“In addition, the content of these writings may be used in preaching without citing the author.”
This is the single sentence from the newly issued guidelines about references to Fr. Maciel that has generated the most angst. Creating angst wasn’t the intention – so I’ll try to add a little context.
This is what the actual decree says in my English translation: “These texts [the personal writings of Fr. Maciel] are not to be read in public (readings during spiritual exercises, readings in the dining room, etc.). Their content can be used in preaching, without citing the source.”
The writings of Fr. Maciel were considered deeply spiritual and quite legitimate during the formative years of the 850 Legionary priests working around the world. We also know that Fr. Maciel – as any superior general of a religious congregation (or Bishop, politician, CEO, etc.) – had several quite knowledgeable people assisting him with correspondence and other writings. Frankly, the content of his writings remains in most cases quite sound, especially when he just deals different subjects.
OK. I know that my writing that probably shocks many of you. But having read a good deal of his work, there is great emphasis on charity, serving others, loyalty to the Church and the Pope, speaking well of others, forgiving enemies, etc. None of those concepts became illegitimate as a result of Fr. Maciel’s failings.
Of course, all those concepts are discussed with depth and elegance by a wide swath of Christian writers from the apostles to the Doctors of the Church to the Holy Father. There is no shortage of holy people for a Legionary to quote in a homily. And many great Christian writers are quoted daily by Legionaries from New York to Rome to Korea.
But for many Legionaries who have been quoting the words of Fr. Maciel for years – in some cases decades – I think it is rather unreasonable to prohibit formally that they keep using words that, for them, have expressed legitimate ideas so well.
For example, Fr. Maciel was often cited for his insistence that Catholics must act in obedience to the Pope. That is a legitimate concept. If a Legionary says in a homily, “being Catholic only makes sense if we act in obedience to the Pope” is it imperative that he attribute the statement to Fr. Maciel? Is he somehow continuing to venerate Fr. Maciel by saying something the founder of the Legion frequently said? Should he go to tortured lengths to make sure that he isn’t (maybe even unconsciously) using the same words used in a letter by Fr. Maciel?
I don’t think so. In fact, this could turn foolish. The preacher is simply stating a truth in words that are, to him, clear and familiar. And if a Legionary priest does not attribute such statement to Fr. Maciel it has nothing to do with deception, but he just avoids a reference which would be seen as continued, unwarranted deference or would just be an obstacle to convey God’s revelation and touch the hearts of those who listen. This is what preaching is all about and many Legionaries do quite well in that.
So why was there a need to mention put this at all in the decree? According to my understanding the main reason was to make sure that Legionary preachers would not be accused by over-zealous listeners or by their own conscience of acting against an institutional decree when they use legitimate ideas they have picked up reading the writings of Fr. Maciel. Anyway, preachers will be especially careful not to cause scandal in any way.
There isn’t a perfect solution for this issue and any approach likely will disappoint some people. I pray for each Legionary who must with patience and charity reconcile the gap between Fr. Maciel’s spiritual writings and human failings.
Some thoughts:
1) Using Maciel’s writings without citing him as the source is deception. Isn’t the Legion trying not to deceive people anymore?
2) Maciel wasn’t obedient to the pope, repeatedly and for decades. So why use his writings to illistrate true obedience? In fact, why on earth would a Legionaire priest turn to Maciel’s writings for wisdom on this, or any other subject? Maciel’s life was so thoroughly evil (that’s what “devoid of religious sentiment” means, to quote Pope Benedict) so there is no reason to use him for spiritual guidance.
3) There’s a big difference between a Legionaire priest subconsciously using an idea once expressed by Maciel and deliberately going to his writings to improve a homily or talk. The new directive says, “hey, it’s okay to keep reading Maciel’s writings,” and that’s simply a bad idea.
4) As Jim notes, there are thouands of popes, saints, theologians, and inspirational Catholic men and women to draw upon for wisdom in a homily. But going this route would mean banishing any trace of Maciel from the Legion, and it’s evident the current administrators don’t want to do that.
