Fr. Marcial, Founder of Legionaries of Christ, Fathered Child, Lived Double Life?

Catholic Online ^ | 2/04/09 | Deacon Keith Fournier

[tcg]

The Founder of the Legionaries of Christ and its lay movement, Regnum Christi, are deeply shocked and heartsick. Their founder, Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado, had already been alleged to have been involved in serious and scandalous sexual impropriety in the past.

The influential, deceased founder of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi, Fr. Marcial Maciel, a consecrated celibate priest, is now alleged to have had a mistress, fathered at least one child and lived a double life. I will use the summary set forth in the recent article on “American Papist” written by Thomas Peters. It appears to be the most comprehensive, up to date and substantive. It is based upon numerous reports including sources within the community itself:

“1) Maciel fathered a child who is now in her early 20's; “2) Maciel offered some money illicitly to his own family; “3) The current head, Alvaro Corcuera, entertaining his own suspicions, demanded that the case be reopened several years ago; “4) The health of the Legion depends on denouncing him as founder and moving on. “I have heard more details in addition (a second child, etc), but in this situation, I tend to think we've already learned enough to make an evaluation. Anything further is simply prurient interest.”

[Tax-chick]

LOL - good point.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“To my jaded Eastern eyes, this is sadly not at all remarkable...nor does it shake my Faith in the least.”

I agree entirely!

[NYer]

Respect for the souls of others: scandal

Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor's tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.

Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized. It prompted our Lord to utter this curse: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."⁸⁶ Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others. Jesus reproaches the scribes and Pharisees on this account: he likens them to wolves in sheep's clothing.⁸⁷

Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion.

ccc - RESPECT FOR THE DIGNITY OF PERSONS

[kalee]

Is this rumor Patrick Madrid mentioned on his blog?

[kalee]

Is this the rumor Patrick Madrid mentioned on his blog?

[trisham]

It's unfortunate, but this kind of thing happens from time to time. Human beings make mistakes. Sometimes they make really big mistakes.

[utahagen]

Your analysis is too easy. Yes, we're all sinners, but we also have a right to be outraged by this story. The founder of the Legionnaires had years during which he could have come clean behind the scenes and allowed someone else to assume control of the Legionnaires. Instead, the priest plowed ahead, thereby exponentially compounding the risk of scandal. “Cast the first stone” is overused, especially when you consider that, when Jesus said it, a woman was LITERALLY about to be stoned.

[CTK YKC]

What comments do you refer to?

I have never known any Legionairy to say anything not charitable towards others, especially where obedience to the Holy See is concerned.

Also, there is no mroe “conservative” group of Catholics than the Legion.

[Natural Law]

"...is now alleged to have had a mistress, fathered at least one child and lived a double life."

Since when is an allegation accepted as fact? We have to be extremely vigilant because the left is aggressively working to undermine the moral authority of the Catholic Church because it is a counter to the theology of Obama. The left is following the script written by the Nazi's in their successful campaign to diminish the influence of the Church's opposition to the Nazi agenda. One only needs to do a minimum of research on the anti Catholic policies and "Immorality Trials' conducted in Germany in the 1930's to recognize what is going on.

[Clemenza]

St. Casimir's Church, Newark, NJ, late 1950s. Don't remember the name of the priest, will ask dad.

Anyone who thinks all priests are paragons of virtue (IE not human) is deluded. The Catholic laypeople on this site are so intent on circling the wagons that they deny reality and human nature.

[Natural Law]

"Anyone who thinks all priests are paragons of virtue (IE not human) is deluded."

The paradox of your argument is that the event, if it did occur over a half century ago, is so far out of character and uncommon that it is remembered as tribal knowledge.

[A.A. Cunningham]

The Catholic laypeople on this site are so intent on circling the wagons that they deny reality and human nature.

The people on this site who project the actions of a few upon the character of all are guilty of bearing false witness, which is a mortal sin, slick.

[Campion]

Anyone who thinks all priests are paragons of virtue (IE not human)

The idea that "human" is mutually exclusive with "paragon of virtue" is profoundly un-Catholic. Our Lady, for one, is both human and a paragon of virtue.

That having been said, it was a great Catholic who said that the streets of hell were paved with the skulls of bishops. It is certainly true that all priests are human, but many are not paragons of virtue.

[RobbyS]

He has been. however, held up as an exaulted figure, a saint. Evidentally he was nothing like that, a false prophet like so any televangelists. His order must repudiate him as a Judas.