Wednesday, May 23, 2012

[8] De Paolis, Inept Apostolic Delegate to Legion of Christ







De Paolis the man who defends the Legion Charism seems to lake the charism of leadership himself


[citation below taken from Nunzi's recent book on Vatileaks, containing email from De Paolis to Pope reporting on Legion of Christ reform]


And he minimized the ability of leadership of the General Director, Alvaro Corcuera.
"The current superior general, which some consider too tied to the founder, is also esteemed by almost everyone for his kindness and patience, but has no capacity to govern and guide the congregation. His decisions are quite uncertain and  prone to compromise, " he said.


Corcuera has publicly revealed his ineptness by admitting he left Fr Williams in place even after he learned he had fathered a child. This is not only stupidity, it is cover up and DECEIT.


But why did DePaolis leave Maciel lackeys, such as Corcuera, Garza, et.al. in leadership when he took over?


Surely this proves that Cardinal DePaolis is just as inept in his job as Alvaro Corcuera is in his.



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

[7] Legion of Christ General Explains Fr. Williams and Other "Failings"; LC Anti-Charism


Fr Alvaro Corcuera, LC, Legion’s General Director, Writes to all Members of the Movement in North America
ITALY | WHO WE ARE | NEWS

logo legion english 2012


Fr Alvaro Corcuera, LC, general director of the Legion of Christ, offers the following letter to members and friends of Regnum Christi.

The letter is also available in pdf format.

***
Thy Kingdom Come!
REGNUM CHRISTI
MOVEMENT
_________

GENERAL DIRECTOR

Rome, May 21, 2012


To the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi members in North America


Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,


All of us have had to deal with very difficult news over the past few days. And of course, this comes in light of the terrible news three years ago regarding Father Maciel.


I want to take this opportunity to share with you my part in what many of you may regard as failings – and to explain how the Legion is working to ensure better performance in the future.
While serving as the rector of our seminary in Rome, I had heard rumors about Fr. Thomas Williams’ misbehavior. I inquired about them, but Father denied them, and I believed him.


In 2005, I found myself the second General Director of the Legion of Christ. I knew that I would face great challenges, but had no idea of all that was to come. Early in my new assignment, I learned that Fr. Thomas Williams had, in fact, had a relationship with a woman and they had a child. I reviewed the situation with Fr. Williams, asking him to start withdrawing from public ministry. In May of 2010 I placed restrictions on his ministry. Unfortunately, these restrictions were not firm enough as he was not asked to leave teaching. This March I gave Fr. Thomas the explicit indication to fully withdraw from all public ministry. I also must admit that, in the midst of all that was happening I was not diligent in setting proper restrictions and enforcing them.
I say this not to excuse my ineffectiveness, but to explain it – and beg your forgiveness.


More important than my failings is the need to reassure you that things are handled differently now. Today, when a serious charge is brought against any Legionary, we take precautionary measures, which may include being removed from public ministry, according to the nature of the charge. We immediately investigate, and if there is a legal issue, we report the case to the authorities and cooperate with them completely. If there is an issue that falls under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF), we report it to them.
Another important change has already taken place in our system of government. When I started to serve as General Director, I followed at the beginning the basically “one-person” and centralized style of government implemented by the founder. That meant that all personnel issues where reported to me as General Director and I handled them myself. In the last few years, especially since the beginning of Cardinal De Paolis’ mandate, we have begun to involve effectively the respective councils, foreseen by the law of the church, in decision making. The territories are also acquiring a greater relevance in their own governance, allowing a swifter answer to situations. This is already bearing fruit in making our general and territorial government more competent and more assertive.


Since I became General Director, there have been seven cases presented to the CDF that remain under investigation. Two of these cases are of alleged violations of priestly obligations and do not involve the sexual abuse of minors. One is a more recent abuse case. Four are abuse cases dating back one or more decades. None of the cases of abuse presented to the CDF have taken place in the United States.
In the United States, allegations of abuse of minors have been handled using the procedures recommended by the Conference of Major Superiors of Men under the safe environment accreditation program audited by Praesidium, Inc. Investigations are carried out by independent firms. Additionally, the final report is vetted by a Review Board, which provides the Territorial Director with a recommendation regarding the report and the allegation. Using these procedures, allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving three current members have been investigated. The investigations found no evidence to substantiate those allegations. There have been other allegations involving three ex-Legionaries. Those have been reported to authorities but are dependent upon the alleged victims’ desire to have it pursued. One Legionary is currently under investigation and has been removed from all ministry until his case is resolved.


