Boys being recruited into the Legion of Christ/Regnum Christi Federation 2023.
Kevin O’Sullivan spent seven years inside the most secretive Catholic organisation in living memory – The Legionaries of Christ. He thought he was going to spread love and compassion: he ended up among disinformation and lies. He fled to save his sanity.
RECENT (2023) PHOTO OF YOUNG BOYS JOINING THE LEGION OF CHRIST/REGNUM CHRISTI FEDERATION JUNIOR SEMINARY/APOSTOLIC SCHOOL IN MONTERREY, MEXICO
Note that they are receiving their “uniform” which they will wear during 4 years, even when they visit their homes; they are being set aside to “discern” (cultivate) their religious and priestly vocation” beginning at age 11.
If you do not want to know your true self, by all means join the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi Federation.
They’ll just tell you you have a vocation and “carry on until we tell you otherwise.” But if you want to be brave, the Spirit will take you in another directions and tear down your sandcastles in the sun.
Here is a very well written and very insightful testimony for those you want to be honest with themselves. It takes a lot of guts to write this; but it is worth the pain and the effort to find you true self, the self that God created, the self the Legion of Christ does not want you to discover – because you will no longer be useful to it.
From Amazon:
<Kevin O’Sullivan spent seven years inside the most secretive Catholic organisation in living memory – The Legionaries of Christ. He thought he was going to spread love and compassion: he ended up among disinformation and lies. He fled to save his sanity.
This is the story of how Kevin found, and then lost, his religion, and how he lost, and then found, his sexuality. On the way, the young teenager clings to what his mother has taught him: to be a good boy. The journey brings him face to face with difficult truths, and ultimately to a far deeper knowledge of himself, as he finds out who he doesn’t want to be.
It’s a story full of hope about discovering what matters to each of us, even if we don’t like some of what we find.>
Well folks, it has been way too long, but after a (rather unplanned) hiatus, I am back with a new video about the Opus Dei organization. Since it’s been so long, I decided we would take a look at how the Work has been represented in the press within the last six months to a year. To say it’s been interesting would be putting it MILDY. So buckle up, and welcome to The Deep Dive. This video is a representation of my opinion, based off of the research I have done, and the individuals I have talked to. This deep dive series originally lived on my main channel, but in an effort to streamline my content, I have moved it here, where all future deep dive content will be hosted. Links: -Women in Argentina claim labor exploitation by Opus Dei: https://apnews.com/article/business-p… -SERVANTS OF GOD? The ordeal of 43 women facing Opus Dei- https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/… -Spain’s Church seeks to add credence to enquiry of alleged child abuse- https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/… -Spanish bishops say they won’t participate in national clerical abuse inquiry- https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/… -The Pope made reforms that do not satisfy and blur Opus Dei- https://www.lacapital.com.ar/informac… -Philippine bishops rebuked over pastoral letter- https://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/p…
THE LEGION OF CHRIST NOT A FAMILY, NOT MISSIONARY AND NOT HEALING! The Legion of Christ, Legionaries of Christ-morphed into Regnum Christi Federation to distance themselves from their pedophile and psychopath founder- is not a family. It is a sect-like, coercive persuasion group, sometimes described as cult-like. Look up in cult-watchers associations: International Cultic Studies Association, Steven Hassan’s Freedom of Mind, Rick Alan Ross’ The Cult Education Institute, etc. where there this organization is tagged as harmful.
THE LEGION OF CHRIST NOT A FAMILY, NOT MISSIONARY AND NOT HEALING
26 January 2023
Paul Lennon, LC 1961-1984, MA Counseling, Cult-expert 1984 to present
The Legion of Christ, Legionaries of Christ-morphed into Regnum Christi Federation to distance themselves from their pedophile and psychopath founder- is not a family. It is a sect-like, coercive persuasion group, sometimes described as cult-like. Look up in cult-watchers associations: International Cultic Studies Association, Steven Hassan’s Freedom of Mind, Rick Alan Ross’s The Cult Education Institute, etc. where there this organization is tagged as harmful.
