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  Ex-legionaries and Incardination

By Cathleen Kaveny
dotCommonweal
April 7, 2010

http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog/?p=7736

The National Catholic Reporter is now running yet another shocking story about the Legionaries of Christ, and how they were protected and promoted the highest levels of the Vatican–including and especially–by Pope John Paul II.

It is beginning to seem that Legion and Regnum Christi are and were disturbingly cult-like in the way they function.

Now, of course, many Legionaries are leaving the order –some after many years –and moving into dioceses as secular priests. Some may be leaving for good reasons–recognizing the problems with the order. But some may be leaving simply because it’s a sinking ship.

The rumors about the order have been around for years–I have to say, I’m skeptical of someone who has been in for twenty-five years and suddenly recognizes there’s a problem with the formation and the structure and the vows of secrecy.

So Here’s my question: What procedures are these dioceses putting in place to make sure that that the Legionaries who come over are in fact healthy and likely to be productive priests in parishes? Are the procedures for scrutinizing the soundness of priests who come into a diocese “mid-career” as stringent as those imposed on those who enter the seminary within the diocese? Or are requests for transfer automatically granted?

I think it’s ironic: Some bishops do not allow members of the Legion to set foot within their boundaries. But presto-chango, a year later, the very same priest who was forbidden from entering the diocese as an L.C. is welcomed with open arms as (say) a member of the Archdiocese of New York.

Before arms are opened, it seems to me we need to know a little more about what the procedure and requirements of incardination are.

Anyone know anything?

 
 

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