Legion Statement?

When Christ is your life what more do you need to say?

...or are we waiting for Godot?

Cardinal to take over Legion of Christ?

It is being rumored in some circles that...
This blogger takes no responsbility or stance re rumor

Are some of our children Second Generation Adults born into the Regnum Christi Cult? #2 in the series HOW TO

#2 in the series HOW TO GET MY LOVED ONES OUT OF THE LC/RC CULT?


Dear Friends,

I am still learning about the phenomenon of cults. "Second generation former members" sounds really far out for LC RC people but we need to take a second look. Could some of us or our children qualify?

See below. SGAs would be the children of RC members who were born into and grown up in the RC, that is, the parents were in the cult and the children became part of it, too, and so have never had a cult-free existence. There may be need to review our realities- and ponder whether some of our adult children might be SGAs and whether they display some of the 'symptoms' described below.

I know the facilitators personally and they are top class.

Respectfully,
Paul
------------ --------

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Carol Giambalvo
To: Carol Giambalvo
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 3:00:29 PM
Subject: A workshop for second-generation former members


SURVIVING AND MOVING ON AFTER A HIGH DEMAND GROUP EXPERIENCE

A Workshop for Second-Generation Former Members

Friday 3:00 p.m. April 17, 2009 to Sunday 2:00 p.m. April 19, 2009

Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center, 1601 Alafaya Trail, Oviedo, FL 32765 (407-365-5571)

The International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) has run workshops for former members of high-demand, “cultic” groups for many years. In recent years increasing numbers of people born or raised in such groups (i.e., “second generation adults” - SGAs) have attended these workshops. These ex-members have special needs, which can be most effectively addressed through a workshop that focuses on them. SGAs do not have a “pre-cult identity” to which they can return. SGAs raised in fringe subcultures have to learn the implicit rules and expectations of mainstream culture. SGAs frequently have educational and other skill deficits that interfere with adjustment to mainstream culture. Having grown up in high-control groups that are often based on irrational belief systems, SGAs tend to struggle with issues of dependency, self-esteem, and social conflict. Because many SGAs were physically or sexually abused, they often have to deal with anger, resentment, and other emotions related to trauma. SGAs have difficulty getting help because they tend to lack finances and be wary of other people, including helpers.

This workshop will address the needs of SGAs through a series of brief didactic presentations (supplemented by written handouts) followed by discussions, to which attendees may contribute according to their comfort levels. Specifically, the workshop will address:

§ critical thinking

§ socialization, culture shock, and acculturation

§ psychological development, child abuse and neglect, parenting styles, boundaries, and trust

§ long-term psychological, educational, and emotional effects of growing up in a culture of abuse and neglect

§ relationships with families and others

This workshop has been made possible by special donations and the willingness of facilitators to volunteer large amounts of their time. Without the dedication of these people, registration fees would be much higher than what is listed below. The donations cover a substantial portion of the total cost. Therefore, the fees listed below reflect a significant discount. Because many SGAs struggle economically, additional financial assistance is available for those in need. If you would like to apply for financial assistance, please contact us.

Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center, a mission and ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, offers a sanctuary of hospitality for growth and learning. In the fall of 1982, Canterbury opened its doors to accommodate groups of many different sizes. Nestled on 48 acres, Canterbury provides a peaceful setting for groups and individual guests to enjoy. Currently, the facility includes forty-six lodging rooms, five meeting/conference rooms, St. Augustine's Chapel, St. Francis Oratory, and a dining room overlooking the lake. Canterbury Retreat is located just minutes away from Orlando and just 40 minutes to local area tourist attractions. We welcome conferences, meetings, and programs from many different walks of life.

FEES

Fees include sleeping accommodations (Friday and Saturday) and meals (Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and Sunday breakfast and lunch). Double occupancy (please tell us your roommate’s name or request that we assign a roommate): $250 per person. Single occupancy: $350 per person.

REGISTRATION

Please send us a note indicating your interest in attending (SGAs ONLY!) and your name, address, phone(s), and e-mail along with a check (made out to ICSA) or Visa or MasterCard number and expiration date. .