Nor is it Catholic and Orthodox in the full sense of the word. Despite Vatican approval -secured by conman Maciel-and two failed Vatican interventions, several US Catholic bishops have forbidden the Legion/Regnum from operating within diocesan boundaries: on the grounds that they are separatists, dividing parishes and families, poaching vocations to the religious life and priesthood, manipulating minors, children and teens, (ECYD), into spiritual direction and confession with unqualified priests (LC) and lay members (RC).
Not a family in the ordinary sense of the word: one of the most serious accusations against this organization is that it separates members from their families and sometimes separated spouses. One of the rules of the order is that if a member is in a foreign country s/he can visit his family once every five years. Many members have been estranged from their families for much longer.
Not and never was missionary in the common acceptance of the term: The Legion of Christ has only ever had one mission project: in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The bulk of its members, clerical and lay, are otherwise employed: universities and schools for the upper classes in upscale neighborhoods in the USA, Mexico, Chile, Spain plus fundraising, recruiting and attending on its priests, seminarians and lay members. What percentage of Legionary priest, religious and lay member work on the Quintana Roo – did I say Cancún/Mayan Riviera- Mission? Why do Legionary priests consider this assignment as less desirable?
The Legion of Christ’s specific apostolate is the recruitment and formation of leaders (business, economy, professions, politics, etc.) to transform society from the top down. See Legion of Christ Constitutions. As such it would be similar to the Jesuits and Dominicans, the opposite to the Franciscans, and the same as the Opus Dei. Take your choice: the Spanish way (Opus) or the Mexican way (Legion/Regnum Christi). A copy of the Constitutions of the Legionaries of Christ is not available for free in English. You have to buy the book. A Spanish language version is. Quoting and translating from the official Spanish:
“4. 3.º They exercise their pastoral ministry in the areas of proclaiming the faith, education, evangelizing the family, culture and the media, leading juvenile groups, clergy training, and the promotion of justice, charity and solidarity with the neediest; as well the spiritual attention and formation of Regnum Christi members.”[i]
Not Healing:
The spiritual, psychological, and financial compensation of Father Maciel and other Legionaries’ abuse has long been a sore point for the Legion, a scandal to the Catholic community and of concern to popes and the Roman Curia. The American media has played a major role in keeping the Legionaries feet to the fire ever since two Catholic reporters brought the abuse to the public’s attention in February 1997. If this had not happened and if the victims had not lodged a formal complaint with the Vatican in 1998, it is the writer’s opinion that these abuses of obscure Mexican seminarians in a Mexican religious order would have gone unnoticed to the international community. One might suspect that the scandal revealed by American and Mexican media and the formal ecclesiastical complaint lodged by the victims with the help of a Vatican lawyer had much to do with the eventual major Vatican “visitations -euphemism for investigations- of founder Father Marcial Maciel by Monsignor Charles Scicluna in May 2005[ii], and his religious order by Monsignor Velasio de Paolis in March 2009[iii].
[i] “ejerzan su ministerio pastoral principalmente en los campos del anuncio de la fe, la educación, la evangelización de la familia, de la cultura y de los medios de comunicación social, la animación de grupos juveniles, la formación del clero y la promoción de la justicia, la caridad y la solidaridad con los más necesitados; así como en la atención espiritual y formación de los miembros del Regnum Christi.”
After four years of drafts and adjustments, the troubled Legion of Christ has announced that its new constitutions have been approved by Pope Francis.
The Pope’s approval of the final draft of the new constitutions brings the first phase of renewal and purification to a close after it was discovered that Legion founder, Fr. Marcial Maciel, had been living a double life.
The new constitutions were drafted during the congregation’s Extraordinary General Chapter meetings, which began on Jan. 9 and was mandated by Benedict XVI in the wake of the revelation of Fr. Maciel’s scandalous activities.
(…)
These represent the sixth edition that have been approved for the Legion by ecclesiastical authorities. Previous editions were approved in 1948, 1965, 1970, 1983 and 1994.
