Children Deserve Better

by Nicholas Vakkur / March 24th, 2008

Not too many Americans receive such a close, birds-eye view into the illicit and potentially criminal activities of a high ranking Catholic official, as have Los Angeles natives regarding the ongoing sex scandal plaguing Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles. Mahony, according to court records released during trial, actively sought to cover up the activity of priests in the Los Angles Diocese who raped or molested children. According to court records, several priests openly confided to Mahony that they had raped children. Mahony responded by transferring them to another parish, where once again they were placed in direct contact with — if not supervision over — children. Astonishingly, Mahony never once sought to warn parishioners or parish officials that these men had abused children in the past.

‘Cardinal’ Mahony’s actions are not those of a responsible, well meaning high Church official seeking to promote the kingdom of God by facilitating conditions of peace and justice. Were that the case, Mahony would have immediately called the police and had these men arrested. However, Mahony could not implicate others in activity he himself was involved in. Mahony spent $660 million — the largest amount ever paid to procure illicit sex acts in recorded history — of parishioners’ money to ensure that the public would never learn the extent of that involvement. What precisely was in those files may never be known for certain. However, Mahony paid that sum to ensure that his direct involvement, as a pedophile or an aid to other pedophiles, would never be publicly released.

As a Roman Catholic, few Catholic officials cause me to be ashamed or saddened. Cardinal Mahony, however, is a public disgrace. His longstanding display of antipathy and arrogance towards the example and teaching of venerable Catholic leaders from John Paul II to Father Marcial Maciel are widely known and documented. While working to ensure that admitted child molesters could molest more children, Mahony prevented faithful Catholic organizations that are known for their exemplary work with youth, such as the Legionaries of Christ, from working within the Diocese. No theory can explain his actions other than that he must be a child molester, or that he relished in the sick actions of warped subordinates. Either way, Mahony is a monster — an accessory to child molestation — and justice demands that he be immediately removed from his current position in charge of the Los Angles Diocese. Furthermore, Mahony should be charged and put on trial for orchestrating the largest and most expensive pedophile ring in recorded history.

Nicholas Vakkur is a researcher that lives in Venice, CA with his wife and two children. He can be reached at: Nv1234567@hotmail.com. Read other articles by Nicholas, or visit Nicholas's website.

This article was posted on Monday, March 24th, 2008 at 5:00am and is filed under Beliefs, Justice.

13 comments on this article so far ...

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  1. Michael Kenny said on March 24th, 2008 at 7:24am #

    There’s something fishy about this article! What caught my eye was that Catholics never call themselves “Roman Catholics”. Then I spotted the reference to the Legion of Christ and its founder, Father Maciel. The Legion is a tiny religious order noted for its right-wing political views and its links to the upper echelons of Latin American, particularly Mexican, society. On the rare occasions when National Review Online publishes an article by a priest, for example, it’s almost always a member of the Legion. Father Maciel himself was involved in a paedophile scandal, was investigated by the then Cardinal Ratzinger and was forced by the latter, by then the Pope, “to retire to a life of prayer and penitence”, one of the most severe sanctions than can be imposed on a priest. Father Maciel was never brought to trial because of his advanced age and died shortly afterwards. So Mr Vakkur can hardly criticise Cardinal Mahony for being lax in regard to paedophile priests and then hold up Father Maciel as an example!

    The score that is being settled here with the Cardinal, I think, is that he is one of six American bishops who have banned the Legion from their diocese, essentially because of the sect-like practices of both the order and its lay arm, Regnum Christi.

    Wikipedia has lots more on this strange order and its founder for those who are interested.

  2. Nicholas Vakkur said on March 24th, 2008 at 4:00pm #

    Dear Readers;

    Mr. Kenny seeks to question both my judegement and my motives- presumably he is psychic and has access to ‘hidden’ information or he is simply ignorant. (Note Mr. Kenny does not provide any information on his ‘motives’ or his relation to the Cardinal, the Church etc. Rather, we are to- however difficult it may be- presume his objectivity). Which of two possibilities apply, we do not know, since he does not tell us. However, the degree to which his brief retort contains false and/or misleading information is worthy of clarification, especially as there is just one (somewhat laughable) “reference” to a Wikipedia source, an amateurish site hardly known for either research or knowledge. Mr. Kenny’s statements are in quotes..judge for yourself.