Online Registration: http://www.icsahome .com/infoserv_ conferences/ Workshops/ 2009_SGA_ FL.asp



THE FACILITATORS

Leona Furnari, MSW is a licensed clinical social worker in Boulder Colorado. She is a psychotherapist specializing in recovery from trauma, including recovery from abusive groups and relationships. Ms. Furnari is a former member of an Eastern/New Age group, and it was that experience that led to her commitment to help others recover from abusive groups. She has been a regular facilitator/ presenter at ICSA's Recovery Workshops in Estes Park, CO for the last four years. She also works as a school social worker at the middle school level, and facilitates support groups for adolescents dealing with grief, family change and peer relationships.

Carol Giambalvo is an ex-cult member who has been a Thought Reform Consultant since 1984 and a cofounder of reFOCUS, a national support network for former cult members. She is on ICSA’s Board of Directors, Director of ICSA’s Recovery Programs, and is responsible for its Project Outreach. Author of Exit Counseling: A Family Intervention, co-editor of The Boston Movement: Critical Perspectives on the International Churches of Christ, and co-author of “Ethical Standards for Thought Reform Consultants,” Ms. Giambalvo has written and lectured extensively on cult-related topics. (affcarol@worldnet. att.net)

Lorna Goldberg, M.S.W., L. C. S. W., a psychoanalyst in private practice with children, adolescents, and adults. She has co-led a support group for ex-cult members with her husband, William, for over 25 years. She is on the Board of Directors of ICSA/ICSA and is Dean of Faculty, Institute for Psychoanalytic Studies, Teaneck, New Jersey. She has written extensively for social work and ICSA publications. (Lorna@blgoldberg. com)

William Goldberg, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., a therapist in private practice, has co-led a support group for ex-cult members with his wife, Lorna, for over 25 years. He is Director of the Community Support Center and The Young Adult Center of the Rockland County (NY) Department of Mental Health. Mr. Goldberg is an Adjunct Professor in the Social Work Department of Dominican College. (Bill@blgoldberg. com)

Rosanne Henry, M.A., L.P.C., a member of ICSA's Board of Directors, is a psychotherapist practicing in Littleton, Colorado. For the last fifteen years she has been helping those harmed by cults through the original CAN and ICSA. Her private practice specializes in the treatment of cult survivors and their families. She is a former member of Kashi Ranch. (rosanne@cultrecove r.com)

Joyce Martella is the daughter of a leader of a pseudo-Christian cultic group, ISOT, in Northern California. Born and raised in this group, she left after 25 years. She has been cut off from her siblings and mother for over 15 years. She is currently working in a Batterer's Intervention Program and pursuing a doctorate in Depth Psychology.

Michael Martella, a licensed family therapist, was raised in a Bible-based cult for 20 years, leaving in 1980. He is a licensed counselor and an expert in domestic violence treatment in San Diego, California. Over the last three years, he has conducted seven “Cult Survivor Workshops” for ex-cult members, and he is currently writing his doctoral dissertation on “Cult Wounds and Cult Healing.”

__._,_.___

Is the Legion/Regnum a Cult? 1- How to get my loved one out of the Legion of Christ/Regnum Christi

Does the LEGION OF CHRIST/REGNUM CHRISTI possess any of these features?

The Cult Checklist was composed by Dr. Langone, Ph.D (Executive Director, International Cultic Studies Association) and other experts in the Cultic Studies field, including Janja Lalich whose 2006 reworking of "Captive Hearts, Captive Minds" is cutting edge and readable: "Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships"

1. The group is focused on a living leader to whom members seem to display excessively zealous, unquestioning commitment.
2. The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.
3. The group is preoccupied with making money.
4. Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
5. Mind-numbing techniques [such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, debilitating work routines] are used to suppress doubts about the group and its leader[s].
6. The leadership dictates -sometimes in great detail- how members should think, act and feel [for example: members must get permission from leaders to date, change jobs, get married; leaders may prescribe what type of clothes to wear, where to live, how to discipline children, and so forth].
7. The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leaders and members [for example: the leader is considered the Messiah, or an avatar; the group and/or the leader has a special mission to save humanity].
8. The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which causes conflict with the wider society.
9. The group's leader is not accountable to any authorities [as are, for example, military commanders and ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream denominations]. The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify means that members would have considered unethical before joining the group [for example: collecting money for bogus charities].
10. The leadership induces feeling of guilt in members in order to control them.
11. Members' subservience to the group causes them to cut ties with family, friends, and personal group goals and activities that were of interest before joining the group.
12. Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group.
13. Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

(This list was composed a couple of decades ago and has become a classic, widely quoted, as it appears literally in "Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, Freedom and Recovery from Cults and Abusive Relationships" by Landau-Tobias & Lalich, Hunter Press, 1994, Appendix, pp 276-7)

If you consider that the Legion/Regnum does possess several or all of these features then you are discovering the true nature of this organization. Remember, a cult is about METHODS more than CONTENT [Doctrine, Orthodoxy, etc.] it is NOT WHAT but HOW they do things, the MEANs they use to reach their often lofty, idealistic, challenging, and possibly "good" goals.

