While he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, Benedict XVI claimed that in certain cases - and he was referring to the New Movements - only the pope is able to discern the the authenticity of a charism. The chaos which is currently convulsing the Legionaries of Christ religious order and its lay off-shoots, the male and female branches of Regnum Christi, which are numbered amongst the New Movements, would seem to invalidate this claim.
The Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi were highly favoured by John Paul II, so highly favoured in fact that numerous accusations of child abuse against the founder of these organisations, the late Mexican priest Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, were hushed up by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - then headed by Cardinal Ratzinger - until after John Paul's death. This story - and the compelling evidence provided to the Congregation and Ratzinger - is recounted in detail in the book Vows of Silence by Jason Berry and Garald Renner (Free Press 2010). It makes sobering reading. Maciel not only systematically abused seminarians of his order over many decades, but he absolved them from the acts (such as fellatio) he forced them to commit with him; absolution under these circumstances is an offence which, under canon law incurs automatic excommunication for the priest. He also used these young followers of his to procure the prescription medication he needed to feed his substance addictions. The order capitalised on the Vatican's silence to issue strenuous denials of the charges against their beloved Father.
Ratzinger pursued the matter as soon as he became Pope. But this is not greatly to his credit as it only goes to show that he believed the accusations were true but failed to act on them earlier under some misguided belief that disciplining a favourite of the late Pontiff would somehow be disrespectful to the papal office or the person of John Paul. Surely this reveals what a cockeyed system of values prevails in the Vatican: a far cry from the teachings of Jesus who reserved his strongest condemnation for those who corrupt the young and innocent, and had no time for puffed-up religious authorities.
Once the facts about Maciel's history of abuse began to come out, it seemed that what had previously emerged was only the tip of the iceberg. Maciel's voracious sexual appetite not only included young boys but also several women with whom he fathered three children (at least to date - I have also heard the estimate set at six!). Cases of Maciel's abuse of seminarians have been estimated at between twenty and a hundred. Although the CDF did investigate Maciel after John Paul's death, its final decision, with the blessing of Pope Benedict, was to close the case without any canonical action due to Maciel's advanced age and frail health. He was required to renounce every public activity, including his position as the Superior of the Order, and pursue a life of prayer and penance. Father Marcial Maciel died in 2008.
In 2009 Pope Benedict authorised an Apostolic Visitation to investigate all branches of Maciel's organisation - both the Legionaries of Christ and the male and female branches of Regnum Christi. Since then, members have left in droves. Between 200 and 400 of almost a thousand consecrated women of Regnum Christi have left the movement since the facts about Father Maciel emerged. Then, on 17th February 2012, the leader of the women of Regnum Christi, Malen Oriel, announced that she was leaving the organisation with thirty other women. The Oriols are a wealthy and influential Spanish family who played an important role in the development of Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi. Four of Malen's brothers who were priest members of the Legionaries of Christ have already left the order. On 27th Febraury, it was announced that Oriol has started a new organisation called Totus Tuus (the motto of John Paul II) based in Chile with the thirty women who left with her. It has been approved by the Vatican and has the blessing of Pope Benedict. Some observers believe that this could be the start olf the unravelling of the entire organisation.
Orders have survived the disgrace of their founders before. One of the founders of Capuchin branch of the Franciscans became a Calvinist and married, but the order continues until today. It remains to be seen whether Maciel's can do the same. One beneficial effect of the Maciel affair is the Vatican's questioning of the excessive power of charismatic founders of new movements and congregations. A meeting was held on 13th June last year between the heads of the Vatican congregations and Benedict XVI at which the Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone read a paper on this question, pointing out that these leaders often demanded greater loyalty to themselves than to the Church.. How seriously this will be taken remains to be seen; Bertone was a great admirer of Chiara Lubich and presided at her funeral mass. One thing is for sure though, papal approval can no longer be regarded as a guarantee of anything!
Showing posts with label Chiara Lubich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chiara Lubich. Show all posts
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Monday, 19 July 2010
E Gesu Pianse (Italian translation of post 'Jesus Wept')
Gesu pianse...
Secondo un'articolo che e apparso in un'edizione speciale del giornale cattolico italiano Avvenire (19 marzo 2008) per segnalare la morte di Chiara Lubich, 'Hanno [i focolarini] deciso, "Niente lacrime a Roma [ai funerali della Lubich] perche non e morta. Vive per sempre in tutti noi." ' Piuttosto che dare una testimonianza della vita eterna ai milioni che hanno seguito la trasmissione in diretta su RAI 1 o sull'internet (e si suppone che questo era l'intenzione dei capi focolarini) questo atteggiamento stoico ha prestato una strana atmosfera di disagio agli avvenimenti. Un mio amico che non ha mai avuto contatti col movimento ma e familiare con le sue idee, mi ha detto che gli sembrava che i membri erano cosi abituati a ricevere ordini su come sentire e reagire che in queste circostanze straordinarie non sapevano come reagire affatto. In realta, avevano ricevuto istruzioni precisi su come comportarsi ed era questo che ha dato alla ceremonia l'aria di stranezza e distacco.
