Legion of Christ continues to reinvent itself and search for its charisma
“The Legion is reorganizing and registering itself under a different entity — probably in anticipation of the Vatican’s giving the present organization a negative response. A federation can be as easy a way to hide the money as any. I pray that there is no recognition of the LC/RC as a federation (as requested 5 Dec 2018) – it will only provide ecclesial cover for the evil that continues to vitiate the Church’s mission and message – they will turn everything to money.”
MADRID (ChurchMilitant.com) – A high-ranking cardinal says the Vatican had information on notorious abuser Fr. Marcial Maciel as early as 1943.
Cardinal João Braz de Aviz is head of the Vatican’s Congregation for
Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. In a
speech last month widelyreportedin Spanish media, he said that the Vatican had known about Maciel for decades and did nothing.
Spanish Catholic magazine Vida Nuevaquotes the Brazilian cardinal as saying, “Who covered him was a mafia, they were not Church.”
Cardinal Braz de Aviz was speaking in Madrid, Spain, addressing the 25th general assembly of the Spanish Confederation of Religious
Maciel, a Mexican priest who founded the religious institute the
Legionaries of Christ, was first investigated by Vatican officials for
allegations of drug abuse from 1956 to 1959. Despite
numerous investigations into his behavior over the course of decades,
it was not until 2005 that the Vatican determined child sex abuse
allegations were credible and cracked down on Fr. Maciel. Church
officials removed Maciel from his leadership of the Legionaries. Then in
2006, Maciel was commanded to retire to a life of prayer and penance.
He died in 2008.
Father Maciel has been accused of molesting seminarians, fathering
children with secret “wives” and even sexually abusing his own
offspring.
Some are speculating that Cdl. Braz de Aviz might have brought up the
case of Fr. Maciel to deflect blame for the current clerical sex abuse
cover-up scandals tarnishing Pope Francis’ pontificate. The current
pontiff has faced intense criticism since Abp. Carlo Maria Viganò testified in August
that Pope Francis lifted disciplines that had previously been imposed
on accused homosexual predator ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick.
The cardinal claims his congregation has “nothing to do” with
cover-ups like the one that kept Maciel in ministry for decades. He said
the congregation now follows “a very good process” for responding to
abuse allegations.
He emphasized that it is important for Church leaders to “be
immediate in the face of abuse,” adding, “What comes to us immediately
has to be heard.”
Speaking about the clergy abuse crisis in general, Cdl. Braz de Aviz said, “I have the impression that allegations of abuse will grow, because we are only at the beginning. We’ve been concealing for 70 years, and this has been a tremendous error.”
El Vaticano conocía la pederastia de Maciel desde 1943
por Carlos Esteban | 02 enero, 2019
La
Santa Sede conocía la pederastia del fundador de los Legionarios de
Cristo y la ignoró durante 63 años, ha reconocido el prefecto de la
Congregación para los Institutos de Vida Consagrada, el cardenal João
Braz de Aviz.
“Quien lo tapó era una mafia, ellos no eran
Iglesia”, ha asegurado Braz de Aviz en una entrevista concedida a Vida
Nueva el mes pasado, cuando estuvo en Madrid hace un mes para clausurar
la asamblea general de la Confederación Española de Religiosos (CONFER).
“Tengo la impresión de que las denuncias de abusos crecerán, porque
solo estamos en el inicio. Llevamos 70 años encubriendo, y esto ha sido
un tremendo error”, dice Braz de Aviz.
La información ha saltado a
las páginas de la prensa secular y la da hoy el diario español de
referencia, El País, que ya en 2006 informó de la investigación a que
había sido objeto Maciel entre octubre de 1956 y febrero de 1959 por
encargo del cardenal Alfredo Ottaviani.
