Vatican probes cult-like group linked to tainted order amid charges of brainwashing.

It's a life regimented in excruciating detail, down to the way they eat an orange. Silence is the norm, information is limited, e-mail is screened, close friendships are discouraged and family members are kept at bay — all in the name of God's will. Known as consecrated women, they are lay Catholics affiliated with a conservative religious order who dedicate their lives to the church, making promises of chastity, poverty and obedience similar to the vows taken by nuns. But the cult-like conditions they endure so alarmed Pope Benedict XVI that in May he ordered an extremely rare full Vatican investigation of the obscure group, which operates in the U.S., Mexico, Spain, the Philippines and a dozen other countries. The inquiry is expected to begin in the coming weeks. Source

This group Regnum Christi is the lay branch of the scandal-ridden Legionaires of Christ and operates in 30 countries - including Ireland where it has had a presence for 50 years. What's puzzling me is: What investigative skills will these Vatican investigators have ? After all the top Vatican man in Ireland [Primate of All-Ireland Cardinal Sean Brady] once investigated paedophile priest Fr. Brendan Smyth - that 'investigation' took place in 1975 and Fr. Brendan Smyth didn't appear in court until 1993 - a full 18 years later. And during that 18 years Smyth continued to abuse children. During Brady's 'investigation' he forced child victims of Smyth to take Oaths of Secrecy.

Oath of Secrecy

'What's puzzling me is: What investigative skills will these Vatican investigators have ?'

That puzzles me too. The Vatican 'investigators' first priority is to protect the reputation of the church and to do damage limitation, just in case the scandals impact on Rome's power and wealth producing capabilities.

Same old, same old. So what, if untold thousands are psychologically damaged by allowing this monstrosity to continue?

There is a very good reason that these scandals are never investigated by external investigators, the few paedophile scandals that have reached the courts have rightfully done immense damage to the institution.

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Stoic
'What's puzzling me is: What investigative skills will these Vatican investigators have ?'

That puzzles me too. The Vatican 'investigators' first priority is to protect the reputation of the church and to do damage limitation, just in case the scandals impact on Rome's power and wealth producing capabilities.

Same old, same old. So what, if untold thousands are psychologically damaged by allowing this monstrosity to continue?

There is a very good reason that these scandals are never investigated by external investigators, the few paedophile scandals that have reached the courts have rightfully done immense damage to the institution.

We had a report published here in Ireland in 2009 [the Ryan Report] - this was a judicial commission set up by the Irish government to inquire into child abuse in institutions managed by the Catholic Church - this report took almost 9 years to complete and it was fought all the way by the Church and the Religious Orders. One of the victories of the Church was that if a person, who was abused in one of these institutions, names his/her abuser he or she can be hauled before the courts .... even if the abuser was convicted in the courts. The Ryan Report identified 800 individual abusers only by pseudonyms and NOT EVEN ONE of these individuals has been charged. Seems to me the Irish government is STILL in thrall to the Catholic Church.

Its disgraceful, Rome still has friends in high places who can make anything, no matter how vile, go away.

Over the years I have watched how my former church deals with issues, and I find it very revealing. I am not saying that this group shouldn't be investigated--it should--but it seems like the church is quick to act in cases like this, but when it comes to the child abuse scandals, I have seen absolutely nothing but foot-dragging and obstruction. Why should this be?

What makes this especially vile, and a slap in the face to all Catholics who have remained faithful to the church, is that these crimes were done under the umbrella of an institution that wishes to dictate to the rest of us how to live our lives sexually. If you are single, that means no sex. Not even masturbation. If you are married, no contraception. These are rules promulgated by men who took PUBLIC vows of chastity! But do they follow their own rules? Oh, no.

I am saying that until the Catholic church cleans up its act, it has NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to speak out on sexual issues. It does not matter if the church is right, and this is indeed the way God wants us to live. Housekeeping needs to start at home. The Pope needs to stop dragging his feet, stop making apologies and stop talking about forgiveness for wayward priests. It is a time to stop mincing words and call a spade a spade.