Io invece, un ex-membro che sente ancora affetto per tanti membri dell'Opera e certamente per la fondatrice - nonostante le mie tante obiezioni alle pratiche del movimento - era commosso fino al pianto e l'ho trovato molto strano che quelli che si vantano di essere i suoi seguaci piu fedeli sono rimasti impassivi. Solo don Oreste Basso, uno dei primi focolarini ed il 'co-presidente' del movimento dei Focolari, ha avuto un momento di commozione quando ha ringraziato i pezzi grossi presenti nel suo ruolo di rappresentate dell'Opera. Ma dall'altra parte, i vecchi hanno la tendenza alle lacrime ed e riuscito in poco tempo a calmarsi. Le prime compagne di Chiara, Eli Folonari e Graziella de Luca, invece hanno scherzato insieme fuori la Basilica dopo la ceremonia come fosse stata una Giornata od una Mariapoli molto riuscita.
I funerali della Lubich hanno messo in rilievo uno dei difetti piu grossi del movimento dei Focolari: la pressione sui membri di distaccarsi dalle loro emozioni. In questo caso, la pressione era cosi forte che la reazione spontanea della maggioranza dell'umanita in circostanze simili era assente. Suor Madeleine, fondatrice delle Piccole Sorelle di Gesu, disse una volta che prima di essere cristiani bisogna essere umani; ma questo e piuttosto difficile per i focolarini per i quali il termine stesso 'umano' e negativo!
I psicologi direbbero che il distacco dai propri sentimenti promosso dal movimento e patologico e molto pericoloso per la salute mentale. Difatti, puo darsi che questo sia la causa principale della depressione e malattia mentale che e cosi comune nel movimento a tutti livelli. Adesso che e scomparsa la fondatrice, un'indagine aperta e profonda su questo aspetto potrebbe essere di grande aiuto sia per i membri correnti sia per gli ex.
La vera buona novella non e certa una recetta per la malattia mentale. Se e veramente parola di Dio, deve essere proprio l'opposto. Mi ricordo, durante il mio soggiorno a Loppiano, del funerale di una ragazzina, figlia di focolarini sposati, che si e spenta in seguito ad una malattia ereditaria molto dolorosa. C'era un'amtosfera di celebrazione maniacale e neanche i genitori o fratelli hanno mostrato il minimo segno di tristezza o di lutto.
Mi domandai allora, ed mi sono domandato durante gli anni successivi, perche nessuno si e accorto che questo e lo stile dei focolarini e non del vangelo. Gesu era certamente in contatto con le sue emozioni e non temeva di mostrarle apertamente. In particolare, pianse sulla morte di Lazzaro, anche se doveva sapere che possedeva il potere di fargli risorgere.
Questo e sicuramente la reazione buona, umana alla morte di una persona cara. Ed e questo il cuore del problema. Cos'e la natura dell'amore predicato dai focolarini se e cosi disincarnato che sente nessuna reazione alla morte di una che ama al punto di essere pronto a morire per ella? Nella vita, come nella morte, la reazione alla perdita di amici che si suppone di essere cari e ugualmente fredda - come nel caso di membri che lasciano il movimento per esempio. E possibile che l'amore vero e compatibile con un tale mancanza di emozione?
Mi ha turbato per molto tempo che la virtu evangelica della compassione non trovava posto fra gli insegnamenti del movimento. Ma leggiamo che Gesu aveva compassione sulla folla e che pianse su quello che stava per avvenire a Gerusalemme. Si paragonava perfino ad una gallina che raccoglie i pulcini intorno a se: un'immagine piena di tenerezza ed emozione. Ma come possiamo aspettare che i foclarini riescono a 'sentire' o 'soffrire' con gli altri se mancono cosi tanto di fiducia nei sentimenti? Mi ricordo come, poco temo dopo essere uscito dal focolare, era commosso da un programma all TV, o forse era un film, che mi fece piangere per la prima volta in quasi dieci anni - il periodo durante il quale facevo parte del movimento. Non mi ero commosso in tutti quegli anni, ma di colpo i miei sentimenti erano liberati dalla loro prigione.