While the previous statutes consisted of 878 paragraphs, the new ones consist of 247 paragraphs.
The first part of the new statutes is dedicated to the charism and patrons saints of Legionaries of Christ, while the second part describes the four vows every Legionary must profess.
In addition, the Constitutions lay out the steps for formation, the characteristics of suitable candidates to be Legionaries of Christ, the religious profession, the studies, the ordination and the management and administration of the order.
A key difference between the old and the new constitutions are that the old ones included many clauses regarding the application of the norms, while the new constitution focuses more on essential principles.
The initial draft of the statutes were given to an ad hoc commission established by the Congregation for Consecrated Life, whose results were presented by Cardinal Braz de Aviz to the government of the Legion on July 3.
It was also on that occasion that the appointment of Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlanda S.J. as Pontifical advisor for the Legionaries of Christ was made public.
An expert in Canon Law, Fr. Ghirlanda has been among the consultants of the Legionaries of Christ since the very beginning of their renewal process.
Following the suggestion of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the constitutions include references to the documents of the Second Vatican Council as well as other official documents on consecrated life.
The Congregation also asked that clear references to Sacred Scripture and the Code of Canon Law be included.
would seem to be the Legion of Christ’s motto and method
They have left it to the last moment to attempt outreach and compensation to the victims. And only to the victims who will accept compensation on their terms. Those “bad” victims will not be rewarded for their “stubbornness” – or would that be “the strength of their convictions”?
Some of us got together several years ago in Mexico.
I am aware that the below is an extremely poor testimony to the victims, who spent their lives and money seeking truth and justice -and received very little in return!
Paul Lennon
These are some of the men, a few of whom victims, who fought for decades against Vatican and Legion of Christ Silence regarding the Founder’s disreputable life. González-Parga and Lennon were ordained priests in the Legion; the others left disillusioned in the 1960s as seminarians.
(From right)
Carlos de la Isla, from Mexico, one of the first junior seminarians, apostólicos, recruited by Maciel and who began his studies in Mexico City in the 1940s. Carlos and his two brothers joined the Legion as children. It is a fact that one of Carlos’ brothers was sexually abused by Maciel. The father traveled to Mexico City from the heartland to confront the founder. Maciel, as on many other occasions, found a way to deny, placate and slip away from trouble. From that moment on, someone in the Legion knew about his evil inclinations. But the Great Catholic Houdini would always find a way out of any tight spot and come out smelling like a rose.
Arturo Jurado, early legionary, victim and witness, was one of those unfortunate seminarians who was manipulated by Maciel into finding drugs for his father beyond reproach in Spain and Rome. He left the Legion in the 1960s after being held in seclusion and silenced by Maciel for years, and made a good living for himself as Spanish language teacher and interpreter in California. On discovering that he has much in common with José Barba, he joined forces with José Barba. He spent years paying his way to Rome with José to request Vatican intervention regarding Maciel’s sexual abuse of his seminarians and many other irregularities.
José Barba-Martín, PhD Harvard in Philology, professor emeritus, ITAM, Mexico City where he held the chair of Political and Social Institutions. He of the prodigious memory, spear-headed the accusers cause, aided by Jurado. Their decades-long saga, after meeting with denial, stone-walling and minimization, finally bore fruit in 2006 when Vatican and Pope Benedict accepted their accusations, made no apology to them, gave Maciel a slap on the wrist and ordered him to a life of Penance and Prayer; to which unrepentant Maciel paid no attention, continuing to live with his paramour and daughter and traveling wherever he wanted by private plane.
(John) Paul Lennon, believer, friend and supporter of Maciel’s victims; like Domínguez not a victim of sexual abuse. Joined the Legion of Christ in Dublin, Ireland, at the age of seventeen, considered Irish co-founder by Maciel, ordained to the priesthood in Rome, together with eleven others (among which Bishop Brian Farrell and Cardinal Fernando Vérgez), on the 25th anniversary of Fr. Maciel’s priestly ordination, 26th November 1969. Left Legion in 1984 -before he every heard of abuse- and since then has been a critic of Maciel’s foundation. He was sued for his troubles by the Legion of Christ in the City of Alexandria, VA, USA in August 2007. One lawyer commented: “Mr. Lennon, you have made some very rich people very angry!”
