Ed Peters: The Legion disaster drags inexplicably on
Ask yourself: what, besides their Catholic faith, do survivors qua survivors of the Legion have in common, except that they were all deceived into affiliating with a deeply disordered institution founded by a sick and/or evil con-artist? Such shared traumas might make for some level of survivor-bonding, and they certainly leave such persons deserving of special pastoral outreach, but they are not the foundations on which lasting, healthy religious institutes are built.
Having been very impressed by – and attracted to – the Legionaries of Christ in my adolescence, it is still with great interest and not a little sadness that I follow the sad news of their demise. But I must agree with Dr. Peters on this with all my heart: there can be no question of trying to rescue the order in any form, or to somehow salvage it from the sordid legacy of their founder. Those many members of good intentions and faithful hearts should turn to the Lord and to the Church to guide them to where they can best fulfill their calling to a life of service to the Church, and the sad history of the Legion should be brought as soon as possible to a definitive close.