The Cathoholic

Benedict XVI and the Legion of Christ

While the global media scrambles to unearth evidence of the pontiff''s supposed  pattern of indifference to clergy sex abuse, a recent National Catholic Reporter story confirms that while he served as Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger kept the Legion of Christ at arm's length, and acted against its founder as soon as he had the chance.  Damien Thompson in The Telegraph offers some additional commentary on the Legion's massive fundraising operation that bankrolled conferences, and other projects and services for appreciative Vatican officials--thereby building considerable good will that Father Maciel later would use to his advantage. Did Maciel's powerful friends know what was going on, or were they manipulated by a brilliant con artist?

Friends and admirers of the late Pope John Paul II have worried that his legacy could be badly tarnished if his top advisers are drawn into the Legion of Christ scandal. However, in the wake of his death, the responsibility for Maciel's dark record will be passed on to other Church authorities, and it is unlikely to be placed at the door of those who fought hardest against disciplinary actions for Maciel. The cruelest irony is that it won't  matter whether it was Benedict who forced Maciel's retirement or not. Ultimately, he still will be held responsible.

During its glory days, the Legion of Christ gained credibility and influence by riding on the coattails of the beloved John Paul II. The favor was returned when the Legion's army of dynamic young priests filled  the vacuum left by the Jesuits, who once worked mightily on behalf of the pope. Now, if the Legion is truly devoted to the service of the Holy Father, its  leaders  must act decisively to take responsibility for their blind ignorance--or willing facilitation of his manipulative agenda. If they love the pope, they must act before this becomes one more crime laid at his doorstep.

UPDATE: Here is the second installment of Jason Berry's recent report on the Legion in the National Catholic Reporter.

The most interesting part of Berry's tale is his snapshot of the Legion's Mexican roots--the powerful, wealthy families that backed Maciel in the early days and the scions of these families who are now contesting his legacy. This is the stuff of tragedy, and some of it involves senior Legion authorities who continue to resist a transparent review of the damage he wrecked--even as they grapple privately--no doubt--with his impact on their own life choices.

Legion of Christ Communique: A Cult of Personality Unravals

Here are recent statements issued during the week by the Legion of Christ that acknowledge as true grave charges against the order's founder. Four years after Pope Benedict forced the founder to retire, the Legion's senior leadership is finally grappling with the impact of Fr Marcial Maciel's cult of personality on their ability to make rational, independent judgments about his legacy.

"We had thought and hoped that the accusations brought against our founder were false and unfounded, since they conflicted with our experience of him personally and his work," the statement reads.

The images that always haunt me--as I think about members of the order and their painful collision with reality--are the deeply sad stories of Father Maciel's earliest victims: the young Mexican boys placed under his supervision, far from their parents. He violated the trust of his victims, their parents, and the Church. When the boys grew up, and some gathered the courage to  publicly denounce a Catholic leader  widely viewed as a success story, they were ignored and then vilified. Thank God for their courage and the stubborn sense of self-worth that led them to persist in their testimony to the truth.

"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." If we are real Christians and not simply acolytes in a cult, which cares more about public relations than defending the human person as the image of God, we must be prepared to acknowledge our own grave errors, and those of our very human leaders.

Some critics of the Church seek to reject the fundamental truths about the human person given to us by Christ, simply because of the grievious failings of Catholic leaders. However, the often inconvenient truths of our faith secure human dignity, and aid our efforts to atone for our own transgressions. Indeed, the deepest irony regarding the clerical sex abuse scandal is that the victims--mostly Catholics--knew they deserved better--if only because they were told so by the teachings of their faith.  God took human form, affirming our fundamental dignity and worth. God suffered and died for us so that we could live with him in eternity.  Is there another blueprint that would serve us better?  The leaders of our Church and their flock will continue to stumble until the return of the King. Christ warned us about that.