Genoeg! A journey for justice

Oct 27, 2010 4:50pm

(NECN: Ally Donnelly, Salem, NH) - Clergy sex abuse victims from around the world are making a journey for justice. They are headed for Saint Peter's Square in Rome to take part in Reformation Day events on Sunday. Gary Bergeron and Bernie McDade are two of the people leaving for Rome. Gary Bergeron packs for a trip to Rome. Sunday, the Salem, New Hampshire man will stand in the shadow of the Vatican -- shoulder to shoulder -- with hundreds -- he hopes -- thousands of other survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

Click here for the full interview with Gary Bergeron

As the sexual abuse crisis sweeps through Europe, Bergeron and Bernie McDaid -- of Peabody, Massachusetts, will gather with survivors from 13 countries.

What they're calling Reformation Day

-- lighting candles and observing a 60 second moment of silence.

The men have been at the epicenter of the abuse crisis since it erupted in Boston in 2002. Both men say they were abused as children by Massachusetts priest Joseph Birmingham. He has since died, but stands accused of molesting 40 boys as church leaders allegedly shuffled him from parish to parish.

In a recent meeting with abuse victims in Malta, Pope Benedict promised them the church would do "all in its power" to bring offenders to justice and protect children, but despite an apology from the Pope, all some survivors see are empty promises.

The men say for real change to happen people need to put aside the power of the priesthood -- to not see the crisis as sexual abuse of children by clergymen, but

simply sexual abuse of children by men.

A journey, the men say, which has been and will be long and arduous.

NECN has a crew in Rome and will bring you a report on Sunday.

Robinson tour stirs comment

Cath News Australia
Published: June 10, 2008
Retired Sydney Bishop Geoffrey Robinson is continuing his US tour despite accusations that his positions are "not in keeping with the Church" and that he is spreading "misinformation" about the Church's efforts to combat abuse.

The Los Angeles Times reports four of California's leading Catholic bishops, including Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, have taken the extraordinary step of urging the Australian bishop to cancel a month long tour of the United States to promote his controversial new book about clergy sexual abuse.

But Bishop Robinson, 70, said he has no intention of canceling any part of a trip that began May 16 in Philadelphia and brings him to California this week.

"I'm not looking for any confrontation," Robinson said in a telephone interview. "I'm saying, 'Let's start from abuse and follow that where it leads. If we find that obligatory celibacy has contributed to abuse, we must put that on the table.' "

Robinson's sponsors - led by the Catholic reform group Voice of the Faithful - say his tour will press ahead despite what they believe is a campaign to silence him.

"Is this the way American bishops respond to Pope Benedict's call to do everything possible to heal the Church?" asked Dan Bartley, president of Voice of the Faithful, which pushes for doctrinal change in the Church.

"In light of the pope's comments, we believe that blocking an open and honest discussion about what caused the crisis is appalling."

Robinson said he came to the "unshakable conviction" that the Church needed to undergo "profound and enduring change," particularly as it related to issues of power and sex.

He openly questioned its monopoly on definitive truth. And he criticised Benedict and his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, saying their unwillingness to reexamine obligatory celibacy for priests has undercut the Church's credibility.

Robinson said he ultimately concluded that he could not continue to serve as a bishop of a Church that left him with such "profound reservations." He resigned and began to write his book, which was published last year.

Spokesmen for the California dioceses said the Church cannot stop Robinson from speaking, particularly at secular sites. In California, he will give talks at two universities, a hotel and a community centre.

The dioceses said they are not trying to silence Robinson, who notified each of his plans, but to guard against what they believe is his misinformation.

"It's not circle the wagons," said Tod M. Tamberg, a spokesman for Cardinal Mahony.

"If Bishop Robinson knew what we were doing to protect kids in this archdiocese, he would probably say that's great. The controversy over his theological positions should not be allowed to obscure the lay oversight and openness that are cornerstones of our child-protection efforts."

But Robinson remains undaunted.

"I was invited to speak. I said I would," he replied. "I intend to keep to that. There are questions on people's minds that will not simply go away."

Meanwhile, the Seattle Times reports Seattle Archbishop Alex Brunett was among several American bishops who sent a letter asking Robinson not to appear. A cardinal at the Vatican requested he cancel his trip.

In Seattle, Robinson's public appearance last week at Roosevelt High School was hosted by Call to Action Western Washington, an organisation of lay Catholics advocating reforms such as ordaining women and married people.

Robinson's book, "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus," fit into many of the group's goals, said co-chair Betty Hill.

Call to Action had requested an ad in the Catholic Northwest Progress, the archdiocesan newspaper, to publicise Robinson's visit. That request was denied.