    1) “Catholics never call themselves Roman Catholics”. My (Catholic) friends and I always refer to ourselves as a ‘Roman Catholic’. This should be no surprise since, lo and behold, that is the official name of my religion!! Hence, Mr. Kenny’s sweeping insistence to the contrary- one made without even one supporting reference- is, by definition, as false as it is ridiculous.

    2) Second, Mr. Kenny clearly- if not intentionally- obfuscated the primary gist of my well researched article, in order to put forth his own agenda- one not substantiated by any authoritative sources, but based purely on innuendo- which may be stated as follows: Faithful religious order- bad; Child abusing pedophile supporting Cardinal- good (or maybe even heroic?). Clearly, the point of my carefully researched article, based on a variety of well-documented sources, was to shed light on how Cardinal Mahony has abused his authority within the Church for several decades to promote and protect child molesters. In regards to this fact, the record is very clear. I certainly can see why Mr. Kenny would try- unsuccessfully- to divert attention away from Mahony- whose actions he defends- in favor of illogical arguments.

    The following erroneous statements made by Mr. Kenny are admittedly banal, but are still worth pointing out, as they provide further confirmation of his trustworthiness as a source of information:

    3) “The Legion is a tiny religious order…” The last time I checked, the Legion of Christ currently has more seminarians- several thousand in fact- than all the seminaries in North America combined, and more than any other single religious order. Again, this statement is false and Mr. Kennt clearly did not even bother to check his facts, since there are no references.

    4) “….noted for its right-wing political views…” While I am in no way affiliated with the Legion of Christ, a simple exercise in logic would have made it very easy for Mr. Kenny to test the veracity of his statements prior to making them, this being only one such example. The Legion of Christ is a Catholic religious order committed to serving Christ. As a result, the Legion of Christ, by definition, is not a political organization and has no formal political ties whatsoever. This is akin to stating that John Paull II was “right wing” or “liberal”. This clearly makes no sense. He was for Christ wholly, regardless of where that might lead him politically (e.g. pro-life, opposed to the Iraq war).

    5) “On the rare occasions when National Review Online publishes an article by a priest, for example, it’s almost always a member of the Legion.” Which means what? It may help were Mr. Kenny to clearly enunciate his argument(s) rather than expect readers to do so for him. This statement is in support of what hypothesis? How are they linked?

    6) “So [I] can hardly criticise Cardinal Mahony for being lax in regard to paedophile priests and then hold up Father Maciel as an example!” Perhaps were Mr. Kenny to have read my article more carefully, he would have (once again) realized that I most assuredly do not criticize Mahony for being “lax” in regards to pedophile priests. My argument, as it is clearly inferred, is instead much more forceful. I suggest that Mahony is the equivalent of a serial child molester whose victims span multiple decades. The fact that other priests exist- both living and deceased- who have committed single (or maybe even multiple) acts of child molestation, is entirely irrelevant to the argument I suggest. Mahony, as one of the highest ranking officials in the Church, has abused that authority to run a criminal enterprise encompassing what amounted to serial child molestation, child pornography, and chil ‘prostitution’- to the tune of $660 million, which was paid for by parishioners of the LA archdiocese wholly without their consent.

    Mahony only agreed to the settlement because he was terrified- for good reason- of having to testify publicly as to his decades-long involvement as the mastermind of what amounted to a criminal enterprise. By the way, the LA archdiocese to date, has still refused to publicly release any information related to these cases, given what they likely contain.

    7) In regards to Father Macial, whom I admit I do not know. However, I do know that he left the Church a visible legacy- thousands of motivated, highly disciplined men who wish to give their life in service to Christ and the Church- during a period where there is a documented shortage of priests. Mahony has done the exact opposite- he used his authority not to serve, but to satisfy his perverse desire(s) and that of his sick subordinates. Marcial, a close friend of John Paul II, lef the Church in a much stronger position. Mahony has done nearly everything possible to destroy it.

    Justice will be served when Mahony is making new friends with his prison cellmates in a maximum security prison for mafia dons and other serious criminals.

    Nicholas Vakkur

    – an ordinary Roman Catholic living in Los Angeles who happens to object to behavior(s) Mr. Kenny apparently finds acceptable in a high-ranking Church official- namel serial child molestaton.