Ma com'e possibile obbedire al commandamento di Gesu 'Piangete con quelli che piangono' se non riusciamo a piangere noi stessi? Piuttosto che seguire la linea stoica dei focolarini, preferisco prendere la via indicata da Gesu: 'Beati quelli che fanno cordoglio perche saranno consolati.'
Secondo un'articolo che e apparso in un'edizione speciale del giornale cattolico italiano Avvenire (19 marzo 2008) per segnalare la morte di Chiara Lubich, 'Hanno [i focolarini] deciso, "Niente lacrime a Roma [ai funerali della Lubich] perche non e morta. Vive per sempre in tutti noi." ' Piuttosto che dare una testimonianza della vita eterna ai milioni che hanno seguito la trasmissione in diretta su RAI 1 o sull'internet (e si suppone che questo era l'intenzione dei capi focolarini) questo atteggiamento stoico ha prestato una strana atmosfera di disagio agli avvenimenti. Un mio amico che non ha mai avuto contatti col movimento ma e familiare con le sue idee, mi ha detto che gli sembrava che i membri erano cosi abituati a ricevere ordini su come sentire e reagire che in queste circostanze straordinarie non sapevano come reagire affatto. In realta, avevano ricevuto istruzioni precisi su come comportarsi ed era questo che ha dato alla ceremonia l'aria di stranezza e distacco.
Io invece, un ex-membro che sente ancora affetto per tanti membri dell'Opera e certamente per la fondatrice - nonostante le mie tante obiezioni alle pratiche del movimento - era commosso fino al pianto e l'ho trovato molto strano che quelli che si vantano di essere i suoi seguaci piu fedeli sono rimasti impassivi. Solo don Oreste Basso, uno dei primi focolarini ed il 'co-presidente' del movimento dei Focolari, ha avuto un momento di commozione quando ha ringraziato i pezzi grossi presenti nel suo ruolo di rappresentate dell'Opera. Ma dall'altra parte, i vecchi hanno la tendenza alle lacrime ed e riuscito in poco tempo a calmarsi. Le prime compagne di Chiara, Eli Folonari e Graziella de Luca, invece hanno scherzato insieme fuori la Basilica dopo la ceremonia come fosse stata una Giornata od una Mariapoli molto riuscita.
I funerali della Lubich hanno messo in rilievo uno dei difetti piu grossi del movimento dei Focolari: la pressione sui membri di distaccarsi dalle loro emozioni. In questo caso, la pressione era cosi forte che la reazione spontanea della maggioranza dell'umanita in circostanze simili era assente. Suor Madeleine, fondatrice delle Piccole Sorelle di Gesu, disse una volta che prima di essere cristiani bisogna essere umani; ma questo e piuttosto difficile per i focolarini per i quali il termine stesso 'umano' e negativo!
I psicologi direbbero che il distacco dai propri sentimenti promosso dal movimento e patologico e molto pericoloso per la salute mentale. Difatti, puo darsi che questo sia la causa principale della depressione e malattia mentale che e cosi comune nel movimento a tutti livelli. Adesso che e scomparsa la fondatrice, un'indagine aperta e profonda su questo aspetto potrebbe essere di grande aiuto sia per i membri correnti sia per gli ex.
La vera buona novella non e certa una recetta per la malattia mentale. Se e veramente parola di Dio, deve essere proprio l'opposto. Mi ricordo, durante il mio soggiorno a Loppiano, del funerale di una ragazzina, figlia di focolarini sposati, che si e spenta in seguito ad una malattia ereditaria molto dolorosa. C'era un'amtosfera di celebrazione maniacale e neanche i genitori o fratelli hanno mostrato il minimo segno di tristezza o di lutto.
Mi domandai allora, ed mi sono domandato durante gli anni successivi, perche nessuno si e accorto che questo e lo stile dei focolarini e non del vangelo. Gesu era certamente in contatto con le sue emozioni e non temeva di mostrarle apertamente. In particolare, pianse sulla morte di Lazzaro, anche se doveva sapere che possedeva il potere di fargli risorgere.
Questo e sicuramente la reazione buona, umana alla morte di una persona cara. Ed e questo il cuore del problema. Cos'e la natura dell'amore predicato dai focolarini se e cosi disincarnato che sente nessuna reazione alla morte di una che ama al punto di essere pronto a morire per ella? Nella vita, come nella morte, la reazione alla perdita di amici che si suppone di essere cari e ugualmente fredda - come nel caso di membri che lasciano il movimento per esempio. E possibile che l'amore vero e compatibile con un tale mancanza di emozione?