What the Vatican needs to do is issue a public apology to all the faithful for its conduct in this matter. Those who have been found guilty of child molesting need to stand up in front of their parishioners at Mass and explain exactly why they did what they did. Why they felt that they were so exempt from Church teachings that they had no qualms about taking sexual advantage of children. Their superiors likewise need to make a public explanation of why they knowingly covered up this behavior. And then--maybe then--we can talk about forgiveness.

As a former Catholic, my beef is as follows:

The Roman Church is tax exempt, yet it liased with the Church of Latter Day Saints (aka Mormons) and both spent large sums of money and expended moral authority to fight against efforts in California to vote and uphold same sex civil marriage.

Repeat, civil marriage. This did not affect church discipline for either the Roman Church or the LDS; all that marriage equality for Californians aimed to do was make it possible for all adult couples to contract secular civil marriages. Both Churches used their tax exempt wealth to interfere with the desire of same sex non Catholics and non LDS to contract civil, non church marriages.

Two, it was hypocratical for the Roman Church to liase with the LDS, as the Mormon belief system is, by Roman Catholic criteria, heretical, and vice versa. But the two felt able to make common cause to intervene in a matter that had nothing to do with modifying either churche's doctrine/canon law in marriage matters

Three (and forgive the grim language) the Roman Church says it is pro life, yet it does have what is termed the just war doctrine, stating for the benefit of heads of state that in some circumstances, it is tragic but just to go to war and take life for reasons of national self defense.

Yet, a girl or woman who faces death or poverty or the prospect of social disgrace if she carries a pregnancy to term is forbidden to take life/terminate her pregnancy for her own self defense, whether social or medical. No contraception, no abortion.

Thus the Catholic church has a canon law loophole that allows male powerholders to take life if they can fit it into just war arguments, no comparable compassion for the dilemma of women in servitude pregnancy threatens medical, economic, or social disaster.

I would suggest that what alarms the Pope about this group, Regnum Christi, is not anything that it is doing or not doing but some indication that it is becoming independent of his authority in some way.

Control seems to be the determining factor in how much notice the Vatican takes of its many off-shoot RC groups, not principle or obvious evidence of wrongdoing. The Vatican has a history of making unholy alliances with very suspect groups if it thinks that alliance will further its objectives and entrench its power.
It is also notable that when a group has sizeable assets, Rome involves itself in the dissolution of that group in order to claim those assets---when there are no assets to be had Rome displays total indifference to the outcome.

Good old plunder and booty is what motivates those scheming Vatican priests, not the welfare of souls.

The British taxpayer recently paid upwards of £15 million to fund a papal visit at which the Infallible one (displaying deplorable manners for a guest) berated us for being a nation of atheists--Thank god we are, is my response. Some of us atheists can recognise and reject such self-serving cant.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/2010 04:02PM by Stoic.

'One of the victories of the Church was that if a person, who was abused in one of these institutions, names his/her abuser he or she can be hauled before the courts .... '

If the Irish government has enshrined this in law then I would be inclined to investigate whether it is possible to take this to Strasbourg. Ireland is a signatory to the EEC and has benefitted greatly in the past from European subsidies. Many UK legal decisions have been overruled or modified where they are in conflict with the European Court of Human Rights:

[www.echr.coe.int]

I would try speaking to one of your own MEP's first (they are handsomely compensated specifically in order to listen to and act on behalf of their constituents):

[www.europarl.ie]

If there is no joy there, an individual can apply to Strasbourg for the particular case ruling to be re-examined.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/2010 04:39PM by Stoic.

This is a great campaigning body that, though it only covers England and Wales, might be able to give you some info on making progress in Ireland and might be able to put you in touch with similar campaigning groups there:

[www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk]