Christmas 2005: to Men and Women of Good Will and Open Mind
By John Paul Lennon, MA
Friday, April 2, 2005
From approximately 2:45 to 4:15 pm
John Paul Lennon,ex-Legionary of Christ [1961-1984] was interviewed by Mons. Charles J. Scicluna at a Church on Park Avenue in New York City. The Vatican ‘promoter of justice’ was accompanied by an Australian priest who acted as official notary.
DEPOSITION
I gave my personal biographical details which involved my Legion curriculum.
An oath was administered I would tell the truth in my deposition.
The content of the deposition involved my experience of and contacts with Fr Marcial Maciel: first meetings with MM, his interaction with the community; what was my relationship and dealings with MM; how he liked attention, special treatment. Had MM any special relationships with first Irish seminarians? I told him I had never been sexually abused in the Legion by MM or by anyone else.
“Can you give a character portrait of MM? I told about my ‘run-ins’ with MM
Do you feel there is credence to the accusations that MM has sexually abused LCs?
Do you know Juan J. Vaca? Do you trust his story?
Do you know Jose Barba Martin?
Do you know Arturo Jurado?”
The interview, which was sworn, notarized and signed, lasted about 90 minutes.
At one point Mons received a call on his cell phone. When he tried to pick it up he lost it. Later we realized that the call was from the Vatican telling him of the Pope’s death. After the interview we became aware that Pope John Paul II had died; together Monsignor, the notary and I said an Our Father for the repose of his soul
Why was I involved? It seems to me that I was called to be a ‘character witness’ for the three accusers, and to give personal testimony regarding the person and character of MM. I was reminded of the way the Church conducts an annulment, whereby at least one of the parties has to request it [the petitioner?] and then this person must present two witnesses to vouch for the validity of their request. So it was like being a witness for three of the accusers.
PSALTER OF MY DAY IN NEW YORK
In the shadow of one of our country’s greatest natural disasters, the author remembers
GRIEVING FOR ALL Legionaries and Regnum Christi members
THE DAY THE POPE DIED
New York, April Fools Day, 2005
Walking from Penn Station to 3rd and 40th Street
City of smells,
Dogs sniffing each other on corners,
Labrador and Yorkshire;
Taxis chopping your toes,
Citizens fast off the mark at traffic signals,
And tough-looking cops;
Talkative strangers immediately intimate,
Crowded grungy elevators,
Stub-stained carpets,
Newspaper stands,
Flowers, fresh vegetables and fruit,
Tobacconists, boutiques, lobbies and
Little parks among skyscrapers.
I have come to Gotham to make a deposition before a Vatican representative.
INTERVIEW WITH MONSIGNOR CHARLES SCICLUNA,
Promoter of Justice, Congregation for the Faith, at the Church of Our Savior, 59 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Saturday, April 2nd, 2005
From 2:45 until 4:18pm
Deposition was interrupted at 3:37pm by a phone call to Monsignor; someone was trying to get through to him from Rome headquarters to notify him personally that His Holiness John Paul II had died.
LAMENT FOR THE ABUSED
At 9:30pm that night in my hotel room a great wave of pain swept over me,
A tsunami of sorrow for my Legionary brothers and for myself.
I cried unabashedly for them,
For the sexually abused by Father Maciel,
For all those abused in and by the Legion of Christ and the Regnum Christi Movement in any way, shape or form.
Maybe because I was not allowed to be a brother to them when I was in,
The flood-gates of compassion opened and
Great groans of grief
Broke from my spirit,
From my very soul.
I wept for the men I had vouched for:
“Do you vouch for the integrity and truthfulness of
Juan Jose Vaca? -Yes, I do
Jose de Jesus Barba? -Yes, I do
Arturo Jurado? -Yes, I do�
I had just said good-bye to Juan Jose, his dear wife and his precious daughter;
Suddenly breaking down unexpectedly:
“Dear ex-Legionaries and ex-members of Regnum Christi,
We have been abused in multiple ways.
Let us treat each other with Love and Empathy.
In the name of Christ,
Let us not accuse or
Recriminate each other, or be
Judgmental, or Self-Righteous.
We, the survivors,
Some of whom have not yet been able to grieve properly,
Let us be supportive and gentle towards each other.
I grieve for the LCs and RCs,
Especially for those who do not grieve;
For those in denial,
For those in avoidance,
For those stuck in Reaction Formation –‘Who, me abused?
It was all so wonderful!’-
I grieve for you,
I, the disgruntled old man;
I, who have been able to take care of my mental and emotional health;
I, who have listened as the abused told their stories;
I, who have believed and understood;
I, who have accepted their testimonies…,
I, too, was a victim to some extent,
But I am no longer helpless, or hopeless;
Nor am I bitter.
I am a survivor;
Recovering from multiple wounds
To body, mind and soul.
I feel anger and wrath against
The perpetrator of this abuse.
I feel indignation because my confreres’
Innocence was betrayed and their
Human dignity was trampled on.
We the survivors,
Have been tempted to strike back
Against the Church that has permitted this,
Covered it up, or took no action.
But delving into the spirituality of Jesus
Has led to restraint:
‘…I am calm and quiet
Like a weaned child clinging to its
Mother.’ [Psalm 131, v.2].
We come like the Poor of Yahweh
To the temple of truth of our conscience
To plead for justice;
And our real Father who sees in secret
Will hear our plea [see Matthew 6, 6]
We, the ‘disgruntled old men’,
Will insist like that old widow
Until Justice is done:
‘Then will not God give
Justice to his chosen,
To whom he listens patiently,
While they cry out to him day and night?
I tell you he will give them justice soon enough.’
[Luke 18, 1-7]�.