Francisco González-Parga, known in the Legion as Padre Parga, passed away this year in Guadalajara, Mexico, mourned by his wife, Esther. Francisco was one of Maciel’s sexual abuse victims; an enslavement which began in puberty and lasted into his twenties. He was not one of the original group of accusers but came forward in 2005 when Vatican prosecutor, then Monsignor, Charles Scicluna carried out the first thorough Vatican investigation into Maciel’s sexual abuse of his seminarians in Mexico City. By this time Maciel was 85 and the victims in their sixties. Remember that Maciel founded the Legion in 1941, when he was a 21-year old untrained seminarian, and began sexually abusing the 10 and 11-year-olds under his “pastoral care.”
Maciel’s sexual preference was pubertal males. In some cases, if he found them especially attractive he would continue the relationship into the victims’ twenties. Each older victim believed he was the only object of Maciel’s attention… As Maciel “matured” he sexually abused boys who were not his seminarians, later seducing younger, vulnerable females. It would seem he never had an equal-to-equal relationship in his life. All his relationships were controlling, manipulative and exploitative. (See the author’s Breaking Bad article on this page)
(Seated)
Saul Barrales-Arellano, R.I.P., known to his companions as Brother Charity. An extremely kind and helpful person. The story goes that Saul would lay down at night outside Maciel’s bedroom in Rome, Via Aurelia 677, to prevent others from entering and being victimized. Because he once demonstrated a lack of unconditional support for Maciel, the Saint stopped his ordination as a priest, sending him instead into exile on the Canary Islands where he languished alone for months. He finally got help from his family in Mexico to fly home. He was a headmaster at a Mexico City school and is survived by his dear Tere.
A Little addendum:
Don Alejandro Espinosa-Alcalá with Aura and Paul Lennon on one of our trips to Mexico. Alejandro is a very active original witness to Maciel’s sexual abuse , and has written about it in El Legionario (2006, edit. Grijalbo, Mexico) and El Ilusionista Marcial Maciel, of which I treasure his dedication. Like other survivors, Alejandro has lived in relative, and sometimes abject, poverty since leaving the Legion half a century ago. It seems that at the eleventh hour Fr. John Connor, Maciel’s successor, has been trying to save face by awarding “Easter Eggs” of ten thousand dollars to the victims, assisting them in their old age, and/or paying for their funerals.
I had mistakenly pointed out Federico Domínguez in the photo. He is not in the photo, but everything that was said of him is true. At one point, Maciel sent him and some other seminarians to Dublin, Ireland, to study at the prestigious Maynooth College. After some time, Federico became disenchanted with the whole Legion project, left the seminary and married a lovely Irish girl, and “they lived happily ever after” in the USA.
Federico Domínguez, R.I.P., one of Maciel’s writers, circa 1955 he reported to Church authorities in Rome regarding some of Maciel’s questionable behaviors; thus provoking the first major Vatican investigation into the founder and his order, 1956-59; Maciel was exiled for two years, but with the help of allies in the Curia (Pizzardo & Co.), was able to return and consolidate his power and control. About this time Maciel conceived the Private Vows (see Berry & Renner’s Vows of Silence), one of which was the “snitching vow” whereby “Never to criticize the person or actions of the superior, and to inform on anyone who does so.” This vow was apparently abolished by the later Vatican investigation around 2010, the spirit may still prevail among die-hard Legion and Regnum Christi members.
Cuando empezaron a circular vídeos de exorcismos en 2017, los padres decidieron reunirse, compartir sus preocupaciones y acudir a la justicia civil, apoyados por decenas de testimonios de maltrato, alienación parental, abuso psicológico y sexual,
psicológica y sexual.