"I think it's a shame that [a bishop] of the Catholic Church cannot be welcomed into our diocese simply because the message he has to give is one that they don't want to hear," said retired King County Superior Court Judge Terrence Carroll.

Carroll served as chairman of a Seattle Archdiocese board that reviewed the cases of 13 priests accused of sexual abuse, and has subsequently been critical of the archdiocese for not releasing files related to abuse, among other things.

Carroll, who is not a member of Call to Action, hosted a lunch for Robinson.

"The clergy abuse issue brought front and centre for many Catholics the whole issue of the structure of the Church hierarchy and the various parts of the faith that need to be open for discussion beyond the handling of this specific issue," Carroll said. "All of these things need to be talked about. That's all [Robinson] is asking to do."

Seattle Archdiocese spokesman Greg Magnoni said he was unaware of letters between Call to Action and Brunett about a meeting of the two bishops. He said the archdiocesan newspaper turned down the group's request for an ad because there was no official church agency that sponsored the event.

"I don't think anybody's opposed to open discussion," Magnoni said. But Robinson has "assumed positions that are problematic" because they are not in keeping with the Church.

SOURCE
Leading California Catholics urge Australian bishop to cancel tour promoting book on clergy sexual abuse (Los Angeles Times, 7/6/08)
Australian bishop calls on Catholic Church to take a serious look at sensitive issues (Seattle Times, 7/6/08)

toevoeging:
The ANGLICAN diocese of Adelaide paid out over £342,000 last year in sexual abuse claims, delegates to a special meeting of synod heard on May 31. However, it may be further liable for up to £1 million, and it is “uncertain whether any part of these paid claims or the future potential claims paid may be covered by insurance,” diocesan reports note.

Sex scandal bishop tells of fleeing the media | Uk News | News | Telegraph

The former Bishop of Galway has spoken for the first time about his years on the run after he was at the centre of a sex scandal that shocked the Roman Catholic Church.
Eamonn Casey broke his silence about the Catholic network that smuggled him across two continents after the exposure of his affair with Annie Murphy, an Irish-American divorcee with whom he had a child.

In his first interview since returning to Ireland last year, Fr Casey revealed that Pope John Paul II did not want him to resign as bishop when told that he had fathered a child.
He also spoke of the great lengths he went to and the huge distances he travelled to evade the media as he paid his penance in a North American monastery and with a South American mission.

After years of eluding journalists, the 79-year-old clergyman chose to tell his story to Maurice O'Keefe, an Irish folklorist who recorded several hours of interviews with him at his house in Shangalish, Co Galway.

The interviews disclose the life Fr Casey led after fleeing Ireland as a result of the 1992 disclosure that he had siphoned funds from the Galway diocese to support his mistress and their son Peter, who was born in 1974.
The 70,000 Irish pounds has since been repaid to the diocese and Fr Casey has apologised for his conduct.

In conversation with Mr O'Keefe, Fr Casey described how he travelled to Rome to tender his resignation when he knew that his relationship was about to be made public.
Prior to the publication of his lover's kiss and tell memoirs Forbidden Fruit he was stuck in the Vatican for three days dealing with the Pope's representative.
"All I wanted was to submit my resignation and acknowledge my wrong-doing and leave it at that," said Fr Casey, who masterminded the Pope's visit to Ireland in 1979.

"But he (the Pope's representative) wouldn't accept it. He said the Holy Father doesn't want to accept it."
Fr Casey was coy about his relationship with Mrs Murphy and their son, saying that he "ignored" her book when it came out. Their relationship caused a sensation in Ireland and in the Catholic Church, which had yet to be hit by many of its more unsavoury scandals involving child abuse and predatory priests.
He was more forthcoming about the people who smuggled him from one safe house to another as he attempted to preserve his anonymity on the other side of the Atlantic.

Through his friends, he was sent to a North American monastery, where his fellow clergy had taken a vow of silence and were forbidden from smoking. Twice he set off the alarm by smoking in his room late at night, but he was able to answer the 750 letters he had received.
"That was a delightful six months," he said. "I tried to seek out what was God's will for me."

The answer was to escape to Ecuador, where he used an old Catholic connection to arrange work with the American missionary Society of St James the Apostle. For six and a half years he worked with parish priests building schools and churches.

While there he was sent on a six-month Spanish language course 100 miles outside Mexico City. But he was "betrayed" after three months when two cars drew up outside the gate and two people got out. One started taking photographs.
Fr Casey went to the headmaster and swiftly explained who he was and why the press arrived. He was smuggled out in a convoy of cars. He travelled hundreds of miles to link up with a leading Augustinian, who was also from Galway, while a friend travelled 1,000 miles to pick up his passport so he could go to Florida.

