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Update: Legionaries of Christ banned from Miami
Oct. 30, 2009
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PDF versionLegion spokesman Jim Fair said Miami's announcement “pretty much fell out of the blue.”
The Legionaries of Christ are prohibited from functioning in the Archdiocese of Miami, effective immediately.
Printer-friendly versionSend to friendPDF versionThe Miami archdiocese has prohibited members of the Legionaries of Christ from working in the archdiocese. The notice was given in an Oct. 29 memo addressed to "All Priests" from Miami Chancellor Msgr. Michael Souckar.
The prohibition takes effect immediately, the memo says.
Members of the Legionaries' lay group, Regnum Christi are also prohibited from working in the archdiocese, the memo says.
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A report from Religion News Service adds:
"I can tell you that we're surprised and obviously disappointed, but we will obey whatever directives the archbishop has," Fair said.
Last year, the Archdiocese of Baltimore raised concerns about the Legionaries and placed restrictions on the group, including not allowing them to act as spiritual directors to men under age 18. Fair said dioceses in Ohio and Minnesota have also placed restrictions on the group.
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The Legionaries have long been controversial, in part due to allegations of sexual abuse against the order’s late founder, Mexican Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado, made by former members. Both Maciel and the Legionaries denied those charges, but in the wake of a lengthy Vatican investigation, Maciel was asked in 2006 to observe a life of “prayer and penance.”
Fr. Maciel died Jan. 30, 2008, at the age of 87.
In March this year, the Legionaries revealed that the Vatican has decided to conduct an apostolic visitation of the embattled order.
The memo from Souckar reads:
In the past their priests were given individual approval by the Vicar General each time they wished to come the Archdiocese of Miami but their ministry was restricted to their own members. Because the Legionnaires of Christ have not abided by these restrictions, Archbishop [John Clement] Favalora has barred them from any ministry in the Archdiocese of Miami.
Furthermore, Regnum Christi is not nor has it ever been approved to work in any parish, school or other Archdiocesan entity. It recently has been discovered that Regnum Christi is to end immediately.
Pastors/Administrators are asked to share this information with school principals and those who coordinate parish events.
Thank you.
Related stories from NCR:
Vatican orders visitation of Legionaries of Christ
Legionaries of Christ: Legionaries face restrictions in Baltimore
Baltimore archbishop demands greater accountability from Legionaries of Christ
No doubt there are many at
No doubt there are many at NCR who will cheer this development. At the same time, many of these same individuals are up in arms over the Holy See's visitation of religious congregations of women and diocesan ordinaries prohibiting some from speaking at parishes and Catholic institutions in their dioceses.
While I was once a supporter of the Legionaries, the more I read about them, the more I met members of the order and former members, the more I read about the personal failings of Fr. Macial, the less I supported the Legion.
I regret that many good priests and seminarians will be denied the opportunity to minister to God's people in Miami and in other dioceses, and I hope that those priests are able to find a home in a diocese or another order and be able to continue their ministry.
I also hope that Archbishop Favalora and others who have had the courage to and or restrict the Legion will have the same courage to take appropriate action regarding the findings of the apostolic visitation - encouraging and promoting those orders who are faithful to the Church and supressing and restricting those orders who are not.
Could someone explain Clint
Could someone explain Clint Green's post. He tells us he's read about the Legionaries, met them (and former members) and also read about Maciel. But he doesn't tell us about what he's read, who he's met and what he's read about Maciel. And after all of this he tell us he doesn't support the Legion any more and by implication we shouldn't either. To confuse matters, he then launches into a non sequitur about nuns.
All I can think is that he's
All I can think is that he's saying if there is something wrong with the Legionares then there is also something wrong with the women's orders? I don't get the connection other than that if the Vatican is investigating they must have a reason which I am sure they do. The reason for the Legionare's is a leader who created one large warped way of group-thinking and for the other the reason is to reinforce control they already have over the sisters. Not a good comparison but I guess he doesn't see that.
And yet all I read on here
And yet all I read on here about the Vatican visitation is "what about the priests???." Apply that same logic please.
