Posted on 02/03/2009 4:30:34 PM PST by tcg
The Founder of the Legionaries of Christ and its lay movement, Regnum Christi, are deeply shocked and heartsick. Their founder, Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado, had already been alleged to have been involved in serious and scandalous sexual impropriety in the past.
The influential, deceased founder of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi, Fr. Marcial Maciel, a consecrated celibate priest, is now alleged to have had a mistress, fathered at least one child and lived a double life. I will use the summary set forth in the recent article on “American Papist” written by Thomas Peters. It appears to be the most comprehensive, up to date and substantive. It is based upon numerous reports including sources within the community itself:
“1) Maciel fathered a child who is now in her early 20's; “2) Maciel offered some money illicitly to his own family; “3) The current head, Alvaro Corcuera, entertaining his own suspicions, demanded that the case be reopened several years ago; “4) The health of the Legion depends on denouncing him as founder and moving on. “I have heard more details in addition (a second child, etc), but in this situation, I tend to think we've already learned enough to make an evaluation. Anything further is simply prurient interest.”
(Excerpt) Read more at catholic.org ...
Time to renounce him as founder and move on.
There was already reason enough several years ago was there not?
The Monsignor/pastor of my dad’s Church had a mistress and two children. Nothing new under the sun...
My first reaction was relief that at least he wasn’t a gay child molester.
The order he founded has done great good, however. Also, Regnum Christi is very helpful to many laypeople in my barren diocese. And until I read the above article, I didn’t realize the National Catholic Register is owned by the Legionaries.
He seems to have done good in spite of himself. Many of the Renaissance Popes lived very corrupt personal lives, but they never denied doctrine or taught false doctrine, and in many cases, they encouraged and supported saints, founders of religious congregations, missionaries and evangelical movements. So while Maciel’s personal sins are awful, and his lying about them even worse, for some reason, he was able to do great good.
I think had discipline in the Church been better during the first years of his group, he might not have come to this end. But the Devil like a roaring lion goes about seeking whom he may destroy, and perhaps Fr. Maciel became proud and arrogant because of his work and, with no one to watch him closely, fell pray to Satan in the crudest ways. Good did come out of what he started, and he is already under discipline by the Pope, so I’m not sure what more can be done - other than to focus on the good and leave him to be forgotten.
Vlad, is this really a big deal? Its seems much ado about nothing to me.
Well, this scandal sorta conflicts with the other scandal they’ve been pushing hard (that he was a homosexual pedophile). Yes, there are bisexuals, but this is an entirely separate profile than that of the other scandal.
Sounds like McBrien and Greeley.
Like the Soviets rewriting the history books so that Trotskiy never existed? How colorful.
If this hasn't been proven yet, shouldn't there be any hesitation about trashing him?
Previously, he had been accused of being a homosexual pedophile and now he has a mistress and fathered at least one child. That is a double life.
I still think some caution should be exercised before he's "convicted."
I think it has something to do with the recommunication of some of the Bishops John Paul II excommunicated in the 80’s.
Conservative Catholics are less then thrilled about some of the comments the Legionaires of Christ made concerning the reinstatement and Williamson’s later really horrific interview given to the BBC..
I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t realize this was news. I thought this came out more than a year ago.
Although it is remotely possible, it is more than likely an urban myth. Please tell us the name of the pastor or the parish so we can check it out.
No ice-picks involved, so it won't even make CNN Headline News.
You wrote:
“Vlad, is this really a big deal? Its seems much ado about nothing to me.”
It’s hard to say in a way. After all, Marcel was thought to be gay just a few years ago and he was essentially forcibly retired. Now that it has been discovered that his transgressions were even more complicated than previously known it might be a really good thing for his order to can him as their spiritual founder. In other words, this order, which is so popular in the Church and has accomplished so much in such a short time could have a rebirth from the shadow that’s been hanging over it the last few years by dropping Marcel.
I know a priest, a really solid priest, whose brother is a priest in the LoC. I wonder what he’s thinking about all of this. At one time he too was in the order, but left it to be a diocesan priest instead. I’ll have to ask him tomorrow at Mass if I get the chance.
“It’s hard to say in a way. After all, Marcel was thought to be gay just a few years ago and he was essentially forcibly retired.”
Well, I don’t know any of the players or the history which it appears is at least part of why I don’t see what the big deal is. I will say this, sometimes I think some Latins attribute far too much “holiness” to some of the “higher ups” in The Church. Human beings, especially those high up in the hierarchy of The Church attract powerful demons and many, very many, haven’t the spiritual strength to resist. To my jaded Eastern eyes, this is sadly not at all remarkable...nor does it shake my Faith in the least.
Don't relax too much.
That is why it is best to honor the collar, but remember that they are, indeed, human beings. I don't at all go in for the personality cults which develop around leaders, religious or secular.
I would never make light of his sins but he who is without sin cast the first stone.
We are all such sinners, that is why we need Christ who is our only perfection.
“I don’t at all go in for the personality cults which develop around leaders, religious or secular.”
Me either, it seems that either the leader or the followers begin to see the leader as the messiah.
LOL - good point.
You wrote:
“To my jaded Eastern eyes, this is sadly not at all remarkable...nor does it shake my Faith in the least.”
I agree entirely!
Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor's tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.
Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized. It prompted our Lord to utter this curse: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."86 Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others. Jesus reproaches the scribes and Pharisees on this account: he likens them to wolves in sheep's clothing.87
Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion.
ccc - RESPECT FOR THE DIGNITY OF PERSONS
Is this rumor Patrick Madrid mentioned on his blog?
Is this the rumor Patrick Madrid mentioned on his blog?
What comments do you refer to?
I have never known any Legionairy to say anything not charitable towards others, especially where obedience to the Holy See is concerned.
Also, there is no mroe “conservative” group of Catholics than the Legion.
Since when is an allegation accepted as fact? We have to be extremely vigilant because the left is aggressively working to undermine the moral authority of the Catholic Church because it is a counter to the theology of Obama. The left is following the script written by the Nazi's in their successful campaign to diminish the influence of the Church's opposition to the Nazi agenda. One only needs to do a minimum of research on the anti Catholic policies and "Immorality Trials' conducted in Germany in the 1930's to recognize what is going on.
Anyone who thinks all priests are paragons of virtue (IE not human) is deluded. The Catholic laypeople on this site are so intent on circling the wagons that they deny reality and human nature.
The paradox of your argument is that the event, if it did occur over a half century ago, is so far out of character and uncommon that it is remembered as tribal knowledge.
The people on this site who project the actions of a few upon the character of all are guilty of bearing false witness, which is a mortal sin, slick.
The idea that "human" is mutually exclusive with "paragon of virtue" is profoundly un-Catholic. Our Lady, for one, is both human and a paragon of virtue.
That having been said, it was a great Catholic who said that the streets of hell were paved with the skulls of bishops. It is certainly true that all priests are human, but many are not paragons of virtue.
He has been. however, held up as an exaulted figure, a saint. Evidentally he was nothing like that, a false prophet like so any televangelists. His order must repudiate him as a Judas.
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