After moving to the south of England in 1998 to work as a hospital chaplain, he is now home in Galway and looking forward to taking Mass in public once more.
He cannot until a Church investigation into false accusations made against him is completed. In 2005, a woman made unfounded allegations of child abuse claiming the alleged incidents took place 30 years ago. The Irish police investigation was completed last August and no charges are to be brought.

500 Irish priests 'having regular sex with women'By Tom Peterkin, Ireland Correspondent
22/01/2006

At least 500 women in Ireland are conducting clandestine affairs with Roman Catholic priests, according to the leader of a support group set up to look after those in forbidden relationships.
An indication of the extent of illicit sexual relationships within the church was given after it was disclosed that Fr Maurice "Mossy" Dillane, 73, had fathered a child with his 31-year-old girlfriend.

Bishop Pat Buckley said an extremely conservative estimate was that one in 10 of the 5,000 Catholic priests in Ireland enjoyed regular sex with women and some even referred to their clerical collar as the "bird catcher".

Studies had shown that 80 per cent of priests had broken their vows of celibacy on at least one occasion, he said.

Bishop Buckley runs the Bethany organisation in Larne, Co Antrim, which he set up to provide support to those in love affairs with the clergy.

Described as Ireland's rebel bishop, Bishop Buckley was sidelined by the Catholic church in the mid-1980s when he pursued his own ministry for those who felt alienated by the traditional church.

When the statistics were widened to take in practising homosexuals, Bishop Buckley said up to 40 per cent of the Catholic clergy in Ireland were sexually active.
Counselling sessions organised by Bethany have disclosed that several women were unwittingly having sex with the same priest.

He claimed the church's hierarchy was prepared to turn a blind eye to sexual indiscretion because it was so widespread. "Bishops are caught between Rome and the priests and, of course, some of the bishops are in the same position (i.e. having relationships)," he said.

"From the top down it is hypocritical. We are preaching compulsory celibacy, but very few are living it."

He said he had met 147 women who had joined Bethany in order to share their stories of adultery and priestly promiscuity.'

Romances between an understanding man of God and an unloved wife were commonplace, as were priests and their housekeepers secretly living together as man and wife while relationships between priests and nuns were unofficially known as the "third way" by the church.

Bishop Buckley said Fr Dillane and the mother of his child had nothing to be ashamed of and urged them to come out of the safe houses where they have been hiding since news of their relationship swept through Ireland.

]The case of Fr Dillane, a sociable and charismatic priest from Co Galway, has been greeted with a tolerance that was absent 14-years ago when Bishop Eamon Casey, the Bishop of Galway, was disclosed as the father of a teenage son by an American divorcee, Annie Murphy. He was forced to apologise when it emerged that he had siphoned £70,000 from the diocese for their upkeep.

Bishop Buckley has been a long-standing campaigner against compulsory celibacy and points to a recent Irish survey suggesting that 90 per cent of the population thought clergy should be allowed to marry. He also believes that enforced celibacy is an unnatural state that could be to blame for the sexual deviancy that led to the child abuse scandal that erupted in Ireland last year.

"Some priests are in the Jack the lad mould and have several relationships in various parishes. I have heard priests refer to their clerical collar as the bird catcher," Bishop Buckley said.
The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland declined to comment on Bishop Buckley's claims.

En opnieuw: wat wist die Paus?

Opnieuw die vraag: wat wist die Paus?
Nu niet over Muriel Maciel Dellgolado, die niet van zijn seminaristen af kon blijven, door JP II als zijn vriend en trouwe medewerker betiteld, over wie B XVI nooit het schuldig uitsprak maar de man dringend verzocht zich terug te trekken in een leven van penitentie.

Nu opnieuw die vraag over uitgerekend, inderdaad: Polen.

Pederastia en la Iglesia católica(Delitos sexuales del clero contra menores, un drama silenciado y encubierto por los obispos)

¡¡¡Un libro que la cúpula de la Iglesia católica teme tanto que ordenó a los medios de comunicación que controla que lo silencien absolutamente!!!
© Pepe Rodríguez © Ediciones B., Barcelona, 2002.



Polish prelate who resigned in 2002 meets with Pope Benedict
Rome, Feb. 2, 2007 (CWNews.com) -

Archbishop Julius Paetz, the Polish prelate who resigned in March 2002 amid sexual-abuse allegations, met quietly with Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) after the Pope’s weekly
audience on January 31, observers report.

