The Maciel dilemma from two vantage points

Marjorie Campbell:

"No one knows what stirs in the dark, lonely heart of a human being, especially driven people like Fr. Maciel – many of whom share their worst worries and battles in confession and spiritual direction. While I am disappointed, deeply disappointed, in Fr. Maciel’s disordered decision making, and an apparently disordered management that allowed Fr. Maciel to disregard rules of discipline, I am no more surprised by Fr. Maciel’s paternity than I was surprised by the dark and empty spirituality of Mother Teresa."

... Which is not to say that the Legion does not have a lot of explaining – and apologizing – to do with several categories of people: the victims of abuse by Fr. Maciel; the RC members and former members of the Legion forced out for expressing concerns about Fr. Maciel; Fr. Maciel’s daughter and her mother; the Legion’s supporters who contributed dollars to form priests, not support the Founder’s secret family; the Legion's enthusiasts at the Vatican who, at times, went to great lengths in defense of Fr. Maciel. This is a short list. It is my sincere hope and prayer that the Legion will make the longer list, systematically acquiring and sharing information and expressing a sincere sorrow for any failures of the organization itself that contributed to Father’s harms. The Legion can, and should, survive this challenge by shining light upon their information and process, and offering regret and transparency for the darknesses which veiled the sins of their founder."

Diogenes:

"The fact of the matter is that Maciel was publicly accused of specific sexual crimes, and that out of personal moral cowardice he enlisted honorable men and women to mortgage their own reputations in defense of his lie. The lie was the lie of Maciel's personal sanctity, which Maciel knew to be a myth, and which the fact of his bastard child (putting aside the more squalid accusations) proves that he knew. To the villainy of sacrificing the reputations of others, Maciel added the grotesque and blasphemous claim that the Holy See's sanctions were an answer to his own prayer to share more deeply in the passion of Christ, as an innocent victim made to bear the burden of false judgment in reparation for the sins of mankind. The Legion cannot share Catholic reverence for the Passion and fail to repudiate Maciel's cynicism in portraying himself as the Suffering Servant."

... When I speak of the Legion's duty of revilement, I do not mean they should issue so many pages of rhetorical denunciation of Maciel's sexual iniquities. What is required is an unambiguous admission that Maciel deceitfully made use of holy things and holy words in order to dupe honest and pious persons into taking false positions -- sometimes slandering others in the process -- in order to reinforce the legend of his own sanctity. Since Maciel's treachery was sacrilegious in its means and in its effect, he should posthumously be repudiated as a model of priesthood and of Christian life."