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  Maciel's Ghost Still Haunts the Castle

By Sandro Magister
The Chiesa
August 30 2010

http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1344557?eng=y

In many of the houses of the Legionaries of Christ, the portrait of their disgraced founder is still on display. And his system of power continues to function. The letter of accusation by a priest of the Legion to its leaders. But at the Vatican, they don't have any protectors anymore



ROME, August 30, 2010 – The changing of the guard that is taking place at the top of the Vatican congregation for religious is making the heads of the Legionaries of Christ, the heirs of their disgraced founder Marcial Maciel (in the photo), even more nervous.

The prefect of the congregation, Cardinal Franc Rode, who was their last major protector, is in fact being replaced for reasons of age. The name of his successor is not yet known. Meanwhile, however, the new secretary of the congregation has already been appointed.

He is Archbishop Joseph Tobin, born in the United States to a family of Irish descent, with pastoral experience among Spanish-speaking Catholics, previously the superior general of the Redemptorists, founded in the eighteenth century by Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori.

In an interview with John Allen of the "National Catholic Reporter" shortly after his appointment, Tobin said in regard to the Legionaries and the decisions about them made by Benedict XVI:

"A house of cards has been constructed in the media and elsewhere to portray Benedict XVI as somehow uncaring or soft on clerical sexual misconduct, but it has to answer the point that one of the first things he did as pope was to deal with Maciel. That action spoke volumes, because I had been in Rome and I saw the incredible clout Maciel had. The fact that Benedict did it, and did it quickly, was a clear signal that the pope is serious about correcting this thing. Theologically and spiritually, I think the Legionaries face enormous challenges, given how much religious life tends to stress the person and the inspiration of the founder. [...] And even affectively, it’s a massive blow."

In effect, in spite of the fact that the Vatican authorities did everything they could to cut off the ties between the Legionaries of Christ and their founder – to the point of calling his life, in a statement dated May 1, 2010, "devoid of scruples and authentic religious meaning" – the figure of Maciel continues to have visibility and weight in the daily life of their communities all over the world.

Moreover, if it is true that full powers in the governance of the Legion today belong only to the papal delegate, Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, the fact remains that yesterday's leaders are still in place, and maintain an extremely strong influence over many of the religious, on account of the complete communion of life that they shared with the founder.

They continue to say that they were always unaware of Maciel's disgraceful behavior, until after his death in 2008.

But the Vatican authorities don't see things the same way at all. They are increasingly convinced – and they made this known in the statement dated May 1 – that a "power system" and a "defense mechanism" aware of his misdeeds had been set up around Maciel over the years.

It is known that, protected by this complicity, Maciel had the gall to spend his weekends with his lovers and children in Spain and Mexico, at the expense of the Legion. To keep his lovers near him – passed off as benefactors – in the vacation house of the Legionaries on the Amalfi coast. To take his children to audience with John Paul II, without his knowledge. To proclaim himself innocent of the countless acts of sexual abuse against the young people and children who accused him.

The letter reproduced below – translated from the original Spanish – is proof of how much the figure of the founder continues to loom over the lives of his followers.

The author of the letter, Fr. Peter F. Byrne, is an Irish priest of the Legion who works in a parish in Cancun, Mexico, together with two other priests of his congregation.

In the letter, addressed to the director general of the Legion, Alvaro Corcuera, Fr. Byrne doesn't only complain that images of Maciel continue to appear everywhere and that his birthplace, Cotija de la Paz, continues to be a destination connected to his memory.

He also denounces the continuation among the Legionaries of a "horrible" practice in use with Maciel: that of drawing in persons and families, classified on the basis of wealth, for the sole purpose of raking in money.

From all of this, Fr. Byrne draws the forlorn conclusion that "the structures of power imposed by Maciel still remain in force today."

 
 

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