Archbishop Paetz relinquished his leadership of the Poznan archdiocese after he was accused of making sexual overtures toward seminarians. After insisting that the charges were false, Archbishop Paetz submitted a letter of resignation to Pope John Paul II (bio - news) on March 28, 2002.

The Pope immediately accepted the resignation, thereby fueling speculation that Archbishop Paetz had stepped down on orders from the Vatican.

Accusations against the archbishop had reportedly surfaced as early as 1999, and the rector of the archdiocesan seminary instituted a policy requiring supervision of the prelate during all
visits. Yet Catholics in Poznan complained that the Vatican had failed to take
action until the scandal burst into public view.

Shortly after the archbishop’s resignation, several priests and laymen from Poznan said that they had delivered a warning to the Vatican in 1999, to no avail.

At that time, the Poznan Catholics did not identify the Vatican officials with whom they had conferred. But in January of this year, during the unrest that followed the forced resignation of Warsaw’s Archbishop Stanislaw Wielgus, the Polish newspaper Glos Wielkopolski reported that the warning had been delivered to Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz-- who was then
the personal secretary to Pope John Paul II, and is now Archbishop of
Krakow.

According to the Glos Wielkopolski, Msgr. Dziwisz did not pass the information along to Pope John Paul.

Zaak Paetz onder toezicht Vaticaan (bron: Katholiek Nederland) februari 2002

De Poolse kerkprovincie heeft bevestigd dat het Vaticaan de zaak ‘Paetz’ in behandeling heeft.

Julius Paetz, aartsbisschop van Poznan, wordt beschuldigd van seksueel misbruik van zijn priesters en seminaristen.

"Nu de onderhavige zaak onder toezicht is van het Vaticaan, zal ze ongetwijfeld worden opgehelderd en opgelost," meldde de persdienst van de Poolse kerk. Verder commentaar werd niet gegeven.

Mgr. Julius Paetz ontkent alle beschuldigingen en zegt dat zij deel uitmaken van een campagne tegen zijn persoon. "Ik heb nooit geestelijken of priesters aangerand", zei hij in een verklaring. "Ik kan niet de namen noemen van hen die mij beschuldigen, omdat ik verplicht ben hun goede naam te respecteren."

Paetz werkte in de periode 1967-1976 in het Vaticaan voor het secretariaat van de bisschoppensynodes. In 1982 werd hij bisschop gewijd en in 1996 werd hij door zijn landgenoot Johannes Paulus II benoemd tot aartsbisschop.

Volgens het dagblad Trouw weet de paus al langer dat Paetz van ontucht wordt beschuldigd. De paus zou in Krakau door een vertrouweling op de hoogte zijn gebracht. "Naar verluidt reageerde de paus geschokt", schrijft Trouw. "Op 29 november vorig jaar stuurde hij een speciale onderzoekscommissie naar Poznan. De bevindingen van de commissie zijn geheim, maar volgens bronnen binnen de kerk bevestigen ze de aantijgingen." Aldus Trouw op 25 februari.

Pinochet assasino!

27-5-06 Maciel Marciel Degollado

Father Maciel suspended: New allegations against other Legionary priests on the horizon?

Brian Mershon
May 25, 2006
[Brian Mershon is a commentator on cultural issues from a classical Catholic perspective. His trade is in media relations, and his vocation is as a husband to his beloved wife Tracey and father to his six living children. He attempts to assist his family and himself in attaining eternal salvation through frequent attendance at the Traditional Latin rite of Mass, homeschooling, and building Catholic culture in the buckle of the Bible Belt of Greenville, South Carolina.]

"And He (Our Lord Jesus Christ) said that whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me. But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged around his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea.Woe to the world because of scandals. For it is necessary that scandals come: but nevertheless, woe to that man by whom the scandals come." (Mt. 18: 5-7)

On the morning of May 19, the Holy See issued a short statement on the status of Father Macial Marciel, L.C., founder of the Legionaries of Christ."Beginning in 1998, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) received accusations, already partly made public, against Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado, founder of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, for crimes that fall under the exclusive competence of the congregation. In 2002, Fr. Maciel published a declaration denying the accusations and expressing his displeasure at the offense done him by certain former Legionaries of Christ.

In 2005, by reason of his advanced age, Fr. Maciel retired from the office of superior general of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ."All these elements have been subject to a mature examination by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and — in accordance with the Motu Proprio 'Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela,' promulgated on April 30, 2001, by Servant of God John Paul II — the then prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, authorized an investigation into the accusations. In the meantime, Pope John II died and Cardinal Ratzinger was elected as the new Pontiff.

