Spiritual Message of Fr. Deomar De Guedes, on Leaving the Legion

Dear Friends I have been much "edified" by this spiritual consideration from this prominent Brazilian Legionary of Christ on leaving the order

November 6 near Rione di Trastevere, Lazio, Italy

"So I say to you, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."
(Lk 14.33) 
Following Christ requires courage and radicalism. This is the central message that the Word brings us today. It's like a warning, a reminder: "think before you take this path because he's going to be demanding!" Following Christ often takes us out of our comfort zone, the things already achieved, our personal "status", to go to wherever He wants. It's like God did with Abram, telling him to leave his land, in his old age, to mark a new life path. That's the way God is, ever present in our lives, calling us to set out on new adventures in our life. 
Are you willing?

Have a good day!!! 

(Translated by Bing) & the blogger

Luz de hoje: 

“Do mesmo modo, portanto, qualquer um de vós, se não renunciar a tudo o que tem, não pode ser meu discípulo!”(Lc.14,33) 

Seguir a Cristo exige coragem e radicalidade! Esta é a mensagem central que a Palavra nos traz hoje. É como um alerta, uma chamada de atenção: “Pense bem antes de colocar-te neste caminho pois ele vai ser exigente!” Seguir a Cristo muitas vezes nos fará sair de nossa comodidade, das coisas já alcançadas, do “status” pessoal para ir para onde Ele diz. É como Deus fez com a Abrão, pedindo que deixasse a sua terra, já na sua velhice, para imprimir um novo caminho em sua vida. Assim é Deus, sempre presente em nossa vida, chamando-nos a empreitar novas aventuras em nossa vida. Estais disposto? Bom dia!!!

1- RECOVERY from Legion/Regnum: Step One: Know what you were subjected to: "Thought Reform"

Courtesy of Carol Giambalvo's Cult Information and Recovery 

What is Thought Reform?

When defining thought reform, we look to two experts in the field: Margaret Thaler Singer, Ph.D. and Robert Jay Lifton, M.D.:

Six Conditions for Thought Reform

 Margaret Thaler Singer, Ph. D.

1. Keep the person unaware of what is going on and how she or he is being changed a step at a time. Potential new members are led, step by step, through a behavioral-change program without being aware of the final agenda or full content of the group. The goal may be to make them deployable agents for the leadership, to get them to buy more courses, or get them to make a deeper commitment, depending on the leader's aim and desires.
2. Control the person's social and/or physical environment; especially control the person's time. Through various methods, newer members are kept busy and led to think about the group and its content during as much of their waking time as possible.
3. Systematically create a sense of powerlessness in the person. This is accomplished by getting members away from the normal social support group for a period of time and into an environment where the majority of people are already group members. The members serve as models of the attitudes and behaviors of the group and speak an in-group language.
4. Manipulate a system of rewards, punishments and experiences in such a way as to inhibit behavior that reflects the person's former social identity. Manipulation of experiences can be accomplished through various methods of trance induction, including leaders using such techniques as paced speaking patterns, guided imagery, chanting, long prayer sessions or lectures, and lengthy meditation sessions.
5. Manipulate a system of rewards, punishments, and experiences in order to promote learning the group's ideology or belief system and group-approved behaviors. Good behavior, demonstrating an understanding and acceptance of the group's beliefs, and compliance are rewarded while questioning, expressing doubts or criticizing are met with disapproval, redress and possible rejection. If one expresses a question, he or she is made to feel that there is something inherently wrong with them to be questioning.
6. Put forth a closed system of logic and an authoritarian structure that permits no feedback and refuses to be modified except by leadership approval or executive order. The group has a top-down, pyramid structure. The leaders must have verbal ways of never losing. (Singer, 1995)

