Legion's Charism Revealed! [Inside Look at the Legionaries of Christ]

I invite you to view very recent TV program featuring the Legion of Christ

Review the program and use your analytic skills to learn from this Legionary Priest "spokesperson" where the Charism of the Religious Order lies. Find the Legion's originality as described by Fr. Brisson.

When you have found how the padre describes the Legion's Mission and work, let us compare notes

Article by LC Vicar General in l"Osservatore Romano Disconcerting for Catholics...........Catolicos Confusos por articulo del Vicario General en periodico Vaticano

Dear friends,

you may now be aware that on or about 5 February, 2010, the Spanish edition of the L'O. R. published an article on the priesthood by Fr. Luis Garza, vicar general of the Legion of Christ

This information was reported by the El Trastevere Blog in Spanish.

CNA, a heretofore Legion of Christ ally, picked it up, too 

People ask, How can this be, an article written about the priesthood by the hand-chosen successor of the priest sexual pervert, Marcial Maciel, founder of the order, while a Vatican investigation is ongoing, the investigation is supposed to analyze the charism of the Legion in its spirituality, the training system and apostolic strategies.

However, the Legion has been known to "pull a fast one" even on the Vatican.

This was the case in 2005, when The Legion put out the news that there was no Vatican investigation of Fr. Maciel, at the precise moment that the investigation was happening. This writer  participated in the investigation of the Maciel.  In May, 2005 the Legion was putting the word that the investigation was not happening. They were able to lead many media outlets up the p, creating confusion by pitting the Vatican Press Office against the Office for the Doctrine of the Faith. REGAIN, INC. was perhaps the only media that called Legion's bluff  It also reminded the public that Vatican offices do not make official statements about the investigations that are ongoing.

Here, the message seems to be similar: We are undergoing a thorough investigation of the Vatican, but business is as usual, just look at our superior publish an article in the official newspaper of the Vatican!

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[Traducción Google]

Queridos amigos,

Quiza Ud ya se dio cuenta que el  5 de febrero 2010 la edición española de l' Osservatore Romano publico un artículo de Luis Garza, Vicario General de la Legión de Cristo

Asi informo el blog de Trastevere, en español, véase enlace para el articulo

La gente se pregunta

?Como puede ser esto, un artículo sobre el sacerdocio escrito por la mano el elegido Sucesor del sacerdote pervertido sexual, Marcial Maciel, fundador de la orden?  Mientras que una investigación del Vaticano este activa; Supuestamente la investigación es para analizar el carisma de la Legión en su espiritualidad, el sistema de formación y estrategias apostólicas.

Sin embargo, la Legión ha sabido enganiar incluso al Vaticano en otras ocasiones

Este fue el caso en 2005, cuando la Legión saco a noticia de que no hubo ninguna investigación del Vaticano del P.. Maciel, en el preciso momento en que la investigacion estaba sucediendo. Este escritor participo en la investigación de FR. Maciel a comienzos de abril 2005. En mayo, la Legión informo a los medios de comunication que la investigación no estaba en marcha. Ellos Fueron Capaces de enganiar a muchos  medios de comunicación, Crearon confusión al enfrentar a la Oficina de Prensa del Vaticano con la Doctrina de la Re. REGAIN, INC lue quizás el único órgano que alerto a Catolicos de la treta de la Legion,

señalando además que las oficinas del Vaticano no hacen Declaraciones publicas mientres una investigacion este todavia activa.

Aquí, la estrategia de la Legion parece ser similar: para desorientar al Publico y a sus propios miembros siembran confusion, diciendo algo como:

Estamos experimentando una profunda investigación del Vaticano, pero el negocio va como de costumbre; nuestro superior acaba de publicar un artículo en el periódico oficial del Vaticano!

Ver enlaces en original ingles

Saludos!

How Many Leaving Legion and Regnum? Don't hold your breath with Visitation

Hercules cleaning up the Augean Stables

A similar task has the Vatican cleaning out the Legion/Regnum Christi

Posting two comments from the previous post and ADDING OPINION RE APOSTOLIC VISITATION:

jane asked:

Does anyone have an estimate of the numbers who have left since Feb. 09? I know it would be impossible to count the number of RCs (by this I don'tmean 3gf), because the movement uses vague language like "gone inactive" or "stepped away". But how many LCs have left the Legion? And how many do you guys in the know predict will leave a. if the AV result is reasonable reform, and b. if the AV result is a whitewash?