Thank you Polish Pilgrim, I share your concerns. I am uneasy about this recent statement. I believe the Legion can move forward “independent of the founder”, but this guideline leaves me feeling extremely gun-shy of future LC talks and retreats. I feel I would need to clarify with the presenting LC his position on the use of Fr Maciel’s writings, yet it would feel disrespectful to ask. If others share these concerns, they too might simply choose to stay away from future talks and retreats.
Jim, since you seem to agree that some of Marciel’s writings are unsound, I am wondering if the Legion has undertaken the project of reading through everything he wrote that was published, and sorting out what is sound and what is unsound? And if it has, is the project completed, and what specific conclusions were reached, if it is not completed then when is it anticipated it will be?
And could you mention a few important points on which Marciel’s writings are unsound?
Eduardo….thanks for you comments and questions. Frankly, there are thousands of pages of writings and correspondence attributed to Father Maciel. It will take a long time to sort through all of it. We are no longer selling things he authored. Let me emphasize an important section from the original posting:
“So why was there a need to mention put this at all in the decree? According to my understanding the main reason was to make sure that Legionary preachers would not be accused by over-zealous listeners or by their own conscious of acting against an institutional decree when they use legitimate ideas they have picked up reading the writings of Fr. Maciel. Anyway, preachers will be especially careful not to cause scandal in any way.”
I mentioned only his published works, which are not nearly so extensive.
The reason this matters that those who read Marciels works may be mislead by parts of it that are unsound, and indeed apparently many have been in the past. For that reason the Legion should determine what in his writing is unsound so that readers will not be mislead, and those that already have been will be corrected.
Eduardo…we know we have a lot of work to do. In the meantime, as stated earlier, we are not selling any of the writings of Fr. Maciel.
When you say “I know we have a lot of work to do” may I take it to mean that the Legion is in fact working on determining what is sound or unsound in Maciel’s writings? But surely there are some preliminary findings, such as major ideas that appear repeatedly and are unsound?
I know you are no longer publishing Maciel’s works, but members of the Legion and RC have been told it is acceptable to continue to read them, and have not been told, so far as I know, what in them is unsound. Wouldn’t it be wiser in the meantime, for them to restrict themselves to the many Church writers whose works are entirely sound?
Eduardo…Right now, the focus for the Legion is on the review of the order’s constitutions. Everything else will follow in good time. In the meantime, members of the Movement are NOT REQUIRED to read any of the writings of the founder. There are many great options and if someone is unfamiliar with options, I’m sure their spiritual director could advise them.
Thanks for the above Jim, but members will still be exposed to the founders writing by virtue of LCs/RCs being able to use the material in talks and homilies. It that sense I agree with Eduardo, isn’t better in the meantime to completely stay away from the writings until it has been clarified what is sound and what is not.
Astrid….Clearly, this is an issue of great concern to many people. Frankly, I don’t expect any of the Legionaries I know to be quoting Fr. Maciel — but it certainly would be easy to use something he said in a talk or conversation because it was used many times in the past. But it is important to point out that Legionaries are EXTREMELY sensitive to this issue and are quite willing and able to refer to the great spiritual writers of the Church. Any conscious — or unconscious — use of Fr. Maciel’s words would, I’m quite certain, be with regard to something those great writers would agree with. Again, I want to stress that NOBODY IS REQUIRED to read Fr. Maciel’s writings.
Jim, as a point of clarification members of the movement have NEVER been required to read Maciel’s works. The question is to what extent formation programs, retreats, Encounters with Christ, even team or spiritual dialogue will be affected by the purported writings of the founder going forward. Members who no longer trust Maciel’s writings as a reliable source of spirituality or who are personally so repulsed by his actions so as to want nothing to do with anything he wrote will simply not attend retreats, spiritual direction, or any of the means of spiritual growth if they think they’ll have to listen to his words. How is that possibly helpful to the member’s vocation?
It’s good to respect the personal freedom of individual Legionaries, but what about the rights of the members who wish to pursue their vocation without having to deal with these writings? Those members have rights which absolutely must be respected as well. If the founder had legitimate ideas, it seems the correct pastoral solution would be for the Legionary to find who else in the Church had the same idea and use him/her in the talk. By doing so he will preserve the essence of what he wants to say AND show respect and sensitivity to his listeners. Inconvenient to be sure, but the member’s vocation is simply more important than any personal decision to quote the founder.