El peor caso de abusos en todos los sentidos, desde pedofilia a drogadicción, pasando por suplantación personalidad, poligamia e incesto, fue posible a lo largo de décadas y con la protección de la Curia pese a las constantes denuncias que llegaban a Roma, algo que podría haberse atajado, quedando en un desagradable incidente menor, antes de mediados del siglo pasado.
Pasaje largo en castellano de la carte original de las víctimas más abajo.
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Article below by ReGAIN staff:
Pope Francis, Cardinal Braz de Aviz,
Compel Legion of Christ leaders to
Have Mercy on Fr. Maciel’s Victims who continue to be
victimized by the institution’s Devious Methods!
ReGAIN has previously alluded to the ongoing saga of Pedophile Founder of the Legion of Christ’s “historical victims” who have never received proper compensation for their sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse.
The leadership of this Vatican approved religious congregation has demonstrated time and time again their lack of human and Christian response to the plight of the victims.
Remember that Pope Benedict XVI described the Founder, Fr, Maciel, as a man “lacking moral scruples.” I fear the present Legion leadership suffers from the same spiritual malaise. Fr. Maciel, the conman, was full of tricks. One of these was to predate his letters. For example, he would delay answering a letter or demand -filed, say, in September- and answer at his convenience – (when it might be too late!) in November-, but dating his response in October! Present Legion leadership is using the same trickery in responding to the victims’ demands. Normal people are easily duped by psychopaths!
Another Legion trick is to divide the victim group by reaching out in devious ways to individuals. The victims had formally demanded they be approached as a group. Instead of honestly and nobly to the victims’ legitimate demands, Legion leadership has used a series of subterfuges more befitting a MAFIA and cult-like organization than a bona fide Catholic Religious Congregation.
What kind of Christianity is this?
What kind of Vatican oversight is this?
What kind of a so-called religious order is this?
The time for excuses, platitudes and promises is long past.
Legion Leadership, stop acting like a Mafia and Intra-Eclesial Sect.
Compensate victims immediately or accept your sins of negligence before God and man..
In our previous article we have explained how the Legion of Christ leadership has continued to stone-wall and play games with the victims who have been requesting clear acknowledgement of abuses, restoration of their reputation and just compensation for damages.
Their heretofore fruitless efforts have been going on for over 20 years!
As the Legion hosts its latest Chapter General in Rome seeking their illusive charism and miracle renewal through restructuring and producing reams of obsessive-compulsive documents, victims have attempted once more to make the Legion respond. In their latest effort -and here one must commend them for their patience with the Legion and hope in Holy Mother Church! – they reformulate previous unanswered demands:
Summary by ReGAIN staff
That the Legion of Christ as an institution formally and unambiguously reinstate the good name of their Founder’s sexual abuse victims who were once branded “enemies of the Church and of the Legion.”
That the Legion as an institution extend such an apology to all the media that once were instrumental in the detraction and calumnies spread about the victims, other former Legionaries, family and friends. This apology should be communicated unequivocally to all Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi members.
There can be no real reconciliation with the “historical victims” until the Legion of Christ makes a just, appropriate and complete compensation to the victims.
In order to bring this about, a team of three Legion delegates with full authority should interface with a team of three delegates chosen by Fr. Maciel’s ‘historical victims’ to effect a true meeting and dialogue between the parties.
The victims group demands the right (because of advanced age) to transmit or transfer to others the benefits derived from the settlement.
The victims will not accept any “silencing” by Legion authorities as a condition for compensation. This has been a consistent part of the Legion’s de facto historical Modus Operandi with diverse victims and their families.
Dutch cult expert Frances Peters gave this masterly power point presentation at the International Cultic Association’s International Conference in Bordeaux, July 2017.
ReGAIN believes it is of great value to members, parents, friends, helpers and professionals involved with controlling, coercive, harmful groups.
ReGAIN wants to remind the public that such harmful groups can exist even in the heart of mainstream – including Christian and Catholic – churches and communities. We will post upcoming articles re questionable Catholic Communities and Movements.