"After having attentively studied the results of the investigation, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, under the guidance of the new prefect, Cardinal William Joseph Levada, decided — bearing in mind Fr. Maciel's advanced age and his delicate health — to forgo a canonical hearing and to invite the father to a reserved life of penitence and prayer, relinquishing any form of public ministry. The Holy Father approved these decisions.

"Independently of the person of the Founder, the worthy apostolate of the Legionaries of Christ and of the Association 'Regnum Christi' is gratefully recognized.

"Msgr. Charles Scicluna, the CDF's promoter of justice, reportedly had received signed affidavits and/or conducted in-person, or telephone, interviews with more than 100 ex-seminarians and/or priests of the Legion of Christ, with essentially corroborating stories about alleged violations, including sex abuse, by Father Maciel.

News outlets from National Public Radio, The New York Times and the major network news stations have reported the news. There will be no public ministry for Father Maciel any longer. He has accepted a request by the Holy See to a life of penitence and prayer for the rest of his days. There will be no canonical trial, nor official ruling on his guilt or innocence.

New Accusations Against Other Legionary Priests?

However, one of Father Maciel's original accusers, Paul Lennon, M.A., dropped the following bombshell in what may be yet another nuclear bomb for the Legion of Christ and its Regnum Christi apostolates in this exclusive interview with The Wanderer: Since the May 19 statement on Father Maciel from the Holy See, more alleged victims have come forward claiming sexual abuse, not only by Father Maciel, but from other priests of the Legion of Christ.
He said that due to the stigma attached particularly to male sexual abuse, the new accusers wish to remain anonymous at this time. Lennon was with the first class of Legionary priests ordained from Ireland back in 1969.

What Does It All Mean?

"Among canon lawyers, there is an expression, where there is smoke, there is fire," said Pete Vere, J.C.L. "As more and more allegations come forward, it is very difficult to believe that something may not have happened," he said.

However, Vere added that while he personally believes that based upon the actions of the Holy See with Father Maciel, "many of the allegations have been substantiated," he was quick to caution that that he "did not have access to the evidence."

"Inviting Fr. Maciel to live the remainder of his days as a penitent, without the public exercise of his ministry has a twofold effect: it affirms that the Church takes the charges seriously, considers them to be credible and punishable; secondly, it attempts to affect the ultimate salvation of Fr. Maciel by urging him to repentance," said Timothy Ferguson, J.C.L., a 38-year-old canonist from Clair Shoals, Michigan.

"It is more than a mere slap on the wrists," he said, "as it affects the one thing most people hold very dear, his reputation."

"Since this is referred to as an 'invitation' rather than an 'imposition,' it doesn't fall under canon 1342.2, which forbids the declaration of perpetual penalties without a judicial process," Ferguson said. As an invitation, there would seem to be no means for recourse or appeal against it," he said.

In other words, if Father Maciel had refused the Holy See's invitation to serve the rest of his life suspended from public ministry in penitence and prayer, Ferguson said he believed it "would necessitate the initiation of a penal process."

"I think what we're seeing with Benedict XVI's papacy, he is standing for what is not popular, but what is right," said canonist Vere. "With someone like Fr. Maciel and his stature, it is going to be cleared through the Pope, and this is just another example of him showing he will do the right thing even when it is very painful," he said.

What does the future hold for the Legion of Christ and the Regnum Christi movement whose "charism" is so tied to the person of "Nuestro Padre," Father Marcial Maciel?

Repeated requests for an interview with Father Anthony Bannon, L.C., superior for North America, or Father Owen Kearns, L.C., publisher of National Catholic Register, went unanswered by the Legion of Christ.So in lieu of receiving answers to specific questions, the official media statement by the Legion of Christ (found here http://www.legionariesofchrist.org/eng/index.phtml ) reaffirmed that Father Maciel continues to deny any allegations brought forward by at least 100 accusers. However, the statement does make the following admonition, perhaps revealing more about the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi's "spirit of obedience and faith" through their "spiritual" lens than perhaps they intended to reveal.

One particular part of the statement read: "Facing the accusations made against him, he declared his innocence and, following the example of Jesus Christ, decided not to defend himself in any way," read the second point of the Legion's media statement.

One Interpretation: The Church is Sanhedrin; Pope is Pilate; Maciel is Jesus

For those "with eyes to see and ears to hear," it appears the Legion's statement is at the least implying that Father Maciel is living a dry martyrdom, somewhat similar to the real martyrdom as Our Lord Jesus Christ, by not defending himself against made-up and false charges, except that one of the charges against Jesus Christ He was condemned for was true. He claimed to be the Messiah.

