An article entitled With Maciel Buried, His Centurions’ Fires Are Burning Out
appeared in CHIESA recently. Sandro Magister points out that although the leaders who covered up for Fr. Maciel still retain their positions of authority, their days may be numbered. Their credibility is being questioned as Legion members are starting to speak more openly about the slow pace of the reform process.
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ReGAIN Comment: Sandro Magister mentions that revolt is stirring
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Finally, some signs of life and free thought are stirring. People are starting to think for themselves, to question and even to criticize their leaders, just as ordinary people do in most other places.
There is a place within an authentic and healthy religious congregation for obedience. But surely it is contrary to God’s will and unhealthy to impose mindless robotic obedience to a plethora of oppressive rules in a militaristic tightly controlled environment that has been the way of things in the Legion for so many decades. It is our great gifts of intellect and free will that differentiate us from lower members of the animal kingdom. We need to have the ability to make personal decisions about our lives.
Perhaps the pace of the reform has necessarily been kept to a snail’s pace, waiting for those on the inside to express an eager desire to see things change. This has been proved in the highly successful 12 step program that starts with a recognition that a person’s life is out of control and that he or she is powerless to change.
We hope and pray that the lack of significant change to date and the increasing pressure now from those on the inside as well as many from the outside is not because the new commissioner is being won over by the old guard of the Legion to their way of thinking but rather because successful long lasting positive change in this case must come primarily from within.
If the demands coming from the lower levels of the Legion are signs that their minds and wills are becoming more free and this is because Cardinal DePaolis has recognized the need to pace the necessary changes one step at a time we see a glimmer of hope for cautious optimism.