Mi ha turbato per molto tempo che la virtu evangelica della compassione non trovava posto fra gli insegnamenti del movimento. Ma leggiamo che Gesu aveva compassione sulla folla e che pianse su quello che stava per avvenire a Gerusalemme. Si paragonava perfino ad una gallina che raccoglie i pulcini intorno a se: un'immagine piena di tenerezza ed emozione. Ma come possiamo aspettare che i foclarini riescono a 'sentire' o 'soffrire' con gli altri se mancono cosi tanto di fiducia nei sentimenti? Mi ricordo come, poco temo dopo essere uscito dal focolare, era commosso da un programma all TV, o forse era un film, che mi fece piangere per la prima volta in quasi dieci anni - il periodo durante il quale facevo parte del movimento. Non mi ero commosso in tutti quegli anni, ma di colpo i miei sentimenti erano liberati dalla loro prigione.
Ma com'e possibile obbedire al commandamento di Gesu 'Piangete con quelli che piangono' se non riusciamo a piangere noi stessi? Piuttosto che seguire la linea stoica dei focolarini, preferisco prendere la via indicata da Gesu: 'Beati quelli che fanno cordoglio perche saranno consolati.'
Jesus Wept...
(This is an article I wrote immediately after watching the live internet broadcast of the funeral of Chiara Lubich, Founder of the Focolare Movement.)
According to an article that appeared in a special edition of the Italian Catholic daily Avvenire (19 March 2008) to mark the death of Chiara Lubich, ‘They [the focolarini] decided, “No tears in Rome [at Chiara’s funeral] because she is not dead. She lives for ever in all of us.” ' Rather than giving a witness to the millions who followed the live broadcast on Italian television or the internet feed - which was presumably what the Focolare old guard intended - this stoical approach lent an eerie atmosphere of uncertainty to the proceedings. A friend of mine who has had no contact with focolare but is familiar with its ethos, had the impression that the members were so used to being told what to feel and how to react that in these unprecedented circumstances they simply didn’t know what the appropriate response should be. In reality, they had been instructed exactly how to behave and it was this very fact that gave to the event its strange, unengaged quality.
As an ex-member who still feels affection for members of the movement and certainly for Chiara, despite my many criticisms of the organisation, I was moved to tears by the funeral and found it odd that those who profess themselves to be her most devoted followers remained dry-eyed. Only Oreste Basso, one of the first focoalrini and the ’Copresident’ of Focolare, broke down when he approached the altar to thank the distinguished guests on behalf of the movement, but then old men are notoriously prone to tears and he struggled successfully to regain his composure. Chiara’s first companions Eli Folonari and Graziella de Luca, on the other hand, had a jolly chat outside the basilica at the end of the funeral as though they had just concluded a successful Day Meeting.
Chiara Lubich’s funeral shone a very public spotlight on one of the Focolare Movement’s most serious shortcomings: the detachment from feelings encouraged in members. In this case, it was so strong that the spontaneous reaction most human beings would experience in such circumstances was absent. Sister Madeleine, founder of the Little Sisters of Jesus, once said that in order to be Christian, it is necessary to be human first; but that is rather difficult in the Focolare Movement in which ‘human’ is a negative term.
Psychologists would say that the detachment from ones emotions that this Movement promotes is pathological and dangerous. Indeed, it could well be the principal reason for the prevalence of depression and mental illness to be found in Focolare from the top down. Now that the Founder is dead, current and former members of the movement would benefit greatly from a probing and truthful investigation into this aspect.
The genuine gospel message is certainly not a recipe for mental illness . If it is truly God’s Word, it should be just the opposite. I remember attending the funeral of a child at Loppiano, the daughter of married focolarini, who had died after suffering terribly from a painful congenital illness. The atmosphere was one of manic rejoicing and not even the parents or siblings let slip any indications of sadness or mourning.
I wondered then, and I have wondered down the years, why no one pointed out that this is the Focolare approach and certainly not that of the gospel. Jesus was very much in touch with his emotions and did not shrink from showing them in public. In particular, he wept over Lazarus’ death, even though he must have known he had the power to raise him up.
This is surely the good, human reaction to the loss of a loved one. And here is the nub of the problem. What exactly is the nature of the love that Focolare preaches if it is so disembodied, so disincarnate, that it feels no reaction to the loss of someone one claims to have loved to the point of being ready to lay down ones life for them? In life, as in death, the reaction to the loss of close friends is remarkably cold - as in the case of members who leave the movement for example. Can real love be compatible with such a lack of feeling?
