Possibly Unpopular Opinion of the Year

On my cousin's blog, she often posts her "Possibly Unpopular Opinion of the Week." She's an Army wife and a homemaker and writes about raising her children. Her posts are quite funny, so I am stealing her idea just once, even though this post is not going to be funny. It is going to be quite serious. I'm going to give my "Possibly Unpopular Opinion of the Year." Most of my family and friends are going to disagree, but it needs to be said. It concerns the Legionaries of Christ.

A brief history of the Legion, taken directly from their website:

On January 3rd, 1941, Fr Marcial Maciel (1920-2008) founded the Legion of Christ in Mexico City. In an audience on June 12th, 1946, Pope Pius XII said that the new religious congregation must contribute to the formation of Catholic leaders, especially in Latin America. In 1959, the first draft of what would become the statutes of a movement for lay people was drafted. Shortly after, the name Regnum Christi (Kingdom of Christ) was chosen. In February 1965, Pope Paul VI granted definitive approval to the Legion of Christ with the Decretum Laudis (Decree of Praise). In 1970 Pope Paul VI entrusts the Legionaries of Christ with an extensive mission territory in the Riviera Maya of Quintana Roo, Mexico. This mission territory is now the Prelature of Cancun-Chetumal.

In 2006, a canonical investigation by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reached sufficient moral certainty to impose grave canonical sanctions on Fr. Maciel, corresponding to the accusations made against him, including the sexual abuse of minor seminarians. Taking into account the advanced age and delicate health of Fr. Maciel, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith decided “to forego a canonical trial and invite the priest to a reserved life of prayer and penance, renouncing all public ministry. The Holy Father approved these decisions.” On January 30, 2008, Fr. Marcial Maciel passed away in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 2009, after a gradual internal process of gathering information, the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ publicly confirmed that Fr. Maciel had a daughter in the context of a prolonged and stable relationship with a woman, along with other gravely reprehensible behaviors. Some months later, the communications media presented two other people, siblings who state that they are sons of Fr. Maciel by his relationship with another woman.

In March, Pope Benedict XVI decided to initiate an apostolic visitation to the institutions of the Legion of Christ to help the congregation overcome its existing difficulties. The apostolic visitation, carried out by five bishops, began on July 15, 2009.

On March 25, 2010, the superiors of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi issued a public statement expressing their deep sorrow for the gravely reprehensible actions of their founder. At the same time, they renewed their commitment to deepen their understanding of the Legion’s history, charism, and spirituality, and to engage in a process of renewal under the guidance of the Church.

Upon the conclusion of the apostolic visitation, Pope Benedict XVI decided to continue accompanying the Legionaries of Christ. To this end, on July 9, 2010, the Pope appointed Archbishop Velasio De Paolis as pontifical delegate, with the task of guiding the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ through a process of revision and renewal. An apostolic visitation to the consecrated members of Regnum Christi was also announced.

Sounds horrible, doesn't it? I was also surprised and very hurt as this scandal unfolded. Many Catholic dioceses were dealing with sex abuse crises at the same time that these allegations were coming to light, so in a way it just added to the "discomfort" of being Catholic during this time. I'm sure that many people suffered, just as other Catholics suffered from local scandals in their own dioceses.

I love the Legionaries of Christ. Why? Because I have known them for over 10 years, and I wouldn't be in the seminary if it weren't for them. In fact, I dare to say that I wouldn't be Catholic if it weren't for them. They are a great order whose founder and some of their leaders failed them miserably. Who knows what his intentions were in the beginning. I like to think that he had good intentions - who knows. Perhaps he had the best intentions; perhaps he didn't. Either way, he failed (as we all do, by the way), but in this case, he brought shame upon his followers and upon the Church in general.

I'll tell a story. In the Spring of 2003, I was just completing my Freshman year at the Naval Academy. I was barely 18 years old. I heard about a trip to Europe - the "Prince of Liechtenstein Catholic Leaders Fellowship." It was a free trip to Europe, and I had never been to Europe! It was a one month Summer pilgrimage and retreat to France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. They wanted an equal number of men and women to go (since they were staying in separate housing), and a few men dropped out at the last minute. They needed Catholic men to sign up - who wouldn't want to go? I only applied because I wanted to go to Europe, and it turned out that the trip was run by some priests - the Legionaries of Christ. I didn't care - I wanted to go to Europe!