This analogy to Jesus Christ Himself is apparent upon reading the simple words of the statement. But who is the judge and who is the jury? Canonically speaking, due to Father Maciel's "advanced age and frail health," there will be no judge and jury. But effectively, based on the media statement from the Legion, who is Pontius Pilate and who is the jury, the Sadducees and the Pharisees in this "spiritualized" scenario?

"New Catholic" at http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/ wrote the following commentary on the Legion of Christ's response to the Holy See's ruling on Saturday, May 20.

"Now, the imitation of Christ is a duty of every Christian — but this proclamation of Christ-like qualities surpasses every measure of virtue. For here, the accusers are the victims (or even the supposed victims) of most horrendous crimes. Even if the accusations were false, which does not seem to be the case, is it appropriate to compare a man accused of these most grievous offenses to the Spotless Lamb? The Lord was accused of specific points of law, not of offenses committed against specific victims: and was convicted for the "blasphemy" of declaring that He was, indeed, the Son of God and, thus Divine."

Yet, that is not all: By comparing Maciel Degollado to Christ under trial, the 'official response' makes clear the indirect reference it wishes to make. Maciel is Christ; the competent Church authorities — the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Holy Father himself — are the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate (and Herod, the only one before whom Christ was actually completely silent).

"The man was accused of serious misdeeds. The investigations led to 'results' — this means (let no one be fooled by the Vatican's diplomatic words!) actual results, tangible results, which could have led to much harsher measures. Yet, in his exercise of Petrine authority and Christian charity, the Holy Father guided his ministers "to invite the father to a reserved life of penitence and prayer, relinquishing any form of public ministry" and gave his approval to this charitable measure.

"It is certainly fair to call this 'invitation' a 'cross': even fair punishments are crosses we are to bear. Yet, here once again, the 'official response' crosses the boundary of appropriateness: 'He [Father Marcial Maciel] has accepted this communiqué with faith, complete serenity and tranquility of conscience, knowing that it is a new cross that God, the Father of Mercy, has allowed him to suffer and that will obtain many graces for the Legion of Christ and the Regnum Christi Movement.' The troubling messianic aspects of this paragraph are evident."

Instead of remaining silent (which one would expect from a "obedient" son) or of THANKING [emphasis in original] the competent ecclesiastical authorities for the unbound concern they showed for the health and age of the man, and for the future fortunes of the movements he founded, the 'official response' even presents the 'suffering' as a privileged means of grace for the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi.
This, while the Holy See itself was careful to distinguish the person of the founder from the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi.

"'Salus animarum suprema lex' (Can.1752): it was wonderful to watch the Holy See apply this overarching principle of law once again. What a misfortune that such a beautiful spirit had to be squandered by sectarian gall. This official response only deepened the links between the Founder and his movements, which the Holy See had been careful to separate; and instead of the spirit of a Saint Joan of Arc, was filled with the spirit of self-righteousness. There may have been Pharisees in this succession of events — but they were not in the Vatican," New Catholic concluded his exegesis.

The influential Lutheran convert Father Richard John Neuhaus has previously strongly backed Father Maciel, the Legion of Christ and the Regnum Christi movement.

"It is reasonable to believe the CDF and the Holy Father that he did something wrong or it is nearly impossible to defend the decision," Neuhaus said.

In fact, Father Neuhaus had previously written that he was morally certain the initial charges against Father Maciel were false.

"Moral certainty is not absolute or metaphysical certainty," he said, while adding that he had been publicly supportive of Fr. Maciel and the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi.

Father Neuhaus said that he had read the Legion of Christ's official statement regarding the suspension of Father Maciel's public ministry and offered the following interpretation:"Obviously, they view this as a cross that a holy man is bearing in a Christ-like manner, and they solidly affirm solid Catholic teaching that one is purified through suffering," he said. "There are many instances in Church history where actions taken by the Church's leadership turned out to be unjust,

"And seemingly offering Pope Gregory the Great as a possible analogy to the Father Maciel situation, Father Neuhaus, quoting Pope Gregory, said, "I loved righteousness, and I hated iniquity so I die in exile.""That is obviously the spiritual interpretation I expect most members of the Legion or Regnum Christi will have, with which I have no formal connection; that is their interpretation," he said.

When questioned about whether a contrarian perspective might be that this suspension of Father Maciel's public ministries might never have occurred under the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, Father Neuhaus opined that it was "reasonable speculation" to hold.

He also admitted that this news would most likely not be beneficial to the robust and aggressive recruitment efforts and fundraising engaged by the Legion of Christ throughout the world.