I have long been troubled that the gospel virtue of compassion was never mentioned in Focolare teachings. Yet we read that Jesus had compassion on the multitude and that he wept over the fate of Jerusalem. He even compared himself to a mother hen gathering her chicks: a more tender and emotion-filled image would be hard to find. Yet how can the focolarini be expected to ‘feel’ or ‘suffer’ with others if they mistrust feelings so much. I remember how, shortly after leaving Focolare, I was moved by a television programme or a film which made me weep for the first time in nearly ten years. My emotions had been released from their prison. How can we obey Jesus’ command to ‘Weep with those who weep’ if we are unable to weep ourselves? Rather than follow the stoical line of the movement, I prefer to follow the path that Jesus indicated: ‘Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.
According to an article that appeared in a special edition of the Italian Catholic daily Avvenire (19 March 2008) to mark the death of Chiara Lubich, ‘They [the focolarini] decided, “No tears in Rome [at Chiara’s funeral] because she is not dead. She lives for ever in all of us.” ' Rather than giving a witness to the millions who followed the live broadcast on Italian television or the internet feed - which was presumably what the Focolare old guard intended - this stoical approach lent an eerie atmosphere of uncertainty to the proceedings. A friend of mine who has had no contact with focolare but is familiar with its ethos, had the impression that the members were so used to being told what to feel and how to react that in these unprecedented circumstances they simply didn’t know what the appropriate response should be. In reality, they had been instructed exactly how to behave and it was this very fact that gave to the event its strange, unengaged quality.
As an ex-member who still feels affection for members of the movement and certainly for Chiara, despite my many criticisms of the organisation, I was moved to tears by the funeral and found it odd that those who profess themselves to be her most devoted followers remained dry-eyed. Only Oreste Basso, one of the first focoalrini and the ’Copresident’ of Focolare, broke down when he approached the altar to thank the distinguished guests on behalf of the movement, but then old men are notoriously prone to tears and he struggled successfully to regain his composure. Chiara’s first companions Eli Folonari and Graziella de Luca, on the other hand, had a jolly chat outside the basilica at the end of the funeral as though they had just concluded a successful Day Meeting.
Chiara Lubich’s funeral shone a very public spotlight on one of the Focolare Movement’s most serious shortcomings: the detachment from feelings encouraged in members. In this case, it was so strong that the spontaneous reaction most human beings would experience in such circumstances was absent. Sister Madeleine, founder of the Little Sisters of Jesus, once said that in order to be Christian, it is necessary to be human first; but that is rather difficult in the Focolare Movement in which ‘human’ is a negative term.
Psychologists would say that the detachment from ones emotions that this Movement promotes is pathological and dangerous. Indeed, it could well be the principal reason for the prevalence of depression and mental illness to be found in Focolare from the top down. Now that the Founder is dead, current and former members of the movement would benefit greatly from a probing and truthful investigation into this aspect.
The genuine gospel message is certainly not a recipe for mental illness . If it is truly God’s Word, it should be just the opposite. I remember attending the funeral of a child at Loppiano, the daughter of married focolarini, who had died after suffering terribly from a painful congenital illness. The atmosphere was one of manic rejoicing and not even the parents or siblings let slip any indications of sadness or mourning.
I wondered then, and I have wondered down the years, why no one pointed out that this is the Focolare approach and certainly not that of the gospel. Jesus was very much in touch with his emotions and did not shrink from showing them in public. In particular, he wept over Lazarus’ death, even though he must have known he had the power to raise him up.
This is surely the good, human reaction to the loss of a loved one. And here is the nub of the problem. What exactly is the nature of the love that Focolare preaches if it is so disembodied, so disincarnate, that it feels no reaction to the loss of someone one claims to have loved to the point of being ready to lay down ones life for them? In life, as in death, the reaction to the loss of close friends is remarkably cold - as in the case of members who leave the movement for example. Can real love be compatible with such a lack of feeling?
I have long been troubled that the gospel virtue of compassion was never mentioned in Focolare teachings. Yet we read that Jesus had compassion on the multitude and that he wept over the fate of Jerusalem. He even compared himself to a mother hen gathering her chicks: a more tender and emotion-filled image would be hard to find. Yet how can the focolarini be expected to ‘feel’ or ‘suffer’ with others if they mistrust feelings so much. I remember how, shortly after leaving Focolare, I was moved by a television programme or a film which made me weep for the first time in nearly ten years. My emotions had been released from their prison. How can we obey Jesus’ command to ‘Weep with those who weep’ if we are unable to weep ourselves? Rather than follow the stoical line of the movement, I prefer to follow the path that Jesus indicated: ‘Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.
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