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February 1, 2010 1:12 PM

irishmexican43 said...

jane,

i would need help with that answer! Don't have numbers.

The Legion continues to be one of the most closed groups in the world, information coming in or going out being strictly controlled. The news items that leak out are just that, leaks; the group is still pretty well sealed. Therefore, speculation abounds. I do not have any facts. Maybe others can help with this one

Thanks for your interest in the blog.

RE APOSTOLIC VISITATION:

There may be a number of members and outsiders who are waiting for some momenteous event to happen with the Apostolic Visitation; but judging by the Vatican's intervention up to now re Maciel, Legion and Regnum such interventions tend to be muted [ a slap on the wrist for Maciel the Pervert from the Vatican in May 2006 after months of gut wrenching interviews with the victims and investigations into his life; he was not defrocked or excommunicated. Maciel's double life was not exposed at that time. Maybe the Vatican learned about it but left it up to the Legion to reveal and manage the revelatiion
Vatican did not want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs of vocations, schools and money]

The Vatican still operates with much secrecy,  putting people under oaths, not making public statements, etc, which IMHO does not help TO GET THE TRUTH OUT in a case like the Legion/Regnum which possesses very good mechanisms for damage control and massaging the message both for its own members and for the Catholic public.

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I mean, according to the Legion/Regnum official version -which the Vatican has not contradicted-  the Visitation is still just a stroll in the park with the visitators coming to confirm the Legion's charism and its many apostolic ventures and activities, including youth groups, apostolic schools, schools, and universities...

I would love to be proved wrong, but I have been right up to now!

I contantly protect myself from disappointment

LC Superior General Urges NOT TO CRITICIZE as Legionaries discuss differences

Found this article on exlc.blog

Sorry for changing the title of the Catholic News Agency original article but I thought mine reflected the reality beyond the words, a necessary interpretative skill when dealing with the Legion and the Regnum.
In Legion parlance, "charity" is a code word, coined by founder, Fr. Maciel, and carried down through his faithfull successors. It usually means not doubting anything about the Legion Myth as imbedded in members though the Legion's peculiar "formation" system. "Charity means never criticizing the Legion or the Superiors -thus Maciel's "Private Vow"  continues despite Vatican prohibition, etc.
From Corcuera and Superiors' point of view, discussions between Legionaries have been getting a bit out of hand:  for the first time ever, and probably under pressure from the Vatican Visitation, Legionaries were getting some freedom of communication among themselves. Not being used to it some may have expressed their real thoughts and feelings -  very unusual up to now - and the Superiors are concerned different opinions and points of view are being aired, a very dangerous situation for an organization where Information Control is a keystone of survival and success. Hence Fr. Alvaro's letter to the members...

When Novice Instructor [superior & spiritual director] Fr. Rafael Arumi preached the Explanation of Rules in Salamanca in the '60ties one of the Principles of Legion Spirit and Mystique was UNIFORMITY OF THOUGHTS AND WORDS, Uniformidad de Pensamiento y de Palabra,  among all Legionaries. Some people call that Totalitarianism, a la Lenin, Stalin and old Communist Party.

See Comments at end of original article on CNA, some of which coincide with this blogger's interpretation of the Corcuera Letter
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Fr. Corcuera urges charity as Legionaries discuss future


Mexico City, Mexico, Jan 28, 2010 / 10:52 am (CNA).- In a recent letter sent to members of the Legion of Christ, Director General Father Alvaro Corcuera, L.C., urged members to be charitable towards each other during their internal discussions regarding the future of the congregation.

In response to a growing exchange of emails between Legionaries about two main issues: the role their founder should play in the future of the congregation, and also the measures that should be put in place to prevent similar situations from happening, Fr. Corcuera called on members to “console each other and accompany each other mutually,” as Simon of Cyrene did for Christ.

Fr. Marcial Maciel founded the Legion of Christ in 1941. Though he died in 2008, revelations of his inappropriate behavior as a priest and leader surfaced early in 2009.

Responding to criticism by some in the Legion who accused their current leaders of being accomplices in the misconduct of their founder, Fr. Corcuera asked members to help one another “live this gift of peace, mutually encouraging one another, understanding one another, truly loving each other, mutually forgiving one another, without recriminating or judging each other, much less humiliating each other.”