Dr. Robert Jay Lifton's Eight Psychological Themes of a Thought Reform Program

1. Milieu Control. This involves the control of information and communication both within the environment and, ultimately, within the individual, resulting in a significant degree of isolation from society at large.
2. Mystical Manipulation. There is manipulation of experiences that appear spontaneous but in fact were planned and orchestrated by the group or its leaders in order to demonstrate divine authority or spiritual advancement or some special gift or talent that will then allow the leader to reinterpret events, scripture, and experiences as he or she wishes.
3. Demand for Purity. The world is viewed as black and white and the members are constantly exhorted to conform to the ideology of the group and strive for perfection. The induction of guilt and/or shame is a powerful control device used here.
4. Confession. Sins, as defined by the group, are to be confessed either to a personal monitor or publicly to the group. There is no confidentiality; members' "sins," "attitudes," and "faults" are discussed and exploited by the leaders.
5. Sacred Science. The group's doctrine or ideology is considered to be the ultimate Truth, beyond all questioning or dispute. Truth is not to be found outside the group. The leader, as the spokesperson for God or for all humanity, is likewise above criticism.
6. Loading the Language. The group interprets or uses words and phrases in new ways so that often the outside world does not understand. This jargon consists of thought-terminating clichés which serve to alter members' thought processes to conform to the group's way of thinking.
7. Doctrine over person. Member's personal experiences are subordinated to the sacred science and any contrary experiences must be denied or reinterpreted to fit the ideology of the group.
8. Dispensing of existence. The group has the prerogative to decide who has the right to exist and who does not. This is usually not literal but means that those in the outside world are not saved, unenlightened, unconscious and they must be converted to the group's ideology. If they do not join the group or are critical of the group, then they must be rejected by the members. Thus, the outside world loses all credibility. In conjunction, should any member leave the group, he or she must be rejected also. (Lifton, 1989)

Fr. Maciel has the Last Laugh

The following blog posting was brought to my attention, a scathing criticism of the Pathetically  Failed Reform of the Legion of Christ religious order:

The Last Laugh
Would you send your son or daughter to a school whose formative program was designed by a pedophile? 

Would you seek guidance on issues of morality from a sodomizer?

Would you attend marriage counseling offered by a profligate womanizer?

Would you delegate the role of mentorship and character building to a pathological liar and conman?

Would you donate money to a cause founded by a thief whose only moral compass were the demands of his own outrageous lifestyle?

Would you expect the Catholic Church to entrust the formation of its priests to any of the deviants listed above?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these preposterous suggestions, then you will be pleased with the way in which the resolution of the scandal that is the 
Legion of Christ appears to be approaching its ignominious end.


In roughly 90 days the Legion will hold its General Chapter, the pre-scripted tragicomedy that is supposed to sweep the truth of the embattled congregation under the rug forever and free its weary leadership from future scrutiny, responsibility and, best of all, criticism. 
  
This is not the first General Chapter of the Legion, although its architects are the same as the previous two, held in the early ‘80s and again in 1995 under the controlling gaze of Fr. Maciel. The tone and contents of the first Chapters are an eerie reverse-prophecy of all that will be cosmetically altered come January 2014 as the Legion once again reinvents itself while remaining what it will always essentially be: the legacy of a perverse, devious and recklessly arrogant abuser whose name may no longer be mentioned, but who continues to live and breathe in the fraudulent masterpiece he engineered.

The conclusive documents of the Legion’s  General Chapters may be found on the Wikileaks website. Although the translation is fairly poor, enough of the hubris and pathology on which the inner life of the congregation is predicated comes through to offer what will surely be a most interesting contrast with the carefully rendered documents that will be released after the next Chapter as proof of the Legion’s rebirth.

Whatever the outcome, nothing will erase the frustration and disgrace of the inexplicably missed opportunity to truthfully and courageously uproot and atone for one of the worst scandals in the Church’s history.

How did it get this far? When did the Legion become ‘too big to fail’ in the eyes of Church authority? Who’s heads would have rolled and who would have been implicated had the Vatican decided to launch a full and impartial investigation into the history, canonical legitimacy, inner workings and finances of the Legion of Christ?

The Catholic Church doesn’t need – never needed – this scandalous brainchild of Marcial Maciel, but it has gone to unfathomable, self-incriminating lengths to keep it on life support. 
  