  3. D.R. Munro said on March 24th, 2008 at 6:42pm #

    I smell . . . tartuffery . . . yes, that’s it.

  4. Nicholas Vakkur said on March 25th, 2008 at 11:07am #

    I see, so someone who objects to the actions a serial child molester is a religious hypocrite…..makes sense to me…After all, isn’t that what Church officials are supposed to do? Isn’t that what we are all here to do? Hence, this argument is, once again, illogical and furthermore irrelevant to the central argument being made as may be readily demonstrated as follows:

    1. Objecting to individuals who clearly abuse their high-ranking position(s) of authority within the Church to harm and/or molest numerous children spanning many decades is equivalent to ‘religious piety’.
    2. ‘religious piety’ is bad (child molestation is good)
    3. Therefore, individuals who object to serial child molesters are ‘bad’ while the molester is in fact ‘good’.

    With distorted arguments like this, it is no wonder that Mahony has been able to hold his position. Maybe OJ would have a good career with the LA archdiocese.

    or perhaps that is just more “tartuffery”….

  5. Investigative Reporter said on March 26th, 2008 at 7:02am #

    If one looks closely at the loose ties to things within this article the following are readily apparent
    1) the article begins by critizing the Cardinal – fine, the facts are the facts
    2) then the Cardinals actions are show to be contrary to JPII – a bit of a stretch but fine
    3) …the third most interesting point is this, that then it shows that JPII and Fr. Maciel are “one in the same” and that they are somehow “equals” and both opponents to the Cardinal

    Point 2 is interesting, very little is given to support this position that the Cardinal is directly opposed to JPII. But Point 3 is completely out of left field. How does the Legionaires of Christ have anything to do with this story. The only connection I see that the author has made, although seemingly unintended, is that both the priests within the Dioceses and Fr. Maciel are accused child molesters, the difference is that Fr. Maciel was also accused of covering up the same actions of his fellow Legionaires (just like the Cardinal). So i don’t see how they are that different. The only difference which is see, which was omitted, was the fact that the current Holy Father and close collaborator of JPII for nearly 25 years personally has sanctioned Fr. Maciel and the Legionaires 2 times. First by all but defrocking Fr. Maciel and removing any public priestly function and any contact with the organization he founded. And secondly by removing statues that Fr. Maciel wrote in regards to vow of secrecy within the Legion. If you look at the swiftness and severity of what the current Holy Father (who is not mentioned in this article at all) moved to “prune” the legionaires, i think you will discover that the Church in general moves very slowly and very cautiously in order to be sure about things.

    In the end, when looking at this issue you must come to one of two conclusions
    1) the Holy See and the Holy Father who are guided by the Holy Spirit are in ERROR in regard to their actions/response to what was done to Fr. Maciel
    OR
    2) Fr. Maciel is guilty and the Holy See & Holy Father had compassion upon this priest and tried to prune and re-direct an organization so that it would get back on track. The only question one has to ask is if the organization is so far off course due to something that happened and can be fixed OR there is something intrinsically wrong with the organization.

  6. Paul Lennon said on March 26th, 2008 at 5:00pm #

    Mr. Vakkur’s article is very confusing because it seems to mix opposites willy nilly. Radical struggle for Peace and Justice and the opulent Legion of Christ whose specific apostolate, as described in their own constitutions is to the elite; the Roman Pontiffs put on the same plane as Fr. Marcial Maciel, who was sanctioned by Pope Benedict for alleged abuse of his own seminarians at his seminary in Rome in the 50s and 60s; Dissident Voice advocating for the High Demand organization, Legion of Christ, which does not allow any dissent among members, and brings lawsuits against exmembers or disenchanted parents of members or students who criticize, etc.

  7. Nicholas V. said on March 27th, 2008 at 1:47am #

    While I focused squarely on Cardinal Mahony, some readers have sought to downplay or relativize my argument by calling into question a favorable statement made in regards to the late Father Marcial, LC. Had I chosen a different figure for comparison (e.g. Mother Teresa), as I easily could have done, this would not have altered my original argument. That is, if such readers are merely protesting my favorable inclusion of Father Marcial while concurring with my overall argument (e.g. “good point but potentially controversial example”), I may be more empathetic.