The Legionaries I know are VERY sensitive to all the issues raised here. I would like to stress what I said in my original post:
“So why was there a need to mention put this at all in the decree? According to my understanding the main reason was to make sure that Legionary preachers would not be accused by over-zealous listeners or by their own conscience of acting against an institutional decree when they use legitimate ideas they have picked up reading the writings of Fr. Maciel. Anyway, preachers will be especially careful not to cause scandal in any way.
“There isn’t a perfect solution for this issue and any approach likely will disappoint some people. I pray for each Legionary who must with patience and charity reconcile the gap between Fr. Maciel’s spiritual writings and human failings.”
Dear Jim,
Why is the Regnum Christi website still selling “Cristo al Centro” on the Spanish version of the website? “Cristo al Centro” is a compilation of some of Maciel’s most famous quotes, only without attributing them to him. Isn’t this contrary to what was just decreed, i.e. that Maciel’s writings would no longer be for sale? On the website, they suggest that people buy “Cristo al Centro” and give it as a Christmas present. I find it hard to imagine how giving a book of quotes from a “False prophet” and a person “Devoid of scruples and of genuine religious sentiment” would make a good Christmas present. I don’t have “Cristo al Centro” on hand, but the quotes that appear from it on the RC website are from Maciel. Here are some examples:
“Nadie puede decir con honradez que no tiene tiempo para ser apóstol, porque es como si dijera que no tiene tiempo para ser cristiano” (# 113).
“¡Qué cerca nos sentimos de Dios cuando estamos cerca del Papa! ¡Cómo agradecerle al Señor esta gracia inestimable!”
“El dolor humano sólo tiene sentido unido al de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo. El dolor sufrido con paciencia, con fe y con amor es fuente de paz, de oración, de unión con Dios y medio eficacísimo de apostolado.” (# 682)
Daniel – The book you mention has many expressions of the spirituality of the Legion, originating from several different authors. None of it is attributed – and, in particular, nothing is done in the publication to in any way praise Fr. Maciel.
This is what I was trying to say in my comment above Jim, the book contains among other quotes, some of Fr Marciel…..this means the reader is unknowingly exposed to some of his writings. In Fr Alvaro’s directions he says that none of his writings will be for sale any longer. However in this book they still are, although be it hidden and mixed in with other spiritual writings of LC spirituality.
Astrid…I understand your concern. I believe what is important is that the expressions in the book are authentic experessions of the spirituality of the Movement. There is no intention to hid things, but to only present what we believe represents the Movement and to take care not to in any way attribute or credit Father Maciel.
I understand Jim, you may not credit him and yet ‘you’ are saying that those writings of his which are included in the book are part of the authentic expression of the spirituality of the movement. How can you let a man who is regarded by our Pope as “Devoid of scruples and of genuine religious sentiment” be part of the authentic expression of the spirituality of the movement? I am very honestly trying to get my head around this one.
Astrid — This is deeply challenging for everyone. Going back to my original post:
“The writings of Fr. Maciel were considered deeply spiritual and quite legitimate during the formative years of the 850 Legionary priests working around the world. We also know that Fr. Maciel – as any superior general of a religious congregation (or Bishop, politician, CEO, etc.) – had several quite knowledgeable people assisting him with correspondence and other writings. Frankly, the content of his writings remains in most cases quite sound, especially when he just deals different subjects.
“OK. I know that my writing that probably shocks many of you. But having read a good deal of his work, there is great emphasis on charity, serving others, loyalty to the Church and the Pope, speaking well of others, forgiving enemies, etc. None of those concepts became illegitimate as a result of Fr. Maciel’s failings.”
I don’t know what else to say at this point, but I believe we can move forward in faith, trusting to the guidance of the Holy Father and his delegate, who are providing the Legion with their holy wisdom.
Jim, I would recommend the new Regnum Christi Handbook as a resource for all to grow deeper in their vocation in the Movement. It is clear and inspiring. Take it to adoration. Wonderful!