An update on the reform of the Legionaries of Christ has now been issued by Zenit, and it poses a number of questions.
My readers may remember that some weeks ago I asked the question: what, after everything that has happened, is the point of the continued existence of the Legion? I suppose a better question would be, not what is the point of its existence (after all, I think we can accept the good the Legionaries themselves have done and continue to do), but what is the possibility of its continued existence?
If the whole charism of a body is based on a particular individual’s supposed sanctity, how – without going through a process of very radical change – does it continue after that individual is shown to be not holy at all but a very bad man indeed? Suppose St Francis were shown beyond peradventure to have been corrupt and vicious; how would you carry on being a Franciscan? It’s a real question.
Well, according to Zenit:
12:10 PM
The Legionaries of Christ are being rebranded: but Fr Maciel is still to be their private ideal
If the Legion is to continue its existence, it needs to change, root and branch
William Oddie
3 min read
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