In the following note, Fr Luis Garza, LC, the vicar general for the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christ, responds to some recent media interpretations of a recording of a talk he gave to the consecrated women in Mexico.
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Rome, July 14, 2010. Yesterday, July 13, various Mexican news outlets published articles about a recording of a private meeting I held in September of 2009. This recording was spread yesterday in the MVS newspaper with various omissions and comments that partly distorted the meaning of my words.
Through this note, I would like to clarify, for now, just two of the main affirmations that have been made in various media, basing myself mainly on an article published in La Reforma newspaper.
The article says, “Luis Garza Medina, vicar of the Legionaries of Christ, stated that the upper leadership of the congregation opted to hide Marcial Maciel’s abuses.” This statement does not fit with the facts or with what I said. Neither Fr Alvaro Corcuera, LC, the general director of the congregation, nor I or other superiors of the congregation hid or attempted to hide the behaviors we gradually discovered after Fr Marcial Maciel gave up his responsibility as general director.
However, as we have expressed in various forums, it has taken time to gain a complete knowledge and examine, insofar as it was possible, the veracity of the accusations against our founder. Starting in the summer of 2008, once we had sufficient certainty of the facts, we gradually and personally informed the superiors of the congregation and the religious members of the Legion of Christ, the consecrated men and women, and the other Regnum Christi members in 22 countries. Finally, we informed the mass media and society, expressing our deep sorrow for these gravely reprehensible acts.
The published article also says, “[Fr Luis Garza] admitted that at least three members of the Legion’s directors knew about Maciel’s actions and chose to hide them and not act to prevent them from continuing.” This statement is also incorrect. In response to the question about whether there were members of the congregation who knew about the hidden actions of our founder, I mentioned the case of three elderly priests who commented after our founder’s death that they knew about some of the facts. I was referring to how one of them explained that he did not make a denunciation because he had no way of proving what he knew and because Fr Maciel had been idealized by many people for his authority as founder and general director.
In this context, I repeat that none of the current superiors were aware of our founder’s actions, much less consented to them. Besides, as our statement from this past March 25 states, “If it turns out that anyone culpably cooperated in his misdeeds we will act according to the principles of Christian justice and charity, holding these people responsible for their actions.”
I trust that the communications media that referred to this recording will want to inform their readers of the truth of the facts. Therefore, I ask you to place this response in the appropriate place and position to clarify the statements mentioned above.
Sincerely,
Fr Luis Garza Medina, LC