A veteran Legionary who spoke with CNA to provide the context of the letter, explained that Fr. Corcuera has asked that the email exchanges, which express “charitably but energetically” conflicting positions regarding the future of the congregation, come to an end.

“These are differences that more or less run along cultural and linguistic lines,” he said, with some English-speaking Legionaries calling for an open discussion about the errors of Fr. Maciel and a change to the “internal culture” of the order. On the other side, many from Spanish-speaking countries think the sins of the founder should be left in the past and that the evils should be corrected “by the faithfulness of the members to the foundational spirit.”

The email exchanges, which have been ongoing for a month, motivated Fr. Corcuera to send a second letter on January 24, calling for an end to the email debates.
“I believe the exchange of opinions through emails between numerous groups of priests, as has taken place recently, is a display of trust and the love we have for each other. But I think that it will never end if we continue like this and we may even cause misunderstandings and opposing positions,” Fr. Corcuera wrote.
“We must all continue working, and seek the best path to allow everyone, especially priests, to calmly contribute with their gifts and reflections to responding to what God is calling us to at this time, especially through the direction which we expect to receive from the Holy See. For now we must let it mature in the hearts of each one of us, as a family, helping each other to purify and build up this work to which God has called us,” the letter stated.

At the beginning of the year, renowned American Legionary, Fr. Richard Gill, announced he was leaving the Legionaries of Christ over irreconcilable differences with his superiors about the direction the congregation is taking following the revelations of Father Maciel’s double life.

Currently, five bishops are conducting an Apostolic Visitation of the Legion and are expected to conclude in March 2010.

Prayer for Haiti Mothers

This text from a friend, formerly a Regnum Christi member.
I am glad that her prayer prompted me to explicitly remember the people of Haiti on this blog

Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU, 
because this morning  I woke up and knew where my children were. 
Because this morning my home was still standing,
because this morning  I am not crying because my husband, my child, my
brother or sister needs to be buried out from underneath a pile of concrete,
because this morning I was able to drink a glass of water, because this
morning I was able to turn on the light, 
because this morning I was able to
take a shower, because this morning I was not planning a funeral, but most
of all I thank  you this morning 
because I still have life and a voice to
cry  out for the people of Haiti. 
Lord I cry out to you, the one that makes
the impossible, possible, the one that turns darkness in to light, 
I cry out that you give those mothers strength, that  you give them
 peace that surpasses all understanding, 
that  you may open the streets so
that help can come, that you may provide doctors, nurses, food, water, and
all that they need in a blink of an eye. 
For all those that have lost family
members, give them peace, give them hope, give them courage to continue to
go on! 
Protect the children and shield them with your power.
I pray all this in the name of Jesus!!!
To all my friends please continue to forward this so that we can pray
together for the people in Haiti.
We here are truly blessed!!!!!

Taking the Cult out of the Man [woman] -CULT RECOVERY ORGANIZATION

You know the Irish saying: You can take the man out of the bog [ignorance] but you cant take the bog out of the man, well this Irish article describes Cult Recovery and an Organization that helps those born into cults.
I am sorry to say, and it may shock you, but Children whose parents are in the RC could be considered Born into a Cult

Fr. Maciel forgave his Victims!

Rome/February 28, 1997

Mr. Clifford L. Teutsch
Managing Editor
The Hartford Courant
285 Broad Street
Hartford, CT 06115

Dear Mr. Teutsch,

Regarding the accusations made against me in the Hartford Courant of Sunday, February 23, I wish to state that in all cases they are defamations and falsities with no foundation whatsoever, since during the years these men were in the Legion never in any way did I commit those acts with them, nor did I make any such advances to them nor was the suggestion of such acts ever mentioned.

During the time that these men were in the Legion of Christ and even after they had left, I spared no sacrifice to help them as much as I could-as I have always done with every person the Lord has put under my care. I do not know what has led them to make these totally false accusations 20, 30 and 40 years after leaving the congregation. I am all the more surprised since I still have letters from some of them well into the 1970s in which they express their gratitude and our mutual friendship.

Despite the moral suffering that this has caused me I bear no ill will toward them. Rather I offer my pain and prayers for each one of them, in hope that they will recover their peace of soul and remove from their hearts whatever resentment has moved them to make these false accusations.

Yours respectfully in Christ,
Marcial Maciel, L.C.