    However, in reading between the lines, it seems to me, in general, that is not the argument being made, as the following suggests:

    “….seems to mix opposites….struggle for Peace and Justice and the opulent Legion of Christ whose specific apostolate…is to the elite”

    It is unclear here precisely what point is being made, as well as how- if even the above statements were taken literally (which I sincerely doubt) – what this might logically infer about the Legion of Christ. This seems to assume a false dichotomy- one certainly not taught by Christ or the Church- in which those (financially) ‘poor’ are worthy of redemption, and all others are not. Mother Teresa, for instance, commonly referred to the U.S. as the poorest nation in the world- worse than her home country. The poverty she referred to was a spiritual poverty- lack of knowledge of the love of Christ- which to her was far worse and far more severe, in its repercussions, than a lack of physical resources. Furthermore, as Christ has called numerous orders/organizations into being to serve the materially poor, it is not surprising that he would also have an interest saving society’s leaders, which- to the degree it is effective- would also greatly improve social equity and justice. Therefore, it seems the reader is making an argument for- how unintentional it may be- the Legion of Christ, whose constitution was approved by the Church, not against.

    “…which does not allow any dissent among members, and brings lawsuits against exmembers or disenchanted parents…”

    Again, this argument is unclear as to the precise point being made. Does it mean that LC priests/seminarians are encouraged to get along- God forbid- with one another? What does it mean? Dissent from…what? For instance, in general, US society tends to discourage expressions that are overtly racist in language or character. Individuals who choose to openly defy/dissent from this position are often penalized in various way (e.g. skinheads). Is the reader suggesting this is an unjust form of censorship- a refusal to permit “dissent”. In like fashion, the reader strains any credibility by alleging that a religious order sues individuals who, for whatever reason, become disenchanted with them. This is absurd on several counts, the first of which is that in the US plaintiffs are not free to bring legal charges against individuals for essentially not liking them.

    “…the Cardinals actions are show to be contrary to JPII – a bit of a stretch but fine”

    Since the reader’s religious affiliation is unknown, I cannot be sure how knowledgeable he/she is of Catholicism, its practice and teachings. I will assume- to be safe- the reader is judging from outside the confines of the Church, and therefore blithely assumes an ‘homogenous hierarchy’ within the Catholic Church. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. The current division within the Church- between those who seek to adhere to and follow the fundamental teachings of the Church, as clearly stated, and those who view the Church as a means of fostering an altogether separate agenda- is rapidly growing and appears fated for a climax. John Paul II, as with the current Holy Father, are modern saints who carry the banner of faith in a world that refuses to recognize Christ.

    Cardinal Mahony, on the other hand, may be considered similar only in the sense that he too is a member of the hierarchy. Other than that simple fact, the difference is night and day. Judas was originally called to be an apostle, but to state that therefore he was the same as the others is to miss the fundamental point. Mahony’s career has been based upon his opposition to Church teaching, to John Paul II, and his longstanding efforts to oppose Church teaching. I must assume that those who sincerely deny this fact are still unaware of the internet or even the PC. It is a matter of the plain record.

    3) “… that JPII and Fr. Maciel are “one in the same”…”

    Beyond being close compatriots and confidantes, it is very clear that JPII and Father Marcial see the world and the role of the Church very much alike, and are of one mind. They view the Church as the institution founded by Christ, the existence of sin as the cause of the world’s suffering, Christ as the only solution, the Eucharist as the Real Presence (not figuratively but literally), the need to protect innocent human life in the mother’s womb (or civilization itself will suffer), a palpable devotion to the Mother of God (who has appeared throughout the centuries) and so forth. This is the Catholic world view.

    This is certainly nothing close to the view of the Church promulgated by Cardinal Mahony- in fact it is in stark contrast. Either the commenter is not a Catholic- and sincerely is not aware of this- does not live in the archdiocese and therefore is not familiar with the matter, or views the Church completely in his/her own terms. As a member of the LA archdiocese, it is clear that Mahony’s leadership has left it in shambles, not merely financially speaking, but spiritually as well. Apart from what transpired 50 years ago, Father Marcial has left the Church a visible, thriving legacy of talented, zealous, passionate men willing to devote their lives wholeheartedly to Christ. No accusations- even by their detractors- have been made that youth are sexually abused in LC formation centers, other than those involving Father Marcial 50 years ago.

