On February 2, 2009, Fr. Marciel Maciel was discovered to have fathered a child while acting as the General Director and Founder of the Legionaries of Christ. This revelation confirmed by Fr. Alvaro Corcuera, current General Director of the Legionaries of Christ, has led to further speculation, but no official declaration. that previous accusations of sexual indiscretion by the Founder. However, despite repeated calls for transparency, from Archbishop O'Brien of Baltimore, among others, no response has been supplied. We the undersigned, call for the following actions: 1.A thorough review of the organizational charism, structure, and constitutions due to the Founders morally repugnant behavior which may have in turn compromised the organization he initiated. 2.A public statement outlining the proposed action. The Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi were created by Marciel Maciel, and for better or worse, his actions and inspiration have directed the Movement since its foundation. In areas of morality and conscience, the Church demands the highest standards from its spiritual leaders. As a spiritual movement that counts tens of thousands of Catholics as members, there is a moral imperative for the Legionaries of Christ to admit and detail, openly and immediately, the Founder's actions and investigate the possible damage done to, and by, the organization as a result. In turning a blind eye to the faults and failings of the Founder, the repercussions of his actions for better or worse, which have left an impact on the members would be trivialized. In addition, change, if necessary, cannot proceed without acknowledgment and transparency. As active and concerned Catholics, we have seen the havoc and spiritual chaos that comes from ignoring problems. Most recently, the sex abuse scandals of 2002 were a cause of great distress and divide both to the victims of the crimes and members within the Church itself. We cannot stand idly by without requesting transparency, while an organization of such renown and influence as the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi, continues to direct the consciences of those within it. In Veritatis Splendor, Pope John Paul II speaks at length about the necessity of truth in action. 'As is evident, in the question of the morality of human acts, and in particular the question of whether there exist intrinsically evil acts, we find ourselves faced with the question of man himself, of his truth and of the moral consequences flowing from that truth. By acknowledging and teaching the existence of intrinsic evil in given human acts, the Church remains faithful to the integral truth about man; she thus respects and promotes man in his dignity and vocation.' So we place our request in the hands of the Church and call for an examination of the far reaching implications of Fr. Marciel Maciel life. In 2002, the United States Bishops Conference urged "the whole Church, especially the laity... to be engaged in maintaining safe environments in the Church for children and young people." The Legionaries of Christ have a moral obligation to create a physically, psychologically, and spiritually safe environment that conforms with Church teaching and respects the dignity of each person. Let us then reaffirm the commitment made in 2002, "we will assist in the healing of those who have been injured... we will work with clergy, religious, and laity to restore trust and harmony in our faith communities, as we pray for God's kingdom to come, here on earth, as it is in heaven." With this great hope, we the undersigned place this call for action. Keeping the faith,

Sponsor

Links