LEGIOnaries of Christ’s Sins of Omission in Latest Report on their Sexual Abuse, March 22, 2021 –
Artículo parcialmente Bilingüe
¡y siempre puedes usar el botón de Traducción al castellano!
Towards a Culture of O Abuse in the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ
Report by Legionaries of Christ on their official English Language page March 22, 2021 https://www.0abuse.org/accountability/#abusecases
Like everything else produced by the Legionaries of Christ, this document needs to be examined with a fine-tooth comb. Not that this analysis will be so fine. But it will explain the nature of sexual abuse of minors and point out some of the document’s limits or deficiencies.
“Child Sex Abuse Statistics
According to a recent study Darkness to Light,
https://www.cc-cac.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/all_statistics_20150619.pdf:
- What is child sexual abuse? FACT: The definition of child sexual abuse is broader than most people realize. Often a traumatic experience for children and teens, child sexual abuse is a criminal offense punishable by law in many societies. Child sexual abuse includes: • any sexual act between an adult and a minor, or between two minors, when one exerts power over the other.
- forcing, coercing or persuading a child to engage in any type of sexual act.
- non-contact acts such as exhibitionism, exposure to pornography, voyeurism, and communicating in a sexual manner by phone or Internet.
- What is the magnitude of the problem?
FACT: Child sexual abuse is far more prevalent than most people realize.
FACT: Even with declining rates of sexual abuse, the public is not fully aware of the magnitude of the problem. • The primary reason is that only about 38% of child victims disclose the fact that they have been sexually abused. Some never disclose. (The author believes that disclosure in Catholic and Latin American countries may be lower because of taboos, shame, and machismo). There are also privacy issues surrounding cases of child sexual abuse. For instance, public police reports do not name the victim, and most media concerns have a policy that precludes naming victims.”
Superiors/directors/assistants/spiritual directors/employees who Aided and Abetted Abuse
Not mentioned in Legion Official Report.
The report mentioned superiors who were abusers; for example, Canary Islander Fr. Guillermo (William) Izquierdo, a novice master whose fetish was to contemplate naked novices under his pastoral care – Greek statues in human flesh. (the author has this first-hand from one of the several victims).
But the official report does not mention the grave problem of people in authority who hushed up abuse:
- knew about it,
- did nothing about it,
- expelled offender and victim indiscriminately,
- gave them no help -spiritual, emotional, psychological, financial-
- expelled them,
- moved them to another city of country… etc.
As psychologist, historian and researcher Fernando González so eloquently and precisely explained in a recent tv interview with Carmen Aristegui, https://aristeguinoticias.com/2403/mexico/falta-que-legionarios-toquen-la-red-de-arriba-que-apunten-hacia-el-vaticano-investigador-video/, there is a systemic problem, present in the Legion since its inception and the first accusations against Maciel in 1943, that has not been addressed. González went on to posit that this scandal even splashes members of the Roman Curia who were complicit with cover-up of Maciel’s crimes. He quotes the Prefect for the Congregation for Religious, Cardinal Braz de Aviz, who, when discussing accusations against Maciel in Vatican archives since 1943, spoke of a veritable Mafia https://regainnetwork.org/2019/01/04/vatican-admits-knowing-about-legion-founders-sex-abuse-since-1943/ practicing the code of keeping absolute silence, omertà.
A former Legionary spontaneously reacted to the LC report on the Legioleaks Facebook page (4,500+ subscribers, mostly disaffected Spanish-speaking former members, “walk-aways” or “throw-aways”)
(English translation)
With these new official publications, the next step (before they die from old age) is for current directors to demand that “former directors” or anyone in positions of moral responsibility and with knowledge of the issue:
– one: come forward via social media and beg forgiveness (that is the minimum they must do, even if as a result they suffer public harassment).
– two: such people resign from any position of responsibility they may occupy (including economic, legal within the institution and foundations, associations or companies created by the same).
– three: (internal human and spiritual resolution) let himself be crucified. Is today not Friday of Sorrows? (….). I take advantage of this occasion and make a connection with (Divine) Providence (which I no longer practice, because I am an abuser of ecclesiastical authorities).
Oscar Juan Turrión, Tote Nuñez, P. Alberto Simán LC, Alberto Castellanos Franco, Please Stand Up!
– And I add a fourth point: let yourself be helped: physically, emotionally, in your rationality, mentally, spiritually, and humanly: It’s much more than a “comprehensive repair.” It is a need of anyone within a FAMILY: to go to the origin for true reconciliation. Why not?”
To which one reader replied: “Wishful thinking!”
(Original Spanish with minute edits.)
Con estas nuevas publicaciones oficiales, el paso siguiente (antes de que fallezcan por vejez) es que los directores actuales obliguen a los “exdirectores” o cualquier persona que tuviera cargos de responsabilidad moral, con conocimiento de causa en esta materia:
– uno: que salgan a la luz vía redes sociales pidiendo perdón (es lo mínimo que deben hacer, aunque sufran acoso público).
– dos: dimitir de cualquier puesto de responsabilidad (y económica, jurídica, legal dentro de la institución y fundaciones, asociaciones o empresas creadas en el entorno de la misma)
-tres (resolución interna humana y espiritual) dejarse crucificar. ¿Es hoy viernes de dolores? (…). Aprovecho la casuística del día y la relaciono con la (Divina) Providencia (que yo ya no la vivo, por ser un abusivo eclesial). Señalo a
Es mucho más que una “reparación integral” . Es una necesidad de cualquier persona dentro de una FAMILIA: ir al origen para una verdadera reconciliación.
¿Porque no?”
Vatican’s Flawed Investigation
The above reflections point to a Vatican problem beyond the Legion/Regnum Christi problem. Readers can check ReGAIN and see that we have seldom, if ever, engaged in “Vatican bashing”. So, we do not come to this issue lightly.
After the latest scandalous post-mortem revelations regarding Founder, Fr. Marcial Maciel, LC (ever a priest and ever a Legionary) hit the headlines, the Vatican ordered an investigation into this religious congregation in 2009
https://www.archbalt.org/vatican-orders-apostolic-visitation-of-legionaries-of-christ/?print=print
The Vatican’s, always-carefully-drafted document, named Monsignor Velasio de Paolis as Apostolic Delegate (mark, not as a commissioner) to help the Legion renew itself (mark, no mention is made of “reform”). Charmed by then then Superior General, Fr. Álvaro Corcuera, R.I.P., the Vatican delegate did not to dismiss the leadership cadre (Corcuera, Garza, Sada and other members of the Monterrey, Mexico powerful elite who manage the Legion’s financial empire), choosing to make documentary changes. Many of Maciel’s hand-chosen men remained in their positions. Critics alleged substantial change, cleaning out of the Augean stables, was not accomplished. Cosmetic changes were made; key movers -including Maciel die-hards- and systemic problems remained. And they remain to this day, as we have briefly demonstrated above. Further disillusioned former members coined the term el Fracasado Pontificio (The Pontifical Failure) for now deceased Archbishop De Paolis.
Why is the Legion always treated by the Vatican with kid gloves? Is it because it is the priest-and-money-making machine? Sad question for us believers hanging onto our Faith, and hard questions for the Vatican, during Holy Week 2021.