Fr. Thomas Berg, former LC priest, Leaves--- #13 in the series "How to Get a Loved One out of the Legion of Christ"

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New York City, N.Y., May 7, 2009 / 06:06 am (CNA).- Fr. Thomas Berg, Executive Director of the New York-based Westchester Institute for Ethics and the Human Person, announced today that he will be leaving the Legion of Christ to join the Archdiocese of New York and will continue his ministry as the head of the institute.

Fr. Berg released a brief statement explaining his decision and his motivations for the change:

“After nearly 23 years of life as a Legionary of Christ, I have discerned that it is time for me to continue following Christ in the diocesan priesthood. Although the recent revelations about the Legion’s founder, Fr. Marcial Maciel, were profoundly disturbing, my decision has actually been in the making for nearly three years.

Like so many, I have personally experienced again and again the vast amount of good which God has accomplished through Legionary priests and the congregation’s works of apostolate over the past six decades of its existence. I leave with a heart grateful to Christ who I know accepted and blessed the oblation of my years of religious consecration in the Legion.

In my opinion, the serious issues within the congregation will require its thorough reformation if not a complete re-foundation. I am hopeful that the upcoming Apostolic Visitation of the Legion will be a first step toward a new beginning for the Legionaries and members of Regnum Christi. I trust that God in his providence will lead them to holiness and enable them to do great things for Christ and his Church. For my part, I remain their friend and brother in the Lord.

My work as executive director of the Westchester Institute will continue under the direction of a new Board and no longer under the Legion’s sponsorship. By this means and through a very active ministry in the Archdiocese of New York, under our new Archbishop Timothy Dolan, I look forward to continuing to live my total consecration to Christ in his priesthood.

My hope is that this brief statement would preclude unnecessary and unwarranted speculation about the reasons for my decision. Having released it to the press, I do not plan to make any further comment on the matter at this time.”

As Shrewd as Serpents ---# 12 "How to get a Loved one Out of the Legion of Christ

Too many Catholics have been sheep in the midst of Legion/Regnum wolves.

A propos visitor's comment:

I believe it is not necessarily guile that helped release us from the RC grip but a certain shrewdness. We were beguiled because we were naive and the RC/LC program promotes naivete as a virtue.

Blogger supports with the words of Jesus, the Founder of Christianity, Our Savior:

International Standard Version (©2008)
"See, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
"I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as snakes but as innocent as doves.

King James Bible
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

American King James Version
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the middle of wolves: be you therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

American Standard Version
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Bible in Basic English
See, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Be then as wise as snakes, and as gentle as doves.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves.

Darby Bible Translation
Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; be therefore prudent as the serpents, and guileless as the doves.

English Revised Version
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Weymouth New Testament
"Remember it is I who am sending you out, as sheep into the midst of wolves; prove yourselves as sagacious as serpents, and as innocent as doves.

World English Bible
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Young's Literal Translation
'Lo, I do send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as the serpents, and simple as the doves

Coping with Cult Involvement #11 in the series How to get a Loved one Out of the Legion/Regnum of Christ

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People are BEGUILED into joining the Legion of Christ and the Regnum Christi.
And, for the most part, only by guile can they get themselves out and only by guile can parents, relatives and friends help them.

A certain amount of people leave CULTS because they are kicked out, "throw aways", or because they leave one way or another, "walk aways". You are worried about the vast majority that stays.

To be successful as you struggle with a loved one who has drunk the Koolaid, and at the same time not totally lose your Peace of Soul, you must use GUILE

By this I mean that besides prayer, sacrifice, and almsgiving, kicking up a ruckus and giving the superiors hell, this demon will only be cast out by using our God- given intelligence and by hard work. Some parents and loved ones resort to Exit Counseling, but this, too, has its limitation. You realize that the Legion/Regnum is one of the most astute Hight Demand groups around. It is shrouded in a cloud of Catholic Orthodoxy and Conservativism and it is astute and subtle.

Livia Bardin's Handbook is about the hard work involved when your loved one is in a cult like the Legion/Regnum and you are at your wit's end.
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