Another prominent canon lawyer, who wished to stay on background, explained the real meaning behind the carefully worded Vatican statement. "The mere fact that the CDF assumed jurisdiction over the case is because there was sufficient evidence, approximating probable cause," he said.

Also, he continued, "There was enough evidence of probable cause specifically regarding the crimes against either the sacrament of Holy Penance [the absolution of an accomplice in a mortally sinful action] or the abuse of minors," he said.

So many are still questioning whether the measure taken by the CDF, with direct authorization by the Holy Father, is essentially an act of caution with an undecided verdict. This indeed seems to be the interpretation given by the Legion of Christ's media statement.

"As there is no full exoneration, it is presumed that Maciel is guilty of at least one delict reserved exclusively to the CDF under the instruction Sacramentum Sanctitatis Tutela since he has been 'invited' to fulfill penance as a result of a canonical investigation into heinous crimes for which there exists serious evidence of wrongdoing," the canonist concluded.

What About the Victims?

One key perspective seemingly lost in all of this "spinning" of the facts is that a priest who has been entrusted by thousands of parents with the futures of their sons and daughters quite possibly sexually abused as many as a hundred of them. What about the victims?

Paul Lennon, M.A., one of the original accusers of Maciel, and the founding teacher at the Legion's original School of Faith, said that the original eight victims "are disappointed with the Vatican statement as it seems to leave them hanging."

"They are disgusted with the Legion's attempt to cast Maciel, the perpetrator, as a martyr. Dr. Jose de Jesus Barba said that "by wrapping themselves in the flag of orthodoxy and hiding behind Pope John Paul II's white cassock, in an astute juxtaposition of 'holiness by association,' Maciel and the Legion have been shielded against the legitimate complaints of their victims."

"The victims hope the Vatican statement may reveal the true abusive nature of this pseudo-Catholic Movement and free more victims to come forward, tell the truth, and continue their healing and recovery," Lennon said.

Extreme Secrecy, Psychological and Spiritual Coercion in SeminaryA young home-schooled high school graduate, who asked to remain anonymous, was excited about testing the call of God and his possible vocation when he entered the Legion of Christ's seminar in Cheshire, Connecticut, in the autumn of 1989.
He said he had to work all summer after graduating from high school in order to be able to afford to pay for a cassock prior to entering the order to "test his call" as the Legion literature dubs it.

He had experienced a visit from Father Anthony Bannon, and was impressed by the Legion's orthodoxy and dedication to the Church and Pope John Paul II. But as the young man soon learned, orthodoxy does not necessarily mean solid human or spiritual formation, at least in 1989 based upon his experience.

He was at the seminary for 6 weeks "because they wouldn't let me leave sooner," he said.

"I was told repeatedly that I could not leave from Cheshire," he said.

Now a devout Catholic husband and father, the former Legionary of Christ seminarian said the seminarians were exposed to daily psychological manipulation when he attended. He said the techniques were "powerfully psychologically coercive." He relayed that the Legion priests opened all seminarians' incoming and outgoing mail, as well as listened in on telephone conversations with family members.

"Absolutely," he said. "They read all of my letters; they were listening to telephone calls; I have no doubt," he said.
"I kept asking to leave and they wouldn't let me," he said.
"I told them I didn't feel comfortable taking the cassock, and I met with the novice master more than one occasion and said I didn't understand why they did the things they did"

After six weeks, in desperation one evening, he stayed up late and penned a 14-page letter of questions and presented it to his superior the next day.
"At 10 a.m. the next day, they said I was lying about them and said I need to retract everything I said," he said. After he refused to comply with their demands, he said they finally allowed him to go home the next day.

The elements of extreme secrecy were apparent throughout, he said. Although he said in his six weeks in the Cheshire seminary, he did not witness any sexual abuse, he did watch as one brother was on his way to a total mental breakdown, he said. "They preyed on some guys' insecurities, but I did witness the beginning of the breakdown of one of the brothers," he said."He was an eloquent speaker and a really good guy, but 10 months later after he left, he was a completely different guy," he said.

"Later, I found out he had suffered a total mental breakdown and had left," he said. "The level of psychological pressure was always there."

Advice to Current Regnum Christi Parents: Buyer Beware!

Lennon advises extreme caution should be exercised by parents when contemplating sending their sons to boys activities, camps, "test your call" weekends and/or the Legion's apostolic school. "Catholic Kids Net," summer camps for boys and girls, "Familia" and other such Regnum Christi apostolates are designed as "capturing" grounds for first parents, and then eventually their children, particularly boys for possible early "formation" in the Apostolic School.