If mirth is permitted wherever Fr. Maciel finds himself at present, there is no doubt that he has that leering grin on his face that so many of us recognize well. Everything continues to go according to plan.

Unless Pope Francis still has a surprise or two up his sleeve, which we hope will be the case, Nuestro Padre, when all is said and done, got the last laugh.

Dissident Legionaries "Hung out to Dry" in Psychiatric Facilities by Superiors

Dear Friends,
my heart is breaking when I read this information regarding Legionary priests in the Cancun/Merida Area of Mexico who after sub-standard mental health treatment have been sent to psychiatric residential facilities in Guadalajara and Puebla. The information is supplied by Fr. Pablo Perez who has returned to that area after taking a leave in is home diocese, Saltillo, Mexico. 
I believe that any person, a Christian, a Catholic must feel great indignation when he hears of this mistreatment of priests.

As we approach November 14, 2013 ,  first anniversary of the death of Erin B caused by panic after leaving the consecrated women of Regnum Christi and Legionaries of Christ, new information appears about neglect of Legionaries’ Mental Health Needs.

Father Adolfo Acosta Flores ( 57 years old) who was pastor in recent days on the island of Cozumel and Puerto Carrillo ( Prelature of Cancun)  voiced his intention to move to the diocesan clergy of his native city of Torreon (northern Mexico ) . The priest is one of Maciel 's sexual victims; only after learning that the founder of the Legionaries had sired "at least one daughter " did he dare to comment on the abuses suffered the night before his religious profession in the novitiate in Salamanca ( Spain ) the night before professing vows in the hands of the founder. Over nearly 30 years he kept quiet certain that no one would believe . He continued to be one of those who continued in contact with Maciel . When he was away in Brazil he tried to pass to the diocesan clergy . He returned to the bosom of the Legion and was assigned to the Legionary Prelature of Cancún. He experienced memory problems, one wonders whether the effort of decades to repress the memory of the suffering did not degenerate into general deterioration of his mind . The fact is that as of October 2013 the father Adolfo Flores Acosta , is not in the Torreón diocesan clergy but in Guadalajara ( Mexico ) admitted to a home for mentally/physically ill priests .

In the same house  Father Benito Aguilar was held ,  a Legionary priest well known in Merida ( Yucatan , Mexico) as the pastoral genius for creating schools and universities and apostolic works in that city. His great work conflicted with  the administrative centralization which operated under  the then Vicar General , Father Luis Garza Medina . Against Father Benito Aguilar’s better judgment , lay directors were appointed to the schools. The situation leads Father Benito Aguilar  into depression and he is medicated with psychotropic drugs. Under the influence of this medication he is moved to Cancun ; there Mr. Xacur , the Palace Resort owner , intercedes with Legionary Bishop Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cardenas for Father Benito to be chaplain in his hotels. This improves the health of Father Benito and he renews contact with people from Merida passing through the resort . Later this is a sudden relapse of Fr. Benito health , he is transferred to the city of Puebla where he knows nobody  and the weather doesn’t suit him. His deteriorating health draws his family’s attention.  The point is that as of October 2013,  he is at a Guadalajara residence for mentally or physically ill priest run by a group of nuns. 

Conforme nos acercamos al 14 de noviembre 2013, primer aniversario de la muerte por pánico de Erin tras su salida de las consagradas del Regnum Cristi o Legionarios de Cristo aparecen nuevos datos.