    “The only difference…was the fact that the current Holy Father and close collaborator of JPII…sanctioned Fr. Maciel and the Legionaires 2 times”.

    The antagonism that the reader has for this faithful, thriving religious order- perhaps because it is in fact faithful? (that is, if we are to believe that Mahony and JPII are in fact alike, perhaps OJ will be canonized shortly)- with tremendous fruits is exemplified by this comment and the following line of questions. This entirely obfuscates the extremely close, if not preferential/intimate relationship that the Legionaries of Christ, Regnum Christi, and their late founder have enjoyed with a succession of Holy Father’s going back several decades. John Paul II, in particular, was extremely close to the LC and was a close personal friend to Father Marcial, and would request of him many favors.

    To see so many spirited, courageous young men full of love, fidelity to the Magisterium, and devotion to Christ emboldened the Holy Father and gave him great hope in the future- in a time when so-called leaders like Mahony were doing nearly everything within their power to destroy the foundations of the Church, either intentionally or through their human weakness. Father Marcial was requested, after he had already retired and was in frail physical health, to avoid public ministry- hardly a “slap” or even a “prune”- rather a kind gesture to a man who had served the Church with tremendous zeal and effectiveness for the most part of his life.

    “…you must come to one of two conclusions 1) the Holy See and the Holy Father who are guided by the Holy Spirit are in ERROR”

    How does this in any way infer that the Holy Father acted in error? This is plainly illogical. The Holy Father acted with tremendous charity to the accusers and prudence in regards to the Church as a whole. Did Father Marcial, the LC, and RC dissent from the Vatican’s request. Of course not. It was plainly accepted, and followed- contrary to the example of those you (implicitly) seek to defend, namely a good portion of the American Bishops, who refute the will of Christ at nearly every opportunity they receive, when it is clearly expressed in Magisterial teachings.

    “…if the organization is so far off course due to something that happened and can be fixed OR there is something intrinsically wrong with the organization.”

    Again, you state that the Holy Father is guided by the Holy Spirit so long as it supports your argument. However, you entirely overlook the fact that the Holy Spirit has spoken and spoken clearly: LC and its constitutions- including those to which you apparently object- were approved by the Church. Regnum Christi was approved- in a very rare move- by John Paul II personally, not by a representative. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is speaking in ways that you apparently cannot stand- by drawing thousands of young men to dedicate their lives in active service to the Church through the priesthood, as characterized by zeal, unwavering fidelity to Christ and the Magisterium, and the desire to be saints. This is the greatest example of the action of the Holy Spirit working in men’s hearts.

    This entire dialog reminds me of the scene, brilliantly portrayed in Mel Gibson’s brilliant picture, The Passion, in which the Pharisees arrest Jesus and bring him before them to question. They clearly are disgusted by this simple man who was able to draw souls to him, when all the Pharisees were able to do, by their example, was repel and disgust people. Perhaps it disgusts the commenter, as well, that a faithful, young Catholic order with unwavering commitment to Christ is able to attract souls while other would be leaders in the Church are frightened- for good reason- by their own shadow, and not one soul listens to a word they have to say, because they are empty suits.

    That is the state of the Church today- where faithful religious orders are maligned, while Bishops and Cardinals who defy the Holy Father at ever turn are accepted and even celebrated. If you cannot understand the urgency of these times, and the need for 100 more organizations like LC and men like Father Marcial to introduce them, then you sincerely need to go to Confession and to begin praying your Rosary, daily.

  8. Jeannette said on March 27th, 2008 at 10:52am #

    This doesn’t make any sense, and Nicholas’ attacks upon Michael Kenny don’t address the problems. All three men mentioned were major causes of the continuing priestly sexual abuse problem: Marcial Maciel sexually abused many boys in his minor seminaries and then lied about it, as did (and do) many of his followers; Cardinal Mahoney has shuffled abusers around his diocese, and yes, it was most likely Maciel’s facade of traditionalism and not his fondness for little boys that Mahoney didn’t like; JPII’s failure to take a strong stand against child-molesting priests is well-known, and his willingness to promote bishops with problems is a sin that we will suffer from for many more years.

  9. Jeannette said on March 28th, 2008 at 12:01pm #

    “Is the reader suggesting this is an unjust form of censorship- a refusal to permit “dissent”.”
    The Vatican essentially told the LC that yes, this is an unjust form of censorship just last year.

