will have an impact given the current climate in Ireland and the Church at large. On the other hand it could be small. We don’t know. I ask for your prayers.

I wanted to inform all of you of this, just in case people ask you about things. I think many of the issues are already dealt with in the communiqué of March 25th and we can refer people also to that. Certainly we are sorry for any deception that might have also occurred within the Church. In my own opinion I think the Pontiffs too believed sincerely this was and is a work of God. We wouldn’t be here today if they didn’t. How grateful we are for the truth now, the apostolic visitation and we now turn confidently to God’s Providence and Mercy to guide us forward from here. I for one cannot but marvel at how so many good men have been called to this work and really came here simply to follow Christ and bring people to Him. That’s all I ever wanted, that’s all I ever received. Of course we are all saddened by this whole situation and pray and sacrifice for those who have not had a good experience in all this.

Some of you have also asked when and how the results of the apostolic visitation will come. I believe there is a meeting in this month to present to the Cardinals in charge the findings of the visitators’ investigations. We honestly don’t know then how long it will take till a decision is formed and from a comment of the Vatican’s spokesman it looks like it might be months. There is a lot of material to go through and there might be a request for more information before a decision is made. It will be the Holy Father’s call too at the end of the day.

Again, I don’t wish to alarm anyone, but felt it my duty to at least let you all know this might cause more publicity here in Ireland. Feel free to contact me whenever you wish either by email or phone. I am praying for all of you and thank you once again for your example of faith and love. These are the times you and I were called to, difficult times but ones that please God will make us all holier.

God bless you.

In Christ and the Movement,

Fr Michael Mullan, LC

Love VS Lust - Superior General Interprets for Regnum Christi the Communique Admitting Maciel's Sinful Life

2010-03-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

This blog was created to help ordinary people understand the "Spirit & Mystique" of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi Movement. The Movement has its own content of communication and its own peculiar

Modus Communicandi.

In this case, Legion Leadership had just attempted to be forthcoming regarding the Sins, Misdemeanors and Crimes of the Founder, Fr. Marcial Maciel, LC. The Movement had minimized the Vatican censure given to Fr. Maciel in May, 2009, and continued to cleave to the Founder as a holy man and divine instrument. Now the Movement leadership had just admitted that he was not a holy man but it had continued to cling to him being a divine instrument.

Lest members of the Movement be disheartened by the Sins of the Father, Fr. Alvaro, the Director General, and therefore the Spiritual Director Supremo of all the members, interprets the Communique leadership had released to appease those Catholics that demanded an apology. I believe that Fr. Alvaro's pious consideration should be read in that light.

It is also uncanny how much Fr. Alvaro sounds like the late Founder, Fr. Maciel, in the style and content of his remarks. And this is not unusual as Alvaro was spiritually nourished by the Letters of Nuestro Padre which he read and meditated every day for decades. Here is Fr. Alvaro's Letter, Urbi et Orbi to Regnum Christi members. It would seem to insist on Love, in contrast to the Lust that fueled Fr. Maciel's whole existence.

Thy Kingdom Come!

REGNUM CHRISTI MOVEMENT

GENERAL DIRECTOR

Rome, March 25, 2010

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

To the members and friends of the Regnum Christi Movement

Very dear friends in Christ:

Today, the solemnity of the Annunciation, offers me the occasion to send you my warm greetings. We are celebrating the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God, who wished to take for himself our human nature to expiate our sins and open for us the way back to the Father. Mystery of God’s infinite love. He could have redeemed us by simpler paths, but he chose to have his Son laid low and humiliated to show us that if the mystery of iniquity is great, that of his merciful love is greater still.

We are practically on the threshold of Holy Week. Within a week we will enter the Sacred Triduum to accompany Christ in his so scandalously incomprehensible “hour.” The “hour of the powers of darkness” (cf. Lk. 22:53). The hour of his exaltation on the cross. The hour also, of his triumph and glorious resurrection.

As we contemplate these ineffable mysteries we discover a hushed, motherly presence: Mary most holy. In Nazareth, Bethlehem and on Calvary, Mary is present not as a spectator but fully immersed, playing an active role in the mystery. Mary invites us to enter in, like her, accepting the part Christ wants to assign to us, because we too are co-protagonists.

This is the context in which I want to present to you the communiqué that is being released along with this letter.

1. As you will see, the communiqué is devoted almost in its entirety to topics that in one way or another we have been talking back and forward on for over a year now. We have done so with some of you individually, and with others in larger meetings and gatherings. On several occasions I have also made sure to write to all of you together. We have prayed together many times. I also know that the Legionaries and consecrated members who serve you have done their best to be available to you, and to answer your questions and concerns as we got a better understanding of what was happening.