I suspect the Legion will
I suspect the Legion will quietly acquiesce to the Bishops edict. Whereas the LCWR throws a hissy fit when they are confronted with their heterodoxy. I am also sure the Legion was not running around parishes and schools spreading dissent. While the deeds of the Legion's founder are scandalous and some of their cultish aspects are worriesome, I have never heard anything but solid Church teaching from their priests. The members of Regnum Christi that I know personally are decent men who feel betrayed. Yet, the Holy Father may find that the order must be dissolved. The types of men I know in the Legion would be saddened but would be obedient in the end. Would the Sisters of LCWR do the same? I highly doubt it.
Tom A---well again, Tom of
Tom A---well again, Tom of the "hissy fit." What other metaphors can you use to entertain us with, Tom? And then of course Tom mentions "heterodoxy and in the same breath mentions Sisters of LCWR--never, of course, telling us what their heterodoxy consists of. Does Tom A. realize he shouldn't use "running around parishes" when mentioning anything to do with Maciel. We've had enough of that.
Honestly, you need to be told
Honestly, you need to be told of the heterodoxy of the LCWR? If you have to ask that question you have no idea what heterodoxy is nor what the LCWR as a collective body promotes. I am very leery of the Legion as an organization. It just so happens that the men I know who belong are fine orthodox priests and laity. It is a shame they were decieved in thier charism by Maciel. They are, however, not decieved in their obedience to the Holy Father and Holy Mother Church.
Tom A. on Nov. 02, 2009. You
Tom A. on Nov. 02, 2009.
You stated:
"Honestly, you need to be told of the heterodoxy of the LCWR? If you have to ask that question you have no idea what heterodoxy is nor what the LCWR as a collective body promotes. I am very leery of the Legion as an organization. It just so happens that the men I know who belong are fine orthodox priests and laity. It is a shame they were decieved in thier charism by Maciel. They are, however, not decieved in their obedience to the Holy Father and Holy Mother Church."
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I would like for you to state accurately and provide positive proof of what you are stating---that the LCWR promotes heterodoxy. All you do is state that they promote heterodoxy and heretics---but your statements are not proof. Prove it or shut up!
Again, you fail to support
Again, you fail to support your claim. You were asked to state what is the heterodoxy of the LCWR? Why can't you answer the question?
Clint - Don't feel sorry for
Clint - Don't feel sorry for the individual priests and seminarians. Each one has the opportunity to go through the process of joining a different Order, or Diocese. If they choose to stay in Legionaries - then no sympathy for them
Many will like this
Many will like this development. However, simply change LC to LCWR and all of a sudden there are huge civil rights violations and discrimination going on.
Dear Clint, well said. Do not
Dear Clint,
well said. Do not worry about any LC religious or priest; they are accustomed to be moved around by their superiors. Those in Miami belong to such and such a "Territory" and will rapidly be redistributed. They may scamper around for a while to collect their money and recruits... They probably hate what the local bishop has done but they will not show it; instead they will give it some pious, self-serving twist as they always do. I wonder will they use the "humbly obedient to the local ordinary we joyfully accept the decision..."
I do wonder what will happen to the Regnum Christi lay folks. It will probably "go underground", the lay leaders taking up the slack from the padres. I do not know how they will continue with the priest giving "Spiritual Direction" [= brainwashing] to the lay leaders.
I can envision lay leaders flying out of the dioceses of Miami in their private jets to go on retreat with the Legionaries somewhere else. They will plan outreach to the poorest of the poor, build schools for the needy, and live out their personal vows of poverty...and fly back in their corporate jets to their luxury homes...
Well said.
Well said.
The Legionaires should be
The Legionaires should be banned from the face of the Earth. Pope John Paul to should have been banned for supporting them tooth and nail.
Archbishop Favalora is
Archbishop Favalora is risking his red hat and certainly isn't gonna score any points with Cardinal Rode or the Pope for this decision, as a recent youtube search on the LC reveals the following:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re4noFs_8Kg
See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_abuse_scandal_in_the_Legion_of_Christ
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21815777/Legionaries-of-Christ
Though I am not familiar with
Though I am not familiar with the LC situation in Miami, the actions by the Bishop of Baltimore regarding the LC seem very extreme. The Bishop's actions were not linked to any actual complaints and many of the individual stipulations seemed to be un-necesarily humilitating.
