REGARDING THE APOSTOLIC VISITATION
OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST
(1 MAY 2010)
1. On 30 April and 1 May, the Cardinal Secretary of State presided over a meeting in the Vatican with the five Bishops who had been commissioned to carry out the Apostolic Visitation of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ (Archbishop Ricardo Blázquez Pérez of Valladolid, Archbishop Charles Joseph Chaput, OFM Cap., of Denver, Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, SDB, of Concepción, Bishop Giuseppe Versaldi of Alessandria, Bishop Ricardo Watty Urquidi, M.Sp.S., of Tepic). Also taking part were the Prefects of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life as well as the Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State.
One of the sessions took place in the presence of the Holy Father, to whom the Visitators presented a synthesis of the reports that they had submitted in advance.
. . .
2. The Apostolic Visitation was able to ascertain that the conduct of Father Marcial Maciel Degollado has given rise to serious consequences in the life and structure of the Legion, such as to require a process of profound re-evaluation.The very grave and objectively immoral actions of Father Maciel, confirmed by incontrovertible testimonies, in some cases constitute real crimes and manifest a life devoid of scruples and authentic religious meaning. This life was unknown to the great majority of the Legionaries, above all because of the system of relationships constructed by Father Maciel, who was able skilfully to create alibis for himself, to obtain trust, confidence and silence from those around him, and to reinforce his personal role as a charismatic founder.
Not infrequently a deplorable discrediting and distancing of those who entertained doubts as to the probity of his conduct, as well as a misguided concern to avoid damaging the good that the Legion was accomplishing, created around him a defence mechanism that for a long time rendered him unassailable, making it very difficult, as a result, to know the truth about his life.
. . .
4. From the results of the Apostolic Visitation, the following elements emerged clearly, among others:
a) the need to redefine the charism of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, preserving its true nucleus, that of the militia Christi, which characterizes the apostolic and missionary action of the Church and is not to be identified with the drive for efficiency at any cost;
b) the need to review the exercise of authority, which must be joined to truth, so as to respect consciences and to develop in the light of the Gospel as authentic ecclesial service;
c) the need to preserve the enthusiasm of the young people’s faith, their missionary zeal and their apostolic dynamism, by means of adequate formation. Indeed, disappointment regarding the founder could call into question their vocation and the nucleus of the charism that belongs to the Legionaries of Christ and is proper to them.
. . . .
The rest of the communique--you can access it via the aforementioned link--has some more positive statements.
Adoremus Bulletin (Vol. XVI No. 6 of September 2010) reports that the Pope has appointed ArchbishopVelasio De Paolis, CS, President of the Prefecture of Economic Affairs of the Holy See as Pontifical Deligate to the LC. Apb. De Paolis has full authority from the Pope to govern the LC and Regnum Christi until these organizations are renewed and prepared to celebrate an extraordinary General Chapter whose main purpose will be to complete the revision of the LC and RC Constitutions. Regnum Christi was not subject to the just completed visitation so RC will be assigned a Visitator soon. I would not want to be in the position of those LC officials and members who constituted the "defence mechanism" that protected the late Fr. Maciel from his detractors. The Congregation is lucky that it is not apparently being disbanded. I would have cashiered the lot of them. Then again, this is the navy officer in me--a clean sweep sometimes is necessary.
I suppose it is needless to say that there is grave doubt that any attempt to promote Fr. Maciel to glorification at the altar is likely.
Torqy
. . . who, with OA, will make the cyber-rack available to Apb. De Paolis, already "Yak" greased-up and ready to go . . . for free! 