It has been a very painful time for everyone, even traumatic. The sudden uncovering of some facets of our founder’s life that were so removed from what we lived by his side, was a totally unexpected surprise for us all. We were not prepared for it. We all had to go through a process of gradual assimilation, in many cases a necessarily slow one, requiring an uncommon store of human and spiritual resources, which each one has been finding in prayer, in conversation with Christ in the Eucharist, by staying close to the Blessed Mother, and in conversations with your directors, spiritual guide or your section members, family members and friends.

As is natural, in this process of facing the historical reality and its consequences, each one has followed his own path depending on his sensitivity, cultural background and spiritual foundation. And it is just as natural that everyone is not at the same point. Some, having received a special help from grace, can say that this is now behind them, while another will still need time and prayer to finish processing and give closure to this chapter in their conscience. We have to be very considerate in respecting and understanding each one’s individual pace.

2. In recent days, I have been thinking through all of this with the general counselors and the territorial directors. Together, we have seen that once we have all read and assimilated this page in the life of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi, our task is to take a step forward, individually and as an institution, to close this chapter of our history and open a new one.

It is true that we are still awaiting the results of the apostolic visitation, whose operative phase has ended. Undoubtedly, our attitude is one of complete openness, and we will embrace supernaturally and with docility whatever the Holy Father sees fit to ask of us. But until that moment comes, which is presumably still some months away, we want to get moving, so to speak, to set out again on our way with faith and humility, and throw ourselves back into working with all our ardor in the mission the Lord has given to us at the service of the Church. The attached communiqué, besides what it means in itself, is also in function of this goal of institutional re-launching.

3. I think that if we contemplate the Blessed Mother’s example we will find in her the attitudes that ought to be ours in this historic time in which it is our lot to live. From the Annunciation in Nazareth to the mortal scene on Calvary, we see that Mary’s soul is filled with theological faith, hope, and love. These are the three virtues that God asks us to cultivate intensely. Faith that sheds light on the past. Hope that arms us with courage for the future. Love that commits us in the present.

4. Faith that sheds light on the past
So many things happened that turned Mary’s life upside down, without her being able to understand them. Beginning with the angel’s message itself, passing through countless surprises, setbacks, mishaps and adversities, and ending in the tragic denouement – foretold certainly, but nevertheless defying all understanding, so contrary to what you could reasonably expect would be the destiny of one who was nothing less than the Son of God. What did she do? How did she react?

“His mother carefully kept all these things in her heart” (Lk. 2:51). She meditated on them. From the angle of faith. She meditated without understanding. She talked them over with God, not asking for reasons or explanations. She simply knew that everything was part of his plan, that he knew what he was doing and why. That was enough for her, even if she understood nothing. She meditated on it all, not to lock herself in fruitless moaning or to give herself to self-pity. It was to understand God’s plan better. To ask him for the strength to accept it. And to give herself docilely, humbly, and joyfully to fulfill it.

On Calvary, at the foot of the cross: silence and trustful prayer. Once again, she understood nothing. It was so cruel, so degrading, so impossibly evil. But though her eyes were fogged with tears and her mind stunned with confusion, her soul radiated faith. She knew that God was carrying out his plan. And once again, she answered, “Yes.” And she went on meditating. She meditated, believing. She believed, trusting.

I think this is the kind of faith God is asking of us. Perhaps we will never come to understand the reason for so many things that have come to light. Nor why God chose such an instrument to establish the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi. Why will the Legion and Regnum Christi not be able to present the figure of its founder like other congregations and movements? God knows. We have to accept it with faith. And with faith and humility recognize that, in spite of such a great mystery, God is wiser than we are. Once again, his warning is proven true: “My ways are not your ways” (Is. 55:8).
God asks us for faith to believe firmly that “all things work for the good of those who love God” (Rom. 8:28), and therefore, that he is preparing us for a special outpouring of grace. We have to trust that he, who has allowed things to happen this way, is sufficiently good and powerful to draw greater benefits from them. In part, we already see them. I am sure we will see many more. The Catechism teaches us that “In time we can discover that God in his almighty providence can bring a good from the consequences of an evil, even a moral evil, caused by his creatures” and that “from the greatest moral evil ever committed - the rejection and murder of God´s only Son, caused by the sins of all men - God, by his grace that ‘abounded all the more’ (cf. Rom. 5:20), brought the greatest of goods: the glorification of Christ and our redemption.” At the same time, it warns us that “but for all that, evil never becomes a good” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 312).