FURTHER STUDY
See Introduction to the annual International Cultic Studies Conference where two cult experts explain what a Cult is and how Members and Relatives can be helped LINK

Brutal Deceit by Legion of Christ Continues

Please visit and comment on my previous post: Get my Loved Ones Out!

I would like to be able to build on it; a number of relatives of members are asking for the magic formula to get their loved ones out of the cult

My thought/headline of the week: Legion of Christ Deceitfully Defends Maciel and Self

We have read a lot involving LC defense of Maciel and the group, along the lines of he was a sinner, human frailty, King David, etc. beside the plate in the head excuse -you probably remember more...

By focusing public/Catholic attention on this whole sinner thing they are diverting attention from the issue: How can a man who is humanly, morally and psychologically bankrupt have a positive charism? If they continue to insist on that there is still some kind of positive charism, i can only exclaim, like the man in the Gospels, "I believe, Legion, help thou my unbelief".

Moreover, if we search deeper for Maciel's real "charism", we find the almost diabolical capacity to deceive people, and which seems to have been inherited by the group. Paraphrasing Jose Barba in his recent Univision appearance* where he described and acknowledged Maciel's brutal sexual assault which made his penis bleed; "Yes, but the way he was able to deceive people; now, that is brutal"

LINK

*THE SINS OF FATHER MACIEL, Spanish language Univision "Aqui y Ahora" aired 3/3/09 featuring victims Jose Barba, PhD, and Juan Jose Vaca M.A. [Past introductory commercials]

Get my loved one out of the Legion/Regnum: THE WHY

Get my loved one out of the Legion/Regnum: THE WHY

Dear Reader,

Relatives and Friends of young people in the Controversial Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi Movement are desperately trying to get their loved ones out.

The present urge stems from hearing about Fr. Maciel's secretly fathering a young woman who is now in her 20s and living in Spain, as well as furtively using large amounts of cash for his "personal expenses". Catholic blogs have been screaming for more information and appropriate measures from Legion leadership. The news, leaked from the inside by Movement Leaders, is the last straw for Parents who were growing increasingly dissatisfied with the Movement's excessive control of their children. Many observers have seen a connection between the Founder's breach of celibacy and previous credible accusations of pedophilia leveled at this figure, venerated and "idolized" by the members.

Relatives, friends, and members wonder how far the Founder's secretive "double-life" reached and how it may have affected the Movement's "Charism", that is, its specific spiritual gift to the members, the Church and the World. Under the gun, Legion leaders are coming up short. They seems to be at a loss to explain what the Movement's specific charism is in the first place.

Despite the Movement's intensive campaign of minimization and information control, the Media, Catholics and concerned public will not let Legion leadership off the hook. "Questions and Answers" posted here on Feb 24 appear to me the mechanism the Leadership has been using to control the damage inside the ranks. These measures are meant to minimize Maciel's behavior, protect his image as founder, placate members and outsiders, and explain away his unacceptable behaviors. Members are told to "Apologize, apologize, apologize" in order to placate those who are rightly indignant and in disagreement with the leaders's reading of the events. The Movement attempts to re-write recent history just as it re wrote the Founder's previous separation from the order by the Vatican 1956-59. At the time it was called "The War" [Sp., La Guerra, meaning a war waged against the founder and the legion by forces out to destroy them]; later it was rebaptized as "The Great Blessing"...

Of particular importance in the present debate is the very strong statement -see LINK- by the Archbishop of Baltimore expressing his reservations about the Legion/Regnum Movement and the withdrawl of his pastoral support, saying that he "cannot in good conscience" recommend the order or the Movement.