    “This is absurd on several counts, the first of which is that in the US plaintiffs are not free to bring legal charges against individuals for essentially not liking them.”
    The Legion of Christ, Inc’s lawsuit against ReGAIN was essentially that the LC didn’t like what ReGAIN had to say. Unfortunately, Virginia civil law allows a plaintiff with deep pockets to file frivolous lawsuits. ReGAIN ran out of money for defense.

    “…the Pharisees arrest Jesus and bring him before them to question. They clearly are disgusted by this simple man who was able to draw souls to him, when all the Pharisees were able to do, by their example, was repel and disgust people. Perhaps it disgusts the commenter, as well, that a faithful, young Catholic order with unwavering commitment to Christ is able to attract souls while other would be leaders in the Church are frightened- for good reason- by their own shadow, and not one soul listens to a word they have to say, because they are empty suits.”
    Ooh, false innuendo, the Legion’s MO. How original-NOT

    “I will assume- to be safe- the reader is judging from outside the confines of the Church, and therefore blithely assumes an ‘homogenous hierarchy’ within the Catholic Church.”
    Wrong again.

    “where faithful religious orders are maligned, while Bishops and Cardinals who defy the Holy Father at ever turn are accepted and even celebrated.”
    I didn’t see Paul malign the FSSP, the Nashville Dominicans, the Primitive Observance Franciscans, or any other faithful traditional order. I only read where he maligned that “parallel church” (as Archbishop Flynn called it), that money-hungry, pervert-worshipping cult.

  10. Nicholas V. said on March 28th, 2008 at 8:14pm #

    Dear Readers;

    Please note I am not- nor did I ever intend to become- an apologist for either the Legion of Christ, Regnum Christi, or even Father Marcial. Furthermore, I do not portend to be an expert on the subject, especially as it regards allegations made in regards to Father Marcial stemming from 50 years ago. I cannot defend that which I do not know, and I certainly would never defend child abuse in any form. Rather, my intent was and is to voice the moral and practical outrage felt by the common lay person living in Los Angeles in regards to Cardinal Mahoney’s ongoing pedophile scandal, one carefully orchestrated over several decades, which cost the laity some $660 million. It is imperative that he be forced to retire in shame, and that he be prosecuted for his crimes.

    Having made that important point, I will be happy to respond to additional comments made by readers as follows:

    “… [my] attacks upon Michael Kenny don’t address the problems.”

    Mr. Kenney sought to provide a motivation for my article that was not accurate. Therefore, I duly clarified my position for readers, and contrasted it to that of Mr. Kenney. While this assuredly, is no “attack”, I will seek to clarify my position in response to your comments as well, many of which are inaccurate.

    “Marcial Maciel sexually abused many boys in his minor seminaries and then lied about it…”

    This presumes that the allegations made about Father Marcial, from 50 years ago, are in fact true. If they are true- which I do not know- then clearly making efforts to conceal it would be both gravely immoral and unjust. The bottom line is it is not clear that these allegations are in fact true, and hence we do not know that he is in fact lying.

    “it was most likely Maciel’s facade of traditionalism and not his fondness for little boys that Mahoney didn’t like”

    First of all it is unclear what you mean by “traditionalism”. Are you confusing traditionalism with Roman Catholicism (e.g. are you implying the existence of a “parallel church- one ‘liberal’ and one ‘traditional’)? The Creed clearly states, “…One holy, Catholic, and….” Conversely, it does not state, two, three, four…holy, Catholic, and… That is, there is only one Catholic Church, as founded by Christ, whose simple and straightforward teachings- on Faith & Morals- are not subject to individual interpretation. Hence, I think you are trying to refer to is Father Maciel’s “façade of [Catholicism]”.

    Now the question is what you mean by façade. Lets look at his track record: founder of the Legion of Christ, Regnum Christi, close confidante of several Popes, ardent defender of the Magisterium (which clearly has caused him to be hated by those Bishops, many of whom are in the US, who reject Christ’s authoritative teaching, and in its place seek to pander warm oatmeal, homosexuality, and their own creed). The Legion of Christ, as already stated, is drawing souls by the thousands to give their lives totally for Christ, to become saints in the modern world, and to bring Christ to others. Whereas the Bishops you defend send their would be diocesan priests to seminaries where open and flagrant displays of homosexual sex (e.g. oral sex in the showers) is commonplace- and those who object are labeled “rigid” and sent to psychologists- the formation provided by the Legion is unparalleled in terms of its Catholic theology, ardent spiritual and moral formation, and love for Christ and souls.