Cuando empezaron a circular vídeos de exorcismos en 2017, los padres decidieron reunirse, compartir sus preocupaciones y acudir a la justicia civil, apoyados por decenas de testimonios de maltrato, alienación parental, abuso psicológico y sexual,
psicológica y sexual.
¿Qué ocurre realmente en los “castillos” de los Heraldos del Evangelio? Tras la publicación de los vídeos de exorcismos en 2017, los padres se dan cuenta de que sus hijos son objeto de comportamientos abusivos. El 14 de junio de 2018, una quincena de ellos envió un documento de treinta y siete páginas al Ministerio Público de Caieiras, en el que cuarenta y seis personas describían lo que habían vivido, abusos sexuales para cuatro de ellos. Los demás hablaron de malos tratos, alienación parental y abusos psicológicos. Un testimonio menciona una muerte sospechosa presentada como un suicidio. El 6 de mayo de 2019, padres de familia y ex integrantes de los Heraldos presentaron quejas ante la secretaría de la Secretaría de Educación del Distrito Federal y exigieron que se tomen medidas sobre el acceso de los Heraldos a las escuelas públicas de la capital donde realizan reclutamiento.
“Poseído por espíritus”
Los testimonios recogidos no dejan lugar a dudas sobre la gravedad de los hechos. Ahora tiene 20 años, L. S. se unió a los Heraldos a la edad de 10 años. “Mi vida dio un vuelco cuando la gente que vivía en
Mi vida dio un vuelco cuando personas que vivían en castillos y llevaban hermosos vestidos vinieron a decirme que, entre millones de personas en el mundo, la Virgen me había elegido para ser una de sus niñas favoritas. Pasa cinco años en el castillo de Serra de Cantareira, donde la vida se rige por el Ordo, un conjunto de reglas muy estrictas, “que sirven para normalizar las mentes y crear robots”. Cuando cuestiona las razones de estas normas, la miran con recelo y la someten a un primer exorcismo. “Dijeron que estaba poseído por espíritus. Tuve que beber aceite y me llevaron a un cura (…) Me sentí mal por todo el aceite que había ingerido. Dedujeron que era una manifestación del diablo y me sometieron a otra sesión de exorcismo. Cuando empezó a tener problemas psicológicos, la joven de 15 años fue devuelta a su familia.
Fue a los 7 años cuando A.B. se unió al movimiento en 2015 y obtuvo una beca. Demasiado apegada a sus padres biológicos, es objeto de críticas. En 2018, los problemas de relación son tan graves entre los Heraldos y su madre, que impidió que su hija recibiera el hábito, que vuelve con sus padres.
la vocación a los 12 años
El destino de B.P. era diferente. A los 11 años, tras pasar varios meses en el proyecto Futuro y Vida1, obtuvo una beca. Después del primer año de internado, participó en actividades durante los fines de semana y las vacaciones, y las visitas a sus padres se hicieron raras. A los 12 años, dijo a sus padres que tenía que prepararse para la vida religiosa. A los 18 años, llamó a su madre y le dijo que no interfiriera en sus decisiones. Durante una visita a su familia, envía un mensaje diciendo que está prisionera, la policía llega a petición de los Heraldos. El caso fue desestimado, y la chica (que ahora tiene 23 años) sigue con los Heraldos del Evangelio.
Una joven canadiense, que vino a Brasil a estudiar con los Heraldos, acusó a Joao Cla Dias de abusos sexuales. En una carta, dice que a los 12 años le tocó los pechos y las nalgas, y la besó. En 2014, con 22 años, consiguió apartarlo del movimiento. Ahora tiene 27 años y su se ha registrado una queja.
Otra niña, S., entró en los Heraldos a los 12 años, donde, en lugar de estudiar, tiene que aprender de memoria textos de Joao Cla Dias y Plinio Correa de Oliveira. Al igual que otros, se vio obligada a hacer sus “votos”, como si fuera una persona adulta y responsable. Cuando su salud se deteriora, su madre, Flavia Silva Nascimento, cuenta cómo consiguió sacar a su hija a los 17 años, cómo se escapó dos veces, antes de darse cuenta de lo atrasada que estaba en sus estudios. La propia chica da testimonio de la adoración por Joao Cla, que alcanza niveles extremos. Bebió, y otros con ella, el agua que supuestamente utilizó para lavarse, como le dijeron sus superiores2.