Orchestrated Answers from Legionaries: Legion/Regnum Internal Guidelines for Handling Maciel Siring Scandal

The following guideliness were circulated among Legion and Regnum Christi leadership coaching them on how to manage Questions re Maciel Siring of Daughter and related issues. This explains the carefully choreagraphed response of all members to questions from "outsiders", including family members, ex-members, reporters, clergy, etc. Members apologize profusely in an effort to placate those wronged, without admitting responsibility, demonstrating remorse, resolving to amend their ways, or making restitution. A very bad Confession, indeed.

[FOR INTERNAL USE OF OUR MEMBERS ONLY]

GUIDELINES FOR ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS

LINK

Considerations:

All our words should be inspired and guided by Christian charity, knowing that “the
triumph of truth is charity” (St. Augustine).
This is a time of great pain for Legionaries of Christ, members of Regnum Christi and
everyone associated with the Church. There is the great mystery of how the Holy
Spirit can play beautiful melodies on a broken instrument. But we must remember
that for those who have been hurt, we cannot excuse their suffering by reminding
them of the good that God does through the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi.
We must speak and act in light of the Gospel and the principles of Catholic morality
that we find summed up in the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding the truth,
charity and upright behavior in regard to other people’s defects.
We must demonstrate faith, hope and charity – particularly to those who have been
hurt— and entrust all of us to God’s mercy with great peace and serenity.
There are some people who, out of respect, sensitivity, Christian mercy, profound
gratitude, etc., don’t want to go into details about Nuestro Padre’s behavior. Their
response is to pray, and to be humanly and spiritually close to those who are
confused and hurting. We should respect and encourage this attitude, as much in
ourselves as in others. The starting point is the acknowledgment and gratitude for all
the good we have received.
All these conversations must he held without getting into an argument, with the
greatest possible serenity, with a supernatural view of things, and letting people
know that it’s perfectly normal for different people to have different points of view,
different tones to their answers, etc. This is also due to the state of suffering,
tiredness and pain that we are all experiencing, and it calls for a lot of patience,
understanding and the certainty that we all want the same thing. If all this is making
us suffer so much, it’s because we all love the same thing.
We love Christ by listening to others, offering our sympathy and accepting our own
human failings and imperfections.
We should always ask for support, prayers, understanding and a lot of trust, as
members of the one family, one body in the Church and in the Movement. We should
make sure to support everybody that needs it.
These are times of prayer, humility, unity and charity

POINTS TO BE MADE:
1. We apologize to anyone hurt by Father Maciel’s actions.
2. We regret any scandal to the Church
3. We offer our prayers to all who are suffering as the result of this and ask
for the prayers of the faithful for us.
4. In all our considerations, actions and words, our departing point is the
following: We have sought to act, and we are trying to act according to
what Jesus Christ would do. We have tried to illuminate our decisions
with the light of the Gospel, following the Catechism of the Catholic
Church, having heard the advice of many and in unity with the Holy See.
The principles that guide us are those of justice, charity and mercy with
all.

Questions/Answers:

What do you have to say about Father Maciel?

To our surprise and pain, we recognize that some of our founder’s behavior was
incompatible with his priestly condition. We are deeply sorry for the offenses he
committed and we ask pardon for the scandal this has caused.
It can be helpful to read the letter Father Alvaro Corcuera has written to Regnum
Christi members and friends, and the Zenit article about this. These texts provide
guidance on the interior attitudes towards this situation (the letter) and concise
information (the article).
Even so, we can’t forget that our founder was the instrument that passed on, in all its
integrity, the charism God gave him and the Church approved. For that, we are
forever grateful to him. At any rate, he has passed on and his judgment is in the
hands of God’s infinite mercy.

What did Father Maciel do?

As you know, it is public knowledge that he fathered a daughter. Out of respect for
the privacy of the persons involved, it is not our place to spread further information.

Was there financial impropriety?

First, I want to be clear that our financial systems are very thorough and there are
procedures of accountability and oversight in place to prevent misuse of funds. In
the past, Father Maciel was so trusted that he was able to have funds available for
his personal use. We simply do not know the extent of those funds or what portion
may have been used inappropriately. And because much of this happened long ago,
it is likely we will not be able to determine the amount.

How do you explain Father Maciel’s behavior?