El padre Adolfo Flores Acosta (57 años de edad) que en últimas fechas fue párroco en la isla de Cozumel y en Carrillo Puerto (Prelatura de Cancún) me externó su intención de pasar al clero diocesano de su natal ciudad de Torreón (norte de México). El padre es una de las vícitmas sexuales de Maciel, sólo tras saberse que el fundador de los Legionarios había engendrado "por lo menos una hija" se atrevió a comentar los abusos sufridos la noche anterior a su profesión religiosa en el noviciado de Salamanca (España) la noche anterior a pronunciar sus votos en manos del Fundador. A lo largo de casi 30 años guardó silencio cierto de que nadie le creería. Siguió siendo uno de los que atendían a Maciel. Fue alejado a Brasil y ahí intentó pasar al clero diocesano. Regresó al seno de la Legión y fue destinado al a prelatura legionaria de Cancún. Experimentó problemas de memoria, es legítimo preguntarse si el esfuerzo de decenios por reprimir la memoria de los sufrido no degeneró en la ruina global de la misma facultad. El hecho es que en octubre del 2013 el padre Adolfo Flores Acosta, no está en el clero diocesano de Torreón, está en Guadalajara (México ) internado en una casa para sacerdotes enfermos mentales y /o físicos.

En la misma casa ha sido recluido el padre Benito Aguilar Mendivil, de sobra conocido en Mérida (Yucatán, México) por haber sido el genio pastoral que levantó las escuelas y universidades u obras de apostolado en esa ciudad. Su gran labor entró en conflicto con la centralización administrativa que operó el entonces Vicario General, padre Luis Garza Medina. Ante la resistencia del padre Benito Aguilar, se procedió al nombramiento de directores laicos en las escuelas, la problemática induce una depresión al padre Benito Aguilar que es medicado con psicofármacos. Bajo los efectos del dopage lo trasladan a Cancún, al tiempo que Xacur, el dueño del complejo hotelero Palace, intercede ante el obispo legionario Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cárdenas para que el padre Benito sea capellán en sus hoteles. Con ello mejora la salud del padre Benito y restablece contacto con personas de Mérida que pasan por el complejo hotelero. De forma repentina se anuncia una recaídaa en la salud del padre Benito, su traslado a la ciudad de Puebla donde no conoce a nadie y el clima le es adverso. El deterioro de su salud hace que la familia se interese, el punto es que en octubre 2013 está Guadalajara internado en la casa para sacerdotes enfermos mentales y/o físicos que dirigen unas religiosas.

Legion of Christ -like Scientology Convicted of Defrauding Members

preying financially on several followers in the 1990s.





Interesting article appeared today

Paris (AFP) - France's top appeals court on Wednesday upheld a fraud conviction and hundreds of thousands of euros in fines against the Church of Scientology for taking advantage of vulnerable followers.

The Cour de Cassation rejected the organisation's request that a 2009 conviction for "organised fraud" be overturned on the grounds it violated religious freedoms.

The group has previously indicated it will appeal the conviction to the European Court of Human Rights.

The conviction saw Scientology's Celebrity Centre and its bookshop in Paris, the two branches of its French operations, ordered to pay 600,000 euros ($812,000) in fines for preying financially on several followers in the 1990s.

The original ruling, while stopping short of banning the group from operating in France, dealt a blow to the secretive movement best known for its Hollywood followers such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

France regards Scientology as a cult, not a religion, and had prosecuted individual Scientologists before, but the 2009 trial marked the first time the organisation as a whole had been convicted.

The head of a parliamentary group on religious cults in France, lawmaker Georges Fenech, hailed the ruling.

"Far from being a violation of freedom of religion, as this American organisation contends, this decision lifts the veil on the illegal and highly detrimental practices" of the group, said Fenech.

The court case followed a complaint by two women, one of whom said she was manipulated into handing over 20,000 euros in 1998 for Scientology products including an "electrometer" to measure mental energy.

A second claimed she was forced by her Scientologist employer to undergo testing and enrol in courses, also in 1998. When she refused she was fired.

Founded in 1954 by US science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, the Church of Scientology is recognised as a religion in the United States. It claims a worldwide membership of

"I Accuse Fr. Peter Hopkins, LC of torturing fellow Catholics in the Name of the Father (Maciel)!

from facebook:

[Blogger inquiries seem to lead to Fr. Peter, whose star once shone brightly on the US Legion horizon being assigned to a modest school in Mexico City. Readers, please research. Could this correspond to the usual Legion tactic of sending overseas members who could be sued in the USA?...as in the case of Fr. Anthony Bannon, etc.]

not me,
not this blogger
another person does the accusing
And its all because of this "life.after.rc" blog, which may be approved by the Regnum Christi!