With faith, we must discover and accept that above all the vicissitudes that shape our past history, it is divine Providence that is really guiding our destiny. Faith helps us to truly believe it, though at times it might seem we are moving in the wrong direction, though at times our eyes might see no more than the often clumsy action of human freedom. In this past year, many factors have determined the course that the Legion and the Regnum Christi Movement have followed. One of these factors has been the actions of their directors. From a human perspective, you might think that they were more or less appropriate, or inappropriate. As I examine my own actions, given the responsibility I have, I can assure you that at all times I have tried to proceed with greatest purity of intention and maximum prudence. I have asked the Holy Spirit daily for the gift of counsel which, as you know, enlightens and perfects the virtue of prudence. I have used the help of my general counselors, of many men of the Church, and yours. We have tried to make every decision and take every step in the presence of God, trying to discern how Jesus Christ would act. But I am not infallible. I don’t know if I got it right. For certain, not in everything. The other directors also may very well have committed some mistakes among countless wise actions. But what is without doubt is that God can write straight with crooked lines. In spite of the great limitations and defects of his instruments, God has guided our trajectory in the past, and he will continue to guide us in the future. Mary’s faith assures us it is so.

5. Hope that arms us with courage for the future.
Mary also gives us an example of hope. She never gave in to the temptation not to trust. There were terrible moments in which the future seemed to offer no way out. The angel told her she would be a mother and virgin, and she was well aware of the suspicions that this could stir up. She was told that they had to leave in haste for Egypt, fleeing from Herod’s hatred; and it is easy to guess the uncertainty and anxiety that flooded her spirit. She was told that a sword would pierce her soul and she must have endured many years under the anxiety of the prophecy that would be fulfilled. Below her Son’s cross, she was told of a new, universal motherhood…. But she learned to place herself time and again in God’s hands, with limitless hope. And God did not disappoint her hope.

Like the Virgin Mary, we too must look to the future with great hope in God, letting no storm rob us of the optimism which is proper to the one who knows, like St Paul, that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and that all is loss compared to the experience of Christ’s love, which is the only reason for our existence.

Trust follows faith. If we truly believe in God, his Providence, his infinite wisdom and goodness, we cannot but grasp his hand and place all our trust in him, only in him. Nothing in the future can make us fear.

Looking to the future with theological hope means facing it with a deep sense of responsibility. It is God who willed to bring forth the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi, so as to give the Church a group of apostles to humbly and passionately cooperate in the great mission of evangelization. He is not going to abandon us. He will not let us down. All he asks of us is to be holy, consistent, and responsible, so as not to let down him, the Church, society and souls.

6. Love that commits us in the present.

Mary did not only believe and hope. Above all, she loved God. Out of love, she accepted his will at all times and she gave herself to fulfill it diligently, never thinking of herself, her comfort, her reputation, or her welfare. She cared only about loving God and doing his will.

This is the commitment God is asking of us too, at this time. If faith shows us that all things work for the good of those who love God we have to love more, we must love without limits. And we will see how much good God will put into this world. This is what he asks of us, that we not limit or dilute our love, that we nourish it more and more every day in prayer. Let this be one of our main resolutions: to be prayerful men and women, people with a deep interior life.

Love moves us to continue serving the Church. Unselfishly, not for the benefits it brings us.

Love moves us to continue making a reality of the beautiful and fruitful charism that God gave us. Out of love, we seek to make it bear fruit. Out of love, we want to share it so that many others will be spiritually enriched with the gifts that we have received from him, and we will thus reach the final goal of our lives: heaven.

Love moves us to continue walking together, supporting each other, giving our mutual understanding. Out of love, we seek to strengthen even more our unity and family spirit, the priceless treasure that gives such peace and serenity to our communities and teams.

Love moves us to remain beside all our companions in Regnum Christi, our friends, families, benefactors, and all those whom God places on our path, so that we will be for them a Simon of Cyrene to help them carry their cross as they follow Christ.

7. Dear friends and Regnum Christi members, these thoughts are the fruit of long and deep reflection done together with the general counselors and the territorial directors, and I invite you to take them to Christ who is present in the Eucharist. There, with our hand in Mary’s, let us meditate on these things, renew our “yes” – one that is clearer, more consistent, more long-suffering and also more joyful. And let us pray that he will grant every one of us, like Mary, the grace to accept his plans with luminous faith, to look toward the future with unbreakable hope, and to commit ourselves to living in charity in every present moment.

Very united in prayer and in the mission entrusted to all of us, I remain your affectionate servant in Christ,

Fr Álvaro Corcuera, LC