Who knew that this trip would change me completely! During this trip I learned how to pray from the heart. One of the Legionary priests, Fr. David Daly, learned that I had not been to Mass or Confession in many years, so he sought me out. Eventually, I went to confession for the first time in about 8 years and was restored to a State of Grace. I can't explain how that made me feel. Later on, I spoke to him about his priesthood and I was immediately attracted to the idea of becoming a priest. I wanted the priesthood. I wanted to be able to offer Holy Mass and to absolve sins. This idea never left my heart, and 8 years later, I am in my 3rd year of seminary. The years in between college and seminary weren't free of challenges, but I was "turned over" to another Legionary priest, Fr. Michael Sliney, in my college years, and he helped rekindle the "spark" of a vocation while I continued to run from the idea of a vocation to the priesthood. Others who attended this pilgrimage are also in seminaries or convents. God worked through these priests and this pilgrimage. There is no doubt about it!

At the time of the pilgrimage in 2003, the Legionaries of Christ were quite popular. They boasted thousands of seminarians and hundreds of priests throughout the world. Thousands of people joined their Regnum Christi movement because they are faithful to the traditions of the Church. Then all of a sudden, everything came crashing down with Fr. Maciel's abuse scandal.

Let's be candid - there were problems in the Legion and Regnum Christi. The Vatican has pointed this out as the Legion's Constitutions are being revised. Some members have had horrible experiences that still affect their lives, and this can't be brushed aside. Many priests and seminarians have left - about 5% I have heard. In the meantime, the Legion of Christ has turned to Rome for guidance. Some members wanted to re-found the Order, while others thought a revision of the Constitutions was more prudent. The Holy Father sided with the latter, and a revision of the Legion's Constitutions under the direction of Archbishop Velasio De Paolis is underway. The Holy Father has confirmed that they have a valid charism and mission, so let us pray for them as they continue to reform.

Personally, my relationship with the Legionaries has only grown stronger. I meet with a Legionary for spiritual direction, and he has changed my life for the better. My best confessions have been with Legionary priests. My first general confession was with a Legionary priest, and it brought me so much peace. I make my yearly retreat with the Legionaries in Thornwood, NY (highly recommended for priests and seminarians). I visit the seminarians there (who have become my friends), and I was with them for Thanksgiving this year. They are joyful, charitable, in a healthy environment, and on fire for the Lord. To be honest, I was sad when I had to leave them because I felt so "at home" with them. They are my brothers and my friends. They strive daily for holiness, and it shines forth in how they treat each other and their guests.

I was walking down the hallway of Thornwood seminary on Thanksgiving day, and I ran into Fr. Sliney - the priest who rekindled the spark of my vocation when I was in college. He was the priest who kept encouraging me to pursue the gift of the priesthood, but I kept ignoring his advice. However, his words always stuck with me. He was so patient with me. We hadn't seen or spoken to each other in 6 years because I graduated from college and left town, so I was so happy to see him and finally thank him for the great gift he gave me by continuing to encourage me to seek and love the priesthood when all I wanted to do was date and look for a wife, even though I knew deep down that I was called to the priesthood. He saved my vocation.

I have friends who are Legionaries, and they love their vocation. It's not for everyone, and I have friends who have left for marriage or diocesan priesthood, but I know very few who had a "bad" experience. I have stayed for a lengthy time in Legionary houses and seminaries in Connecticut, New York, and Rome. I have also attended their retreats. They are not "brainwashed," "pressured" or anything else. Many people make this judgment without getting to know the men involved. They are there following the Lord's calling and I pray that someday I will have half the zeal for souls that they have. They are all suffering as their Constitutions are revised and necessary changes are made, but let's pray for them. They are good men, especially the ones who have stuck around during the recent trials. Seek one of them out if you can - you won't be disappointed.

I believe that the Legion of Christ will survive this storm. It's a miracle that they've survived this long and still have so many vocations - and they are solid vocations, trust me. The Lord can bring good things out of bad situations, and He often does. I don't doubt that this will be another example. We must pray! Can you image how they must feel - those who have chosen to stay with the movement awaiting the Holy Father's ruling? There is turmoil in their family - let us empathize with them. They are our brothers, and they are suffering right now. Please stop now and say a prayer for them.

In the words of the quote they wake up to over the speaker every morning: "Christ our King, Thy Kingdom Come!"

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A few photos from my recent Thanksgiving visit to their seminary in Thornwood, NY. Here I am showing off the turkey (and the rare glass of wine!). To my right are the sweet potatoes (with marshmallows - they have Southern class!). The Americans loved them, but the South Americans had trouble liking them! I got to sit with American, French, German, and Swiss seminarians all at one table. It was wonderful.

French Legionaries! I got to practice my French with them! Cassocks and French cuffs made it even more French!

We played an American football game - all 70 seminarians! The Europeans and South Americans had to learn how to play! Would you believe that the best receiving came from a Brazilian who knew nothing about football? I made my best friends on the football field.