It all happened in 2010 when that blogger took Fr. Peter to task for comments made regarding Gateway Academy, a pristine Legion of Christi [or Regnum Christi, not sure which, does it matter?] institution.


I think this article, Peter Hopkin's comments, needs a serious redress.
Peter Hopkins LC is the same Peter Hopkins who was behind taking Paul Lennon and Regain to court a la scientology.
He makes no real address to the allegations about manipulation of conscience or going against parental authority. He picks out the Vatican's hope that the legion continues its good works over the serious flaws it points out. (Is it a stretch to say the Vatican hopes this? is this hope in the place of faith? as in I hope it rains because we're in a drought?).
Bishop Watty and the Vatican have clearly expressed that the Maciel effect has infected the entire Legion.
To acknowledge the mistakes/crimes/failings/sins of a dead man is one thing, to be able to recognise how that dead man has influenced your thoughts and behaviour is another. Maciel did NOT simply live a parallel life, his life AS a legionary was twisted and manipulative and this gave him power and wealth.
He was a sociopath and created systems to cope and live. Unfortunately his idea of living was exploitation and the systems he used to exploit have been in place in the Legion since the start. These are the serious problems that need addressed.
Fr. Hopkins has the luxury of making these comments about Gateway because the details, the dates and occurrences were contained in www.exlegionaries.com and comparable with the other US schools. This is the website that Peter Hopkins shut down.

Posted by: Aaron | June 24, 2010 at 05:40 AM

------

Now when I Googled Fr. Peter I got some nasty stuff saying that he can be nasty too. So Aaron is not alone. I hope Fr. has not made enemies for himself:

"Anyway getting back to the tale at hand, one such tradition was the good old fashioned one of physical mortification, via tying various(metal) straps around ones limbs to impede circulation and cause discomfort or whipping oneself. Yes, whipping oneself! I still remember one evening in the winter of 1982 when Br. Peter Hopkins, now Fr. Peter Hopkins and a big wig in the States with the Legion, gave us the Legionary spirituality class and introduced the not(at)ion of whipping oneself as a penance. Now, I had hear(d) about hair shirts a la Matt Talbot and could stomach the cilicio (I think they were called) but whipping oneself sounded so twisted to me that I stood up and protested aloud that this was against the very law of God, that we were each temples of the Holy Spirit and that this was an insult to the Holy Spirit! Naturally this lead to a counter blast from Peter Hopkins who had to restore order to the community and negate my questioning of a long standing legionary tradition. He tore strips off me that evening in public for questioning him and his authority on this....and being the tender novice I meekly conceded and swallowed my pride on the matter.

The Legion of Christ's Self Report

THERE IS A SEMINAL PROBLEM HERE: THE LEGION DESIGNS THE SURVEY, THE LEGION DISTRIBUTES THE SURVEY AND THE LEGION TABULATES THE RESULTS. WHERE DOES OBJECTIVITY COME IN? SHOULD NOT THIS BE DONE BY AN INDEPENDENT SOURCE?

We refer you to the Legion article appearing recently on their blog

General membership survey shows progress

| WHO WE ARE | NEWS

Areas for renewal consistent with earlier analysis

QUOTES: Results from the Regnum Christi general membership survey conducted early this summer are consistent with the survey taken in 2011.    More than 700 Legionaries, consecrated and lay members completed this year’s form, about half the number from two years ago. As in the earlier survey, members continue to raise a desire for greater transparency in how we operate and a clearer view of the Movement’s overall mission. Both issues are being addressed in our renewal process. Two years ago, many respondents expressed a desire that Regnum Christi put greater emphasis on working within the local Church, particularly in parishes.  The 2013 survey indicates that we have made much progress in this area. At the same time, respondents identified weakness in our willingness to invite new people to the Movement, indicating there are some members still awaiting the results of the various assemblies later this fall and the Legion’s General Chapter to be held early in 2014.  The majority of those surveyed are positive about inviting new members to the Movement.