John Allen on his recent blog on National Catholic Register – Click Here provided some interesting comments made by Brazilian Archbishop Joao Broz de Aviz, 64, who was appointed in January as the new prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
When he was questioned in an interview with the prestigious Italian journal 30 Giorni, about what the scandal surrounding the founder of the Legionaries of Christ meant to him, he spoke candidly about the authoritarianism in the Legion’s structure. He said that when he was Archbishop of Brazil, he had removed seminarians from the Legion seminaries. He had noticed a lack of trust in personal freedom in the Legion structure that sought to dominate everything with discipline
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ReGAIN Comment:
The frank commentary provided by the new prefect for the Institute of Consecrated Life demonstrates some understanding of the most serious issues with the structure of the Legion and Regnum Christi. For those who have been waiting to see some signs of life in the reform process, this represents a welcome change from the new prefect’s predecessor, Cardinal Franc Rode, who had provided strong support for the Legion and Regnum Christi and for their founder.
ReGAIN editors share the valid concern about people using their God given free will in an environment where every aspect of one’s life is rigidly controlled in a militaristic structure that dehumanizes its members. We look forward to seeing if the new prefect will be able to influence those who are able to bring about positive changes for all of those who have been adversely affected.