Legion of Christ
Encyclopedia : L : LE : LEG : Legion of Christ
| The [Neutral point of view>neutrality] of this article is [NPOV disputedisputed]. Please see the discussion on the [Catholic religious congregation established in 1941 in Mexico by Fr. Marcial Maciel. It enjoyed the favor of Pope John Paul II, possibly in part because of its flexibility in facing contemporary challenges and reputation for sound teaching. It is currently one of the Church's fastest-growing congregations, with a presence in 20 countries, and over 550 priests and 2,500 seminarians. Critics cite recruitment from their schools of children identified as having vocations to the priesthood and aggressive fundraising required of its priests as two reasons for such rapid growth, particularly in Latin Countries. It also operates several schools in North America as well as Mexico and other Latin American countries.
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The founderFr. Marcial Maciel (*1920) was born into an devout Catholic family living in a fiercely-anticlerical Mexico. On June 19, 1936, Maciel—a young seminarian at the time—felt called to establish a new religious order, and in 1941, with the support of the bishop of Cuernavaca, Bishop Francisco González Arias, he founded the Legion of Christ. Fr. Maciel was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop González Arias in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City on the 26th November 1944, after which he continued to build up the Legion and its lay companion, Regnum Christi. Fr. Maciel was asked by Pope John Paul II to accompany him on his visits to Mexico in 1979, 1990, and 1993, and was appointed, also by Pope John Paul II, to the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the formation of Candidates for the Priesthood in Actual Circumstances (1991). He has been a member of the Interdicasterial Commission for a Just Distribution of Clergy (1991), the IV General Conference of Latin American Bishops (CELAM) (1992), the Synod of Bishops on Consecrated Life and Their Mission in the Church and the World (1993), the Synod of Bishops´ Special Assembly for America (1997) and, since 1994, a permanent consultant to the Congregation for the Clergy. The golden anniversary of his priestly ordination was celebrated on 26th November, 1994, with 57 Legionary priests ordained on the anniversary's eve. Presently, Fr. Marcial Maciel also serves as Chancellor of the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, which is based in Rome. In January of 2005 Fr. Maciel, at age 84, was succeeded by Fr. Alvaro Corcuera, LC as General Director of the Legion. Allegations of sexual abuseMaciel was removed from his position by the Vatican in 1956 and reinstated in 1959 following allegations that he was addicted to a morphine drug known as dolantine.Since the 1970s, Marcial Maciel has been accused of having repeatedly sexually abused other congregation members, including young children. Maciel's accusers include a priest, a guidance counselor, a professor, an engineer, a lawyer and a former priest who became a university professor. The men, seven Mexicans and two Spaniards, described themselves as former members of a favored group, known as the "apostolic schoolboys." The abuse allegedly occurred over three decades beginning in the 1940s in Spain and Italy, where boys and young men were taken for schooling. The abuse, they said, involved some 30 boys and young men and extended over at least three decades. Of the nine men making the accusations, one subsequently retracted his story, claiming it had been a fabrication intended to damage the Legion. The other eight continue to maintain these allegations. Fr Maciel and the organization deny the accusations. According to the ReGain organization, as many as 24 men have come foward with accusations of sexual abuse against Fr. Maciel. Fr Maciel and the organization continue to deny the accusations. The liable Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), lead by-then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, examined the allegations. Shortly after some media reported the reopening of the investigation in late 2004, Fr. Maciel stepped down as leader of the Legion. [link] On May 19, 2006 the Vatican published a communique for press, instructing Fr. Maciel to retire to a life of "prayer and penitence". [link] The statement said Maciel had been "invited" to withdraw to "a reserved life of prayer and penitence and not carry out his ministry in public". The statement said that the investigation was dropped because of his "advanced age [and] frail health [link]. The statement noted that the sanctions had been personally endorsed by the Pope. Commentators said that this was a clear departure from the timorous policy of Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, and appeared to be a first step toward fulfilling the new pontiff's vow to sweep "filth" from the church. Vatican sources told the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) that the action effectively finds that at least some of the accusations are true[link]. In Mexico, the Legionaires said in a statement that he had "accepted the instruction with faith, total calm, with a clear conscience knowing that it is a new cross which God, merciful father, has allowed him to suffer". It said that Fr. Maciel declared his innocence "and, following the example of Jesus Christ, decided not to defend himself in any way." [link] EthosMembers of the Legion take vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty, as well as private vows not to criticize the actions or the person of the superiors and to inform the superior if anyone else does and they take a vow of humility not to pursue any particular position. The Legion's spirituality can be described as three loves: love for Christ, love for Mary, and love for the Church and Pope. 