    The fact that the Legion happens to be hated and therefore rejected in some select US Dioceses is merely a symptom of the overall sex abuse/homosexual mafia problem facing the US Catholic Church squarely in the eyes. While the Legion prepares future priests to be soldiers for Christ, many US seminaries- though not all- have created monsters who are enslaved by their own lustful passion.

    Consequently, the label you seek to provide- “façade of Catholicism”- does not apply to Father Marcial. Apart from John Paul II, he is probably the most effective Catholic Apostle of the 20th century.

    “JPII’s failure to take a strong stand against child-molesting priests is well-known…”

    The problems facing the Church in the present age are extremely severe- much deeper than is publicly known. John Paul II was forced to take his case for Christ directly to the laity, and essentially to bypass the numerous Bishops and priests who openly opposed his every move. However, to infer that John Paul II is responsible for the sexual abuse scandal within the American Church- caused by the very Bishops whose opposition to Christ was deeply entrenched for decades- is both ridiculous as well as contrary to the facts. The US Bishops, for instance, did not want to have to remove all priests accused (with evidence) of sexual abuse. John Paul II insisted upon this repeatedly, and that is the only reason that the US Bishops took any action at all. For many of them, this was not a major issue.

    “…lawsuit against ReGAIN was essentially that the LC didn’t like what ReGAIN had to say….”

    Once again, this is incorrect. LC sued the organization on the following basis: “out of context… as part of a concerted effort to wage a malicious disinformation campaign….” While I am not associated with the Legion, given the tenor of these postings, I certainly can understand as well as empathize with their concern. It certainly seems that malice, not facts, is fueling this rage.

    “Ooh, false innuendo, the Legion’s MO. How original-NOT”

    Again, since I am not associated with the Legion, so this is illogical and shown to be false, on its own merit. Furthermore, I only mentioned them in the context of my original article because they have developed a nationwide (extremely positive) reputation for their work with youth. That is, rather than molest them, they actually seek to instill in them knowledge of the Faith, love for Christ, and moral virtues. I can understand why this would cause others to despise them, given the age in which we live- unfortunately, even within the Church and her hierarchy.

    “I didn’t see…malign the FSSP, the Nashville Dominicans, the Primitive Observance Franciscans, or any other faithful traditional order.”

    Who? Brief history lesson: Why did the Pharisees seek Jesus’ death? There were plenty of people at that time that made similar claims, but guess what, they did not have an audience. Jesus was a success and they hated him for it. These orders may be wonderful, pious, and very faithful, but the LC is arguably the most successful- and certainly one of the most visible new orders in the Church, worldwide. This is certainly the case in terms of its ability to draw souls and raise funds as needed for expansion. The LC is the most successful and most prominent organization in the Church today that forms large numbers of priests to preach the simple but powerful Truth of the Catholic Church worldwide. It stands in staunch support for Christ and his Church, unlike many of the US Bishops, who aren’t really sure what they stand for, if anything. In Los Angeles, where I live, it is almost impossible to encounter simple, solid, Catholic teaching. Why? Is it merely a case of poor management? I hardly think so.

    “I only read where he maligned that “parallel church” (as Archbishop Flynn called it), that money-hungry, pervert-worshipping cult.”

    It is very interesting to note that those who invoke the term “parallel church” in regards to the Legion of Christ- which is entirely focused on Christ and seeks wholly to serve the Church- are the same individuals who have imposed upon the laity in their Diocese an actual- vs. imaginary- parallel church- one devoid of Christ’s authentic teaching, where most laity- and possibly even priests- are entirely unfamiliar with the teachings of the Church and therefore do not have any chance of being able to enjoy the fruits of living a Catholic life. These modern day Pharisees were clearly pointed out by Christ, when he referred to those who ‘refuse to let others in since they themselves have closed the door’. These men have lost their faith and therefore have sought to create a new, humanist church in place of the authentic structure. When faithful Catholics come along to point out that watching men perform oral sex in the showers is probably not the best formation for a future priest, they are shuffled off to the psychologist to learn how to become less “rigid”.