Our commitment is first and foremost to watch over the safety of children under our responsibility. At the same time justice requires us not to violate the rights to privacy and a good name of those involved in any given situation. Therefore it is necessary to distinguish between appropriate action and appropriate communication.
An important part of the Constitution review and renewal process we are undergoing is to determine the best way to live in community, to exercise authority and to ensure that members of the congregation can grow on the path to holiness. If we do that, we minimize the likelihood of future failings. However, we are fallen human beings; as a growing, international congregation, it is likely that some of us will fail to live up to our ideals. But when that happens, every person will be held accountable for his or her actions.


Are there other cases waiting to be discovered, more scandals ready to attack your faith and trust? I can never say for sure. I can, however, tell you that we are following the lead of Pope Benedict XVI in dealing with abuse and sexual misconduct in the Legion. For this reason, in the light of the most recent events, I have determined, with the help of the General Council, to review the handling of allegations received in the past to make sure that in each and every one of them we have undertaken proper action. Priests who have had misconduct in this area should step forward in order to be held accountable for their actions and to receive the assistance and supervision they need. Also, I ask that any of you who might have been affected by a Legionary in this area to report it to the competent authorities. Everyone has to be accountable for his own actions and must understand that this is for their own good and the good of the Legion and, ultimately and more importantly, of the Church.
All of this is to follow the lead given by Pope Benedict: “I urge [anyone who has had some form of misconduct] to examine his conscience, take responsibility for the sins […] committed, and humbly express [his] sorrow. Sincere repentance opens the door to God’s forgiveness and the grace of true amendment. By offering prayers and penances for those you have wronged, you should seek to atone personally for your actions. Christ’s redeeming sacrifice has the power to forgive even the gravest of sins, and to bring forth good from even the most terrible evil. At the same time, God’s justice summons us to give an account of our actions and to conceal nothing. Openly acknowledge your guilt, submit yourselves to the demands of justice, but do not despair of God’s mercy.” (Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, March 19, 2010, n. 7).


Before I finish this letter I want to propose to all of us to continue on the path of healing, renewal, and reparation we have already started. I am confident that, with the help of God, the assistance of Card. De Paolis and the leadership of the General Council, we will carry forward the work of repairing past injustices and confronting these cases in a way consonant with the justice and charity demanded in the Gospel. To tread down this path of restoration and renewal, we need unity, charity, prayer, and mutual support.


I must admit that I have always esteemed and valued very much Fr. Thomas as a brother and as a priest. This makes the current situation so painful, and I ask that you keep him in your prayers. I also ask your prayers for Legionaries who may be a cause of scandal with their sins, for those who have suffered from their actions – and for me. We need to remember Christ’s invitation to watch and pray so as not to fall. May the Holy Spirit, comforter, advocate and guide grant us on the day of Pentecost the consolation we need, and inspire a new springtime of holiness, mercy and apostolic zeal for the Legion and for Regnum Christi. God can always bring good from evil – let us be on his side in this effort!
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Alvaro Corcuera, L.C.

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


Traducción al español:
¡Venga tu Reino!
Roma, 21 de mayo de 2012

A los legionarios de Cristo y los miembros del Regnum Christi de Norteamérica

Muy estimados en Jesucristo,
Todos nosotros hemos tenido que sufrir en los últimos días por algunas informaciones muy dolorosas que se han hecho públicas. A esto se añade el recuerdo de las terribles noticias de hace tres años relacionadas con nuestro fundador.
Quiero aprovechar esta oportunidad para compartirles mi parte en lo que muchos de ustedes consideran errores en el modo de afrontar estos temas, y también para explicarles lo que la Legión está haciendo para poder manejar de manera más adecuada estos casos en el futuro.
Durante mi período como rector de nuestro seminario en Roma, escuché rumores a propósito de ciertos comportamientos inadecuados del P. Thomas Williams. Cuando le pregunté acerca de los mismos, él los negó y yo le creí.
En el año 2005 me convertí en el segundo Director General de la Legión de Cristo. Sabía que tendría que enfrentar grandes retos, pero no podía imaginar todo lo que se nos venía encima. A poco tiempo de asumir mi nueva responsabilidad, descubrí que, efectivamente, el P. Thomas Williams había tenido una relación con una mujer y que habían procreado un hijo. Analicé la situación con el P. Williams y le pedí que se fuera retirando del ejercicio público del ministerio sacerdotal. En mayo de 2010 le impuse algunas restricciones en el ejercicio del ministerio que, desafortunadamente, no fueron del todo adecuadas, pues no se le exigió dejar la enseñanza. En el mes de marzo de este año le di al P. Thomas la indicación explícita de retirarse completamente de todo ejercicio público del ministerio. Con todo, tengo que admitir con pena que, en medio de lo que iba pasando en la Legión en esos años, no fui suficientemente diligente para imponer restricciones adecuadas y asegurar que éstas se cumplieran.

Les comparto esto no como una excusa para mi falta de pericia en el manejo de esta situación, sino para explicarla y pedirles su perdón.