 Love for Christ is, for Legionaries, a personal experience. Through the Gospel, the Cross, and the Eucharist, Legionaries come to know Christ intimately, and love him in a passionate way by embracing him as their only model of holiness. Love for Mary flows from imitating Christ; the Blessed Virgin is loved as both Mother of the Church and of the individual Legionary's vocation. Legonaries consecrate their spiritual and apostolic lives to her care, and seek to taken on her virtues of faith, hope, charity, obedience, humility, and cooperation with Christ´s plan of redemption. Finally, there is Legionaries' love for Church and Pope. The Church is loved because it is the Body of Christ, and the beginning of his Kingdom on earth. Legionaries see the Church both as she currently stands and as Christ wants her to be. Thus Legionaries honor her by faith, submit to her in obedience, win souls for her through evangelisation, and put her above all other earthly things in their lives. This love of the Church leads many in the Legion to speak of being "always in step with the Church, neither ahead nor behind." It also explains the Legionaries' special affection for the Pope, who is supported in his charism of primacy and magisterium. All bishops in communion with the Roman Pontiff, as the Apostles' successors and teachers of the Catholic Faith, are likewise honored. PoliticsMany have argued that the congregation incorporates right-wing and conservative politics. The Legion, however, states that its focus is not on political alliances nor activism, but on advancing the Church's social agenda as articulated by the Holy See. Its priests are particularly active on bioethical issues; the Legion's emphasis on bioethics is demonstrated by the facts its Pontifical Atheneum in Rome, the Regina Apostolorum, is the first university in the world granting bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in bioethics. The congregation has been compared to Opus Dei because of its views and their mutual fidelity to the Church's Magisterium. The congregation is pro-life. The Legion of Christ, like the Catholic Church, is also against homosexual activity as it considers the act a sin, and collaborates with psychologists who treat same-sex attraction as a disorder (see reparative therapy). FormationAs a whole, the Legion is dedicated to advancing the Church's mission in the world, and to this end submits candidates to a rigorous formation of four stages: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral. This formation is very controversial, and critics charge that the Legion is producing "robots" who all speak and behave in the same way. A large number of rules do guide the Legion members actions, ranging from "take the steps one at a time","do not use urinals", and "scoop French fries with a fork, do not poke them." [[Citing sources citation needed]] Other rules restrain members from sharing their inner thoughts and feelings with people they encounter, including their own family members: "Always display happiness and serenity as a manifestation of inner richness. At the other extreme, avoid all sign of depression, insecurity or timidity. Do not display a worried, sad, melancholy or disgusted face, or show an exaggerated form of happiness." and even: "When receiving family visits, always appear happy, cordial, attentive, grateful and satisfied with the vocation that God has granted you." [[Citing sources citation needed]] "177. The first duty of a legionary is to love and esteem the Legion. As Nuestro Padre says, it is not a sin to love our Mother who is with all her being dedicated to the expansion of the Kingdom of Christ. On the other hand, when we do this, we are not laboring blindly for we have before our eyes the splendid fruits that the Legion has produced for forty years, the formation of its men and the radiance of its apostolates which confirm that it is work of God and of the Church. 178. To love the Legion is to believe in it and in all that which makes up its specific charism - spirituality, discipline, apostolic methodology. To love the Legion is to intimately know it, accept it in all its fullness, without reticence or diminution. To love the Legion is to actively pledge oneself to it, living its spirit and enriching it with the contribution of all of one’s personality. To love the Legion is to feel oneself fully realized within it and to make it an essential part of one’s own happiness." Contact with the family is severely restricted as well. High school seminarians are permitted to visit home: 276. During periods of summer vacation for fifteen days. During this period the Rector and, if the number requires it, the Vice-Rector - each accompanied by another religious - should visit apostolics in their homes to attend to them spiritually and to cultivate the family. 277. During the Christmas holidays for three days. However, all apostolics should celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the vocational center and should do the same during the last day of the year. 278. For the name day or corresponding birthday of their parents for one day. This visit will, however, be subject to the approval of the Rector based on the individual environment of each family. 279. For their parents anniversary for one day. 280. For the wedding, religious profession or priestly ordination of one of their siblings for one day. 281. On the occasion of the death or serious illness of a parent, sibling or grandparent for three days. Papal supportSince its founding, successive popes have expressed support for the Legion. When Maciel visited Rome in 1946, Pope Pius XII expressed a keen interest in the undertaking and gave it his personal blessing. In light of the order's achievements, particularly in education, Pope Paul VI was pleased to award it the "Decree of Praise" in 1965. The most enthusiastic support has, however, been that of Pope John Paul II, who in a recent address picked out the qualities which have made the Legion so successful:
The close relationship between Fr. Maciel and Pope John Paul has been cited as one the reasons that Vatican investigation regarding sex abuse allegations made against Fr. Maciel proceeded extremely slowly although the first allegations were provided to the Pope in the late 1970's. Controversial recruiting practicesThe Legion's recruiting practices have been criticized as predatory, and some Bishops have refused permission to Legionaries to work in their dioceses.Also, in Latin America at least, the Legion seems to have a tremendous bias in favor of recruiting wealthy and/or socially prominent individuals and families. Though it runs schools for the poor, and though it purports to hold humility as a principal virtue, Legion priests tend to be drawn almost exclusively from the upper classes, and once ordained, tend to move in very exclusive social circles. Assistance and aid to the poor by members of the Legion appears to be tokenism, especially when comparing the number of poor children it educates to the number of wealthy and socially elite children that come out of its schools. A particularly worrisome aspect of Legion recruitment is its practice of secretly recruiting children and instructing them not to tell their parents. How widespread is this practice is debatable, and in fact is denied outright by the Legion. However, anecdotal evidence, though as yet not systematically organized, is widespread, beyond the realm of mere rumor. And there is no doubt that, in Legion-run schools, children and young adults are actively encouraged to join the Legion with or without their parents' approval. Reading list
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