It’s very hard to understand. We are not able to grasp it fully, and we probably never
will. It’s part of the mystery of human behavior, and involves: moral and
psychological factors, circumstances, etc. It’s especially hard to mesh all the good
that we knew about him with the facts that are emerging now. At any rate, he has
already passed away.

What about the accusations of previous years?

The subject of the accusations of sexual abuse by Father Maciel has resurfaced.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was in charge of investigating them
according to its procedures.
In May 2006, bearing in mind Father Maciel’s advanced age and his delicate health,
the congregation decided to forgo a canonical trial. It invited him to a reserved life of
penitence and prayer. The Legion of Christ accepted the Holy See’s decision.
Given the Holy See’s action, it seems likely that some of the accusations were
deemed credible. There never was a trial, however, and the competent authority did
not issue a verdict. At this time, we do not have conclusive evidence about particular
accusations.
The Legion of Christ wants to reach out and help whoever was hurt by our founder.
We are undertaking a review of our responsibilities as a congregation in this regard.
We are profoundly sorry for anything that could have happened.

Were the superiors aware of these facts?

The superiors had no evidence of these facts, and they suspected nothing.

And how was that possible?

We all trusted our founder; it never occurred to us to be suspicious of his behavior.
Frankly, with 20/20 hindsight we see that we should have been more alert to
possible signals.
But the superiors acted unsuspectingly; they never knowingly collaborated with his
misdeeds or covered up the situation once they found out.

When did they find out about them?

When Father Maciel was no longer general director, in 2005, certain facts started to
emerge little by little. After the Holy See’s communiqué in May 2006, during the final
months of Father Maciel’s illness and after his death, further clues and first-hand
evidence surfaced. The superiors contacted the appropriate authorities of the Holy
See and more recently, in accord with the principles of justice and charity, began to
personally inform the Legionaries and consecrated members of Regnum Christi,
much as happens in a close-knit family faced with a similar situation.

What will you do if you learn that members of the congregation were complicit in
Father Maciel’s inappropriate activities?

We certainly do not know that is the case. But if we learn of such a situation it will be
dealt with seriously and in accord with the principles of justice and charity.

How are you dealing with the situation?

Well, first of all, it hurts and deeply saddens us. Even more, we feel the real shame
that anyone in the congregation – especially our Founder – could bring scandal to
the Church and pain to the faithful.
We are turning more intensely to prayer and are strengthening our commitment to
Christ, focusing our attention on him. We are also more keenly aware of the mission
that the Legion is entrusted with in the Church.
We are deeply sorry for all the hurt and the scandal this has caused, and for those
who may have suffered.
We are struggling through these days of mixed emotions and we all need time to
pray, to reflect, and to assimilate the consequences of this situation. As we process
all this, we are holding onto Christ and to our identity as a part of the Church, the
sacrament of salvation.
We look to the future with confidence, with the commitment to continue serving the
Church and others.

What will the Legion of Christ do going forward?

Clearly, we are reviewing our procedures to ensure that nothing like this happens
again.
We put our trust in God. And we know that our mother, the Church, walks with us
and “gratefully recognizes the worthy apostolate of the Legionaries of Christ and […]
Regnum Christi” (Communiqué of the Holy See Press Office May 19, 2006).
Cardinal Franc Rodé, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life
reminded us of this in Chile this past December:
“Then I told him (the Holy Father) that I was going to meet the groups of the Regnum
Christi Movement and my friends, the Legionaries of Christ, and the Holy Father,
Pope Benedict, told me: ‘Tell them that I know them, I esteem them, and I appreciate
them. Tell them that my blessing accompanies them; tell them to follow with great
conviction the path marked out by the charism given to the Regnum Christi
Movement, and to be great witnesses of Christ and of his Church in today’s world.’”
We have always tried to speak and act in light of the Gospel and the principles of
Catholic morality that we find summed up in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
about the truth, charity and upright behavior in regard to other people’s defects.
We also know that others both inside and outside the Church have been hurt by
these revelations. We understand that we have a responsibility to demonstrate our
faithfulness and work hard for the Church.
We count on the closeness and support of the Holy Father and Cardinal Rodé and
many other churchmen who appreciate the charism and the works of apostolate of
the Legion of Christ and the Regnum Christi Movement. They are strongly
encouraging us to move onward, faithful to our vocation of service to the Church
according to the charism God gave us.