Considero que hay algo mucho más importante que mis errores, y es poder asegurarles que las cosas ya se manejan diversamente. El día de hoy, cuando se presenta una acusación grave en contra de un legionario, tomamos medidas cautelares según la naturaleza de la acusación, que pueden llegar hasta la prohibición del ejercicio público del ministerio sacerdotal. Investigamos el caso inmediatamente y, si hay algún asunto legal de por medio, se informa a las autoridades competentes. Si el caso cae bajo la jurisdicción de la Congregación para la Doctrina de la Fe (CDF), se le remite el caso.

Se ha verificado también otro cambio importante en nuestro sistema de gobierno. Cuando empecé mi servicio como director general, seguí básicamente el mismo estilo de gobierno centralizado en una sola persona que implementó el fundador. Esto significaba, en la práctica, que se me presentaban las cuestiones de personal y yo tenía que tratar de atenderlas y resolverlas todas. En los últimos años, especialmente desde que el Card. Velasio De Paolis nos ha ido acompañando como delegado pontificio, hemos empezado a involucrar en la toma de decisiones a los consejos general y territoriales, tal y como prevé el derecho común de la Iglesia. Los territorios también están cobrando mayor relevancia en su propio gobierno, y esto permite respuestas más ágiles a las situaciones que se pueden presentar. Esto ya está dando fruto, de suerte que nuestros gobiernos general y territoriales son más competentes y asertivos.



Desde que asumí el cargo de Director General, hemos presentado siete casos a la CDF que se encuentran bajo investigación. Dos de estos casos tienen que ver con la violación de obligaciones sacerdotales que no tienen que ver con el abuso de menores. Uno de ellos es un caso reciente de abuso. Cuatro son casos de abuso ocurridos hace una o más décadas. Ninguno de estos casos ha ocurrido en los Estados Unidos.
En los Estados Unidos, las acusaciones de abuso de menores se han manejado según las recomendaciones de la Conferencia de Superiores Mayores de Religiosos bajo el auspicio del programa de acreditación para ambientes seguros que audita Praesidium, Inc. Las investigaciones las hacen firmas independientes. Además, el reporte final es revisado por un así llamado Review Board, que ofrece al Director Territorial recomendaciones sobre el reporte de la investigación y la acusación. Usando estos procedimientos, se han investigado acusaciones de abuso de menores hechas contra tres miembros de la Legión. Las investigaciones no hallaron evidencias que pudieran sostener las acusaciones. Hay otras acusaciones contra tres ex-legionarios que han sido referidas a las autoridades; que estas causas prosigan depende del deseo de las supuestas víctimas de que el proceso sea llevado a término. Hay un legionario que está siendo investigado en este momento y ha sido retirado del ejercicio público del ministerio mientras su caso se resuelve.
Nuestro primer y principal compromiso es velar por la seguridad de los niños bajo nuestro cuidado. Al mismo tiempo, la justicia nos exige que no violemos los derechos a la privacidad y al buen nombre de las personas involucradas en alguna situación delicada. Por ello, es indispensable distinguir entre acciones apropiadas y una comunicación apropiada.


Una parte importante del proceso de renovación y de revisión de las Constituciones de la Legión consiste en determinar la mejor manera de vivir en comunidad, de ejercer la autoridad y de asegurar que los miembros de la Congregación puedan crecer en su camino de santidad. Si logramos esto, se minimizan las posibilidades de faltas futuras. Sin embargo, somos todos seres humanos heridos por el pecado original. Somos una congregación internacional que, gracias a Dios, sigue creciendo. Por ello, es probable que alguno de nosotros pueda no vivir según los ideales de santidad que el Evangelio nos propone. Pero si esto sucede, cada uno asumirá la responsabilidad correspondiente.
Naturalmente surge la pregunta: ¿hay otros casos que están por ser descubiertos,  posibles escándalos que puedan minar aún más su fe y su confianza? No puedo asegurar que no los habrá. Sin embargo, sí puedo decir que estamos siguiendo el ejemplo del Papa Benedicto XVI en el modo en que deben ser afrontadas situaciones de abuso o de mal comportamiento sexual en la Legión. Por este motivo, a la luz de los eventos más recientes, he decidido con el consejo general revisar cómo se han manejado las acusaciones recibidas en el pasado para asegurar que en todas y cada una de ellas se ha actuado conforme al derecho y se han honrado las exigencias de la justicia. 


Cualquier sacerdote que haya tenido alguna falta en este campo debería darlo a conocer para hacerse responsable por sus acciones y recibir la ayuda y supervisión que necesite. También les pido que si alguno se ha visto afectado por un legionario en este ámbito, que lo refiera a las autoridades competentes. Todos debemos ser responsables de nuestros actos y necesitamos comprender que hacer esto es por nuestro propio bien, por el bien de la Legión y, mucho más importante, por el bien de la Iglesia.