Otro caso es especialmente dramático: el de Alex Ribeiro, drogado y encerrado en una clínica psiquiátrica, que cuenta su historia. Originario de la ciudad de Sao Carlos (estado de Sao Paulo), se unió al movimiento de la Propiedad Familiar de la Tradición a la edad de 15 años y continuó con los Heraldos, donde trabajó como laico. Su misión, que le llevará a Portugal e Italia, es recaudar fondos. Besó los pies de Joao Cla Dias, “besos sagrados” dados al líder para recibir el perdón3 , participó en la ceremonia de la “santa esclavitud “4 . Tras dieciocho años de sumisión, fue internado a la fuerza a los 32 años en una clínica para drogadictos en la ciudad de Jundiai (estado de Sao Paulo) tras un ataque de ansiedad, sin que su familia fuera informada. Estaba bajo los efectos de potentes drogas, pero consiguió salir cuando su hermana descubrió su paradero. Tiene 41 años y sigue luchando contra su calvario personal.
A veces las cosas van más allá… El 27 de julio de 2016, una joven de 26 años, Livia Natsue Salvador Uchida, que ingresó en los Heraldos a los 14 años, fue encontrada muerta tras caer desde la ventana de su habitación en el cuarto piso del castillo de Serra da Cantareira (estado de Sao Paulo). Estaba limpiando, según las explicaciones dadas a su madre Zélia, que recogió información tras acudir al lugar de los hechos, pero que nunca tuvo acceso a los archivos de las cámaras instaladas en el lugar. Su hija murió por la mañana, pero se llamó al Servicio de Emergencia Móvil hacia las 12.30 y a la policía a las 17 horas. Un agente de policía le dice que fue un accidente y que lo acepte. Zélia contrata a un primer abogado que abandona el caso a los tres meses, y luego a un segundo que desiste al cabo de un año. La muerte de Livia se describe como un posible suicidio. Desde entonces, Livia es considerada una santa, se conservan reliquias e incluso hay medallones con su imagen. Para Zélia, esto es una distracción: “Creo que lo hacen para tapar algo”.
1 “Futuro y vida”: una falsa lotería organizada por los Heraldos para acercarse a los niños, ofreciéndoles música, arte y otras actividades recreativas gratuitas durante los fines de semana.
los fines de semana. Después de varias semanas, los seleccionados reciben becas para estudiar en una de sus escuelas.
2. El informe enviado en 2017 al Vaticano por un antiguo miembro de los Heraldos, hace referencia a la veneración hacia Joao Cla Dias. “Todo lo que tocaba se convertía en una reliquia codiciada, ya fueran toallas, vasos, platos, envoltorios de caramelos que solía tirar por la ventana de su piso particular o el agua en la que sus devotas hijas de la Segunda Orden lavaban su ropa”. Por “Segunda Orden” se entiende las mujeres consagradas (Regina Virginum), siendo la Primera Orden la rama masculina (Virgo Flos Carmeli). También están los llamados “Terciarios”, que se adhieren a los Heraldos, se consagran a María como esclavos, pero no viven internamente.
3. En uno de los vídeos publicados en 2017, se ve a una adolescente obligada a besar los pies de Joao Cla Dias.
4. Santa esclavitud: véase la p. 19
Sitios de referencia:
EXEA, antes Heraldos del Evangelio, lugar de encuentro y apoyo a las víctimas de abusos, que recoge historias y experiencias, https://exae.com.br
L’Envers du décor, un sitio creado por Xavier Léger, que formaba parte de la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo (1999-2006). Véase en particular: “Cómo llegan los niños a los castillos”, “Lavado de cerebro y separación de la familia” https://lenversdudecor.org
