Comments on: Patterns of Scandal in New Ecclesial Movements: Part One, Discerning a Pattern

By: Just the basics « Charity and Discernment

Just the basics « Charity and Discernment — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:37:33 +0000

[...] Part One: Discerning a Pattern [...]

By: shalimamma

shalimamma — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:18:35 +0000

Mary Kochan, are you an author on CE? Or did you used to be? I had a ‘discussion’ with someone (that may have been you several years back about Fr. Maciel and RC. I would like to speak with you again, personally, about something that is on my heart (if it was you)… would you mind sending me your email address? Very respectfully, Shalimar Masters (shalimamma)

By: Debra Murphy

Debra Murphy — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:05:15 +0000

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

Because I am a novelist/publisher, my blogging/article writing interests tend more towards the Art/Faith end of things, and I rarely get into “controversial” or “newsy” matters. But the admission of Fr. Maciel’s double-life in the context of an LC/RC “methodology” that apparently squelches criticism was a shocking reminder to me that there are still many Catholics who either aren’t aware of spiritually unsalubrious practices in some movements, or are failing to judge their importance or see their connection to the potentiality for abuses of a more criminal nature.

My own small experience in these matters is a quarter of a century old, but I have been studying the phenomenon ever since, and I can attest that “there is nothing new under the sun.” All the more reason, especially as laity, not to wait for the hierarchy, but to educate ourselves, for there is a readily discernible pattern in coercive spiritual practices that is easy to spot once one knows the rules of the game.

There are a billion Catholics in the world, and thousands of groups and organizations within the Church. The hierarchy is “thin on the ground” as the saying goes, have a lot on their plate, and history would indicate that they cannot protect us from every bump in our spiritual path, any more than they can assure that everyone in their charge receives proper catechesis even on the most fundamental matters of faith. (Whether they could do more is a separate question.) Either way, we have to take responsiblity as adult Catholics to educate ourselves and our children, much as we educate ourselves and our children on dealing with playground bullies and avoid getting lured into cars by over-friendly strangers.

No one wants to rub anyone’s nose in it, goodness knows–believe me, I “feel their pain”; it can be truly dreadful; but the first task of educating ourselves is to learn to call some of these practices and methodologies by their right name.

By: Samwise

Samwise — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:48:37 +0000

Thanks for your response Mary…as a matter of fact, I had already rethought my first impulse and clicked on her novel…and decided to purchase it. Sam

By: Mary Kochan

Mary Kochan — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:53:35 +0000

Samwise the author did not write this to push a book. This was on her blog as commentary. I thought her observations trenchant and timely and asked her permission to adapt and reprint them here. Her objective, as mine, is to educate our fellow Catholics on how cults operate. In my experience that is the ONLY inoculation against against cult recruitment, since, as the LC/RC demonstrates, being orthodox and having “Church approval” is not protection.

By: Samwise

Samwise — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:20:19 +0000

I am glad to see what you wrote Mary because, I have to admit, I was feeling a bit angry that one could use a tragedy like what has happened, is happening with the LC/RC communities to push a book…I’m still not sure this is appropriate but I’ll try to get beyond that…Sam

By: Mary Kochan

Mary Kochan — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:49:12 +0000

It is very important to understand that this series is making use of the LC/RC situation to highlight a much larger and serious problem regarding both lay and clerical discernment when it comes to groups within the Church. The fact that Debra Murphy could write a novel featuring an abusive fictional group based on patterns she had observed with Catholic groups over 2 decades, only to have poeple question whether her fictional group was modeled after the Legion is very telling. There is a pattern here and for our protection and that of our families and children we need to become acquainted with it.

By: noelfitz

noelfitz — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:25:42 +0000

I read this article with concern.

The LC story is sad and worrying. My sympathy goes to those dedicated and committed Catholics who are associated with the LC. They have worked hard and faithfully for the Church and now see their trust being abused.

God bless,

NoelFitz.
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In necessariis, unitas; in dubiis, libertas; in omnibus, caritas.
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