Todo esto es para seguir el camino marcado por el Papa Benedicto XVI: “Exhorto [a quien haya caído en alguna falta] a examinar [su] conciencia, a asumir la responsabilidad de los pecados que [ha] cometido y a expresar con humildad [su] pesar. El arrepentimiento sincero abre la puerta al perdón de Dios y a la gracia de la verdadera enmienda. Debéis tratar de expiar personalmente vuestras acciones ofreciendo oraciones y penitencias por aquellos a quienes habéis ofendido. El sacrificio redentor de Cristo tiene el poder de perdonar incluso el más grave de los pecados y de sacar el bien incluso del más terrible de los males. Al mismo tiempo, la justicia de Dios nos pide dar cuenta de nuestras acciones sin ocultar nada. Admitid abiertamente vuestra culpa, someteos a las exigencias de la justicia, pero no desesperéis de la misericordia de Dios.” (Carta Pastoral a los católicos de Irlanda, 19 de marzo de 2010, n.7)


Antes de terminar esta carta quiero proponer que todos continuemos el camino de curación, renovación y reparación que ya hemos comenzado. Confío que, con la ayuda de Dios, la asistencia del Card. De Paolis y el apoyo del Consejo General, podremos seguir adelante nuestro trabajo, reparando las injusticias del pasado y afrontando estos casos según las exigencias de la justicia y la caridad cristianas. Para recorrer este camino de restauración y renovación necesitamos la unidad, la caridad, la oración y el apoyo mutuo.

Les pido sus oraciones por los legionarios que con sus pecados pueden ser causa de escándalo y por aquellos que han sufrido por sus acciones, y también por mí. Todos tenemos que recordar el mandato de Cristo de vigilar y orar. Que el Espíritu Santo, consolador, defensor y guía nos conceda en el día de Pentecostés el conforto que necesitamos, y que inspire una nueva primavera de santidad, misericordia y celo apostólico en la Legión y el Regnum Christi. Dios siempre puede sacar bien del mal. ¡Esforcémonos por estar de su lado en este esfuerzo!

Suyo afmo. en Jesucristo,
P. Álvaro Corcuera, L.C.
(original en inglés)



Monday, May 21, 2012

[6] Fr. Williams is hung out to dry by the Legion







Not really defense but at least some kind of empathy.

RECONSTRUCTION OF EVENTS
I stand corrected in all of the below by anyone who has more info/facts

Let us try to make sense of this public confession.
Why did he confess?
Why did he confess NOW when the "sin" happened maybe 10 years ago?
What was he and the Legion doing all this time.

I do not have any concrete information on the girl/woman, the nature of that relationship, and the intimate details. I imagine that the whole experience must have been pretty harrowing for Fr. Williams when he realized that the woman was pregnant.

It seems that Fr. Williams' superiors knew about this around the time it happened. It also seems logical that they would have taken steps and given Fr. advice, if not ordered him "in virtue of holy obedience" to do certain things.

It appears that Fr. Williams was taken out of circulation around that time and sent to Cheshire for the Legion's damage control to do its work.

It is the blogger's opinion that later Fr. Williams returned to Rome and was "reinstated" in his high profile ministries: teacher at Mater Ecclesiae university, Legion official clerical spokesperson, TV personality, writer...

Something must have happened recently to spur Father to publicly confess. Pressure from the mother of his child and her family? Confrontation by the Media?

Anyway, Fr. Williams is hung out to dry by the Legion 


 As the "Naive and Sentimental Dubliner in the Legion of Christ" I sang this song when I felt betrayed by the Legion [see my memoir]

Song lyrics to Love On The Rocks:
Written by: Neil Diamond and Gilbert Becaud

Love on the rocks
Ain't no surprise
Pour me a drink
And I'll tell you some lies
Got nothing to lose
So you just sing the blues all the time

Gave you my heart
Gave you my soul
You left me alone here
With nothing to hold
Yesterday's gone
Now all I want is a smile

First, they say they want you
How they really need you
Suddenly you find you're out there
Walking in the storm
When they know they have you
Then they really have you
Nothing you can do or say
You've got to leave, just get away
We all know the song

You need what you need
You can say what you want
Not much you can do
When the feeling is gone
May be blue skies above
But it's cold when you're love's on the rocks

First, they say they want you
How they really need you
Suddenly you find you're out there
Walking in the storm
When they know they have you
Then they really have you
Nothing you can do or say
You've got to leave, just get away
We all know the song

Love on the rocks
Ain't no surprise
Pour me a drink
And I'll tell you some lies
Yesterday's gone
And now all I want is a smile