******************

EXPLANATORY COMMENT FOR THE UNITIATED

by Legion Scourge


Dear Jose and other victims of Maciel's pederasty and of Legion's denial and calumnies,

thank you for sending this document which is evidently "una consigna", a guideline/order, that has been given to all the superiors and spiritual directors [in the Movement these are synonimous]. You and some other friends may agree with me in the following summary and considerations.

IMHO: Whatever information the Legion of Christ/Regnum Christi Movement revealed about Fr Maciel's sins and crimes was revealed because they had to, not because they wanted to. In other words this was the most convenient thing for the organization in the present circumstances. Considerations regarding Charity, justice, and whatever in this order are pure bs and downright deceitful [for the rank and file]. We are talking expediency -with a lot of astuteness.

All official statements to outside[rs] have been carefully orchestrated by the leadership cadre in Rome [i.e. Garza, Sada and Corcuera and, perhaps, a public relations or damage control firm].

All statements/explanations to insiders -members of any kind- have also been carefully orchestrated by the leadership, often in the form of a personal visit from the Superior General.

Some individual members, priests, religious, and lay members may have "broken ranks" in the present crisis; although not one single member has publicly rebelled and left [this goes to show the organization's power and control over members].
"Dissenters'" words and actions will be carefully noted by the leadership and these members will be "let go", reformed or exiled or otherwise punished in due time, in a way deemed fit, according to the principle of institutional expediency.

In this sense, leadership can reap some benefits from "the bad news", helping them to beat the bushes and make some "not fully integrated members", rise into the sky, like partridges, where they can be picked off more easily.

"The crisis" has also shown the hands of many people in the Orthodox Catholic community and elsewhere who now will be identified as bungling "enemies of the Work of God", out to destroy The Movement.

Going further with my skepticism, I might say, that the leadership will strategize how to prevent members from approaching those ["well meaning but mislead"] resources whose names are posted on the REGAIN, INC page. In this, it appears, Thank God, they have not been 100% successful.

Rank and file members appear to be honestly shocked by the revelations and want to apologize, etc, but they follow the guidelines as "the Will of God coming to them through their legitimate superiors."

99% of members are unable to think outside the Movement box. Don't blame them. They are mind-controlled.

I sadly believe they continue to be tremendously immature (childish) in their conscience, spirituality and discernment [co-dependent on their spiritual directors and lacking in true spiritual autonomy in the presence of the Real God, and enslaved in a fear- based spirituality].

Superiors will encourage them, with the usual pious and pseudo-empathic protestations, to get their mourning done quickly and get on with their lives and apostolates, "business as usual"

Let me share one anecdote. Very recently, I spoke with an active 3gf [Regnum Christi Consecrated Woman] for the first time in my life.

She reported that "after much soul searching" -barely two weeks of some confusion and inner turmoil in which she had been angry at Fr. Maciel!- she had decided to forgive him, to stay the course, and keep her vocation to RC and its apostolates approved by God and the Church -she reminded me of that last phrase at the end of the 2006 Vatican communique separating founder from foundation].

When she told me she had approached her confessor with her crisis -and I assumed he was an LC priest- I knew she was doomed to stay!!! If members go to their regular approved LC Spiritual Directors with this kind of problem, their doubts will turn in against them like ingrown toe nails.

When I explored the issue, she stated that she was not forbidden from consulting with an "outside" priest... I told her that was new. She stated categorically that the Private Vow about not criticizing and squealing had been abolished, as others have reported and I had never believed. She seemed to recall it was around the time of the Vatican censure of Maciel.

I told her that although there had been some apologies to Maciel's victims, I had not seen any official apology from present leadership.

I suggested to this woman that if she were really serious about discerning her own vocation she do an Ignatian Retreat or Spiritual Exercises with a Jesuit. I added that when I did my Spiritual Exercises in Salamanca, Spain in the 60/70s Maciel was always hovering in the background prompting the director where to go [Besides Maciel was paying him!!!]. I mentioned how we were discouraged from having spiritual direction or going to confession to the director [Don Angel Morta, a Spanish diocesan priest trained in Ignatian spirituality]. Maciel encouraged a small group of seminarians to go to confession/direction to Morta so he would not be too suspicious or feel slighted, that is, to keep up appearances, and comply with the formality.

Skeptically yours, Scourge of the Legion