    The second half of your comment speaks entirely for itself as an open testament to your own hatred, judgementalism, and intolerance for an organization that has been formally tried, tested, and approved by the Holy Spirit, who guides the Church at all times. It also speaks of your ignorance as an individual.

    I add the following solely for the benefit of readers:

    “The problems we have found with the Legionaries specifically are that they…convey to their followers that what is being taught in parishes in the diocese is inadequate Catholicism and they have an adverse effect on the morale of local clergy.”

    In another words, those Bishops who seek to prevent the LC from serving the faithful in their Diocese, object to the fact that LC priests provide the laity with an authentic Catholic catechesis, something that Dioceses stopped doing over 50 years ago. As one of numerous potential examples, how many Roman Catholics in the US believe that the use artificial birth control is a serious mortal sin? This is a very basic truth, but like most of the Catholic teachings, it is ignored and overlooked by Bishops who are more fixated on ensuring that their seminarians receive a comprehensive homosexual indoctrination before they become Priests- that way they will be able to look at ordinary Roman Catholics, like members of Regnum Christi, Opus Dei, or other faithful followers of Christ, as weirdoes, eccentrics, and trouble-makers.

    “the Legionaries, have organized various ministries, such as youth ministry and small faith communities that parallel the ministries of the local parishes.”

    Have you ever attended one of these offered by a Diocese? It would be very revealing to know what proportion of individuals who call themselves Catholic and who work within the Parish- including the priests- who a) are familiar with Church teaching on matters of Faith and Morals and b) believe it. I think the result of any such study would easily suggest that these dissenters have decided to…
    – create our own church and get rid of anything we do not like (e.g. “homophobia”, abortion, birth control, women priests etc. etc.)
    – develop a “consensus” within the church in America- through misinformation and poor formation- to support our agenda (e.g. what we really need is to make sure our youth group knows about recycling and global warming….)
    – lets persecute our enemies and abuse the authority we have been given to ensure that the ends we seek are achievable.

    The LC is popular because it offers Christ to the people. You can persecute those who try to deliver Christ and the Church he founded, but you are waging a battle against God Himself, and that is not a side I would want to be on, even if for the moment, you may seem victorious. Eventually, the dissent in America will boil over and result in a schism. That is what the Holy Father is trying to avoid, and why he is not being “heavy-handed” when he could be, because it would only bring the schism earlier.

  11. Nicholas V. said on March 30th, 2008 at 6:52pm #

    http://www.legionariesofchrist.org/eng/articulos/multimedia_video.phtml?lc=id-_se-246_ca-_te-_rx-&tipo_art=&archivoid=633&origen=seccion

    This link is to a video of a recent private audience enjoyed by Legionaries & RC members with Pope Benedict. The Church clearly celebrates the visible fruits of the Holy Spirit, as displayed in this video- vibrant, committed Christians from all walks of life. These attacks against the late Father Maciel (e.g. “pervert”) are merely a subterfuge to attack the Legionaries of Christ, their theology, apologetics, schools and universities. Most definitely this is not the position of the Vatican, where the “worthy apostolate” of the Legionaries is “gratefully recognized”.

    Perusing reader’s comments would have led to an entirely opposite- and therefore false- conclusion.

  12. Neil Tall-Eagle said on April 13th, 2008 at 7:20pm #

    My advice for marking child sex abusers (catholic priests included) is to adopt the method used by Native-Americans in ancient days… cut off their noses…!

  13. Andrew said on April 21st, 2008 at 8:46pm #

    It seems rather ironic that if you examine closely the majority of comments posted you will note a strong antipathy for a fervent Catholic organization ( presumably, though not convincingly, based on allegations against its founder from 50 years ago). However, these same people have no problem with the fact that 3000 US Priests have been cited in allegations of sexual misconduct involving children in the last 30 years, which to date have cost the US Church over $2 billion and climbing. “Investigative Reporter” seems to work for Mahony or the US Catholic Church in some capacity (and therefore wishes not to reveal his identity). The Catholic Churh in the US is done. The Bishops- save the few who have remained loyal to the Church- should be castrated in a public ceremony, or maybe they should be forced to attend the same “seminaries” to which they send their would be priests (assuming that is that they would find the behavior there offensive, and that is rather doubtful at best).

    Andrew