Lennon said that if he were a parent with children, "I would demand that the credentials of all Legion of Christ priests working at these activities, including the Apostolic School, be made available to parents. and that they see these documents," he said. According to Lennon, if parents decide to send them, this extra precaution is necessary because "the Legionaries lie through their teeth to a degree that Americans do not even suspect," he said.

Lennon also cautioned against the Legionaries tactic of control at early ages through "spiritual direction," so-called. "I would not allow my children to have 'spiritual direction' with people who are not trained spiritual directors," he said. Especially in light of the fact that most young children, and even teenagers, are just learning how to pray, the actual need for spiritual direction is questionable, both spiritually and psychologically.

"I don't believe children who are so young need spiritual direction," he said. "Isn't confession enough?" Lennon asked.

When asked what advice he would give to current members of Regnum Christi with sons in seminary, the apostolic school or daughters in the Rhode Island girls' school discerning the consecrated life, the now father and husband, anonymous former seminarian said, "Legionaries don't just leave their families, they [are taught] turn their backs on their families."

"It broke down into disparaging comments about their fathers and mothers and their families," he said. "It was shocking."

Finally, the former seminarian said that some of the young men in seminary [often from Mexico] had been shipped off to Legionary school in Spain when they were 6 and 7, and when they came back to the U.S. seminary,

"They hated their parents and their families.""These folks who are very invested in the Legion — they need to investigate how much the Legion is invested in them."

[Editor's note:Both anonymous sources quoted here asked not to be named due to fear of future reprisals from the Legionaries of Christ. Other potential interviewees who said they would like to be interviewed to relay their personal testimonials with the Legion of Christ, and particularly their seminary experiences, refused to be interviewed to avoid suspected possible reprisals from the Legionaries of Christ.]
© Copyright 2006 by Brian Mershon

boek over viespeukerij binnen vaticaan en jp2

ROME — Eager for juicy stories, the public has done what a court order from the Holy See failed to do: cleared store bookshelves of a gossipy, insider look at cardinals and other top Vatican officials.

A decree, issued by a Holy See tribunal, orders one of the alleged authors, an Italian monsignor who retired two years ago after 45 years at the Vatican, to ensure that Gone with the Wind in the Vatican is taken off store shelves.

The book appeared a few months ago to little fanfare, but after the retired cleric, Msg. Luigi Marinelli, said he had been told to appear with a lawyer at a Vatican court hearing, the book rushed off store shelves. He refused to attend a Holy See court hearing to determine if he should stand trial for the book filled with allegations about greed, corruption and arrogance at the Vatican.

The Roman Rota, the Vatican tribunal more known for deciding marriage annulment cases, handled the closed-door hearing. The Vatican press office said the tribunal had requested that no members speak to reporters. In its only comment, the Vatican described the case as a defamation lawsuit.

The 288-page volume paints some prelates as greedy for power and lacking in virtue, with vignettes ranging from a prelate being stopped at the border with Switzerland carrying a suitcase stuffed with cash to a bishop denounced in court by a youth for alleged sexual abuse. The identities are disguised - more or less.
"Morality in the Vatican is infested by intrigue, corruption and favoritism," the book jacket says, alleging that promotions, including appointments to bishops' posts, are often the result of whom you know and not necessarily what you've accomplished.

At Feltrinelli, a large chain bookstore, customers were told that the book had sold out in all 3 central Rome stores. The daily, largely secret, workings of the world behind the Vatican's fortified walls were intriguing even Milan, where stylists and financiers, not clergy and bureaucrats, usually make news.

"They did a great service for the publisher," Marinelli, in an interview with Associated Press, said dryly of the Vatican court, the Roman Rota, which is more known for its decisions on marriage annulments. "The court made a nasty joke," Marinelli said. "The index of banned books doesn't exist any more."
He was referring to the Vatican's Index of Forbidden Books, a now discontinued list of works Catholics were forbidden to read. The monsignor claimed that the work was a collaboration of many people interested in reforming the Roman Curia, the Vatican's bureaucratic machine.
"We all don't even know each other," Marinelli said, adding, "I'm just the spokesman."
A new manual, which was approved by Pope John Paul II this spring, warns Vatican employees that disclosing pontifical secrets is punishable by firing.
Marinelli, 72, worked for many years at the Vatican's Congregation for Eastern Churches. Card. Achille Silvestrini, who is reputedly one of several top Vatican officials described by the book in thinly veiled detail, heads that congregation. Some observers have theorized Marinelli may have been bitter over his failure to become a bishop. He denies that was the motivation.

AP 7/27/99