If the District Attorney of Baltimore County informed the Bishop that "due to past instances of sex abuse, I have a twenty point checklist with humiliating stipulations that needs to be followed", I bet the Bishop would have a legal and media response with in hours.
I have not had any contact with the LC, but it amazes me that we as a church can cry " unfair shakedown" about the actions of some civil authorities, yet we have no problem "shaking down" another Catholic group
I have three nephews who
I have three nephews who attended the pre-seminary. I had many concerns. For example their telephone calls and letters were monitored. Also, the only tv station they could watch was the weather channel. These are only some examples out of many problems with the group Monicatfp
That is not terribly
That is not terribly different from the conditions that existed in mainstream Catholic minor seminaries prior to the mid-1960's. I'm not saying that it was a good thing then, but that's pretty much the way it was.
Texas -- The Bishop in
Texas -- The Bishop in Baltimore merely insisted on transparency from the LC. For example, no spiriting young men away and denying their parent's access to witness the brainwashing process inflicted upon the young men.
Moreover, the reason the LC is not allowed in MANY other diocese (you have to ask, there are plenty who are not public about it) is the fact that they carefully target the wealthiest donors in the Diocese and begin to suck them dry - keeping the spoils for their own "Order."
And, I don't know what you mean by saying there were no complaints in Baltimore? Of course there were -- ask the parents of the seminary recruits
...um, why don't we keep the
...um, why don't we keep the discussion of the Legionaries about the Legionaries -and Regnum Christi?
The LC and its founder are accused of FELONIES, which in the case of Marcial and Ratzinger, were discovered too late for Marcial to be thrown out of the priesthood.
Irrespective of what you may think about LCWR, they aren't being accused of performing FELONIES. Keep your discussions appropriate and on track.
I can envision lay leaders
I can envision lay leaders flying out of the dioceses of Miami in their private jets to go on retreat with the Legionaries somewhere else. They will plan outreach to the poorest of the poor, build schools for the needy, and live out their personal vows of poverty...and fly back in their corporate jets to their luxury homes...
So what if some do? Wealth (or the lack of it) does not automatically make one moral or immoral.
Texas -- The Bishop in
Texas -- The Bishop in Baltimore merely insisted on transparency from the LC. For example, no spiriting young men away and denying their parent's access to witness the brainwashing process inflicted upon the young men.
I understand the need for transparancy and the the LC has had problems in this area. The Bishop is cporrect to be involved. What I do not like is the tone of his requirements.
For example, lets say that the District Attorney gave the Bishop a letter like:
The Diocese of Baltimore has had valid acusations of sex abuse in the past. Therefore, Bishop, though there are no current specific complaints, you must...
-Provide a list of every priest in the diocese.
-You must detail any activities that invovle minors
-Inform priests that they are prohibited from counceling any minor
-Provide public warning to all parents that Baltimore Priests have sexually exploited youth in the past
-You will personally meet with me (DA) every month and provide updated information
-You must swear under oath that all information you give is accurate
If you fail to do so, I will immedtalty charge you with failing to provide "honest services". I will also ensure that my Department takes very aaggressive action regarding perjury, subornation of perjury, harboring criminal activity etc.
Needless to say, the Bishop would rightfully cry "offical intimidation", "abuse of authority", "violation of constitutional liberties"
etc.
Admittedly, the Legion has a
Admittedly, the Legion has a big problem with Maciel & it gets worse with further claims against him in terms of illegitimate children. But why the rush to judgment in Miami & also in Baltimore? The Legion is under a visitation by the Vatican just like the American nuns are. Why not wait for a Vatican judgment on the Legion before taking any negative action?
The Liberals cry & carp about the visitation of the nuns but it is already bearing fruit in terms of one of the very worst American nuns giving up her abortion escort service! Maybe the Legion will actually expunge Maciel from its order's memory. The Soviets had a policy of making people no longer exist in the collective Communist memory. I foget the term but maybe the Legion can take a leaf from their book!
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