For a member of the Legion of Christ,
the world is split into two groups. Insiders (Legionaries) and
Outsiders - everybody else, including family, friends, bishops, any non-Legionary persons,
regardless of background and involvement in the Church.
To the extent possible, every encounter with an "outsider"
must have the purpose of leading that person to greater involvement
with, or acceptance of, the Legion. That person's value is in direct
proportion to their ability to advance the Legion, in whatever way may
be useful - vocation, money, further contacts, or simply to maintain
"good relations" and avoid any difficulties, such as a person opposing
the Legion for being "cult-like."
A
Legionary is directed to "appear normal"
to the degree possible, and to avoid going into exact
details about rules and 'norms' of behavior. Few people, meeting a
Legionary priest or brother, would even begin to imagine the degree to
which a Legionaries lifestyle, actions, and behaviors are governed to
the minutest degree. "www.legionaryfacts.org" certainly does not begin
to address them. Questions about such topics are to be completely
avoided by the Legionary if possible, then downplayed if avoidance
fails, then 'explained' in the simplest way by analogy without
going into exact, precise details if backed into answering. When
dealing with a Legionary, unless you ALREADY know the answers, you are
hardly likely to even begin to guess at what the proper questions are
that could be asked (especially as a candidate). Some rules and norms
may not be fully given until AFTER first profession.
As the Legion grows in size and attention (it avoids
publicity, unless it can maintain full control over its "image"), it
has slowly become unable to keep things hidden. Things that an ordinary
person would - to put it simply - question or find unreasonable, for
example, seeing only 6 movies a year, or being unable to attend the
wedding of a sibling (unless ordained and working in the city the
wedding is being held), or their funeral, if you happen to be out of
the country. The extensive list goes on, but the Legion is very
reluctant to mention these rules publicly or to respond to inquiries.
Instead they wish to emphasize their active and dynamic apostolates,
while downplaying what at best could be called a highly isolated and
(charitably called) contemplative lifestyle, and at worst a cult-like
level of control over members.
"Legionary Facts"
The web page "www.legionaryfacts.org" is an attempt by the
Legion to present a minimal, watered down set of responses to address
the growing number of typical inquiries which it can no longer avoid.
The site describes itself as:
ENTER HERE for information explaining the makeup and methodology of the Legion of Christ and the Regnum Christi Movement as well as responses to criticisms and misrepresentations of them.
....This site exists to help dispel misunderstandings about the Legion and the Movement.
....For answers to a number of questions that have been raised about them, click here.
And the answer section notes that:
"When people meet something new in the Church like the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi, naturally they have questions. Some of the questions answered below are asked frequently; others arise only occasionally, but we offer the answers so they are easily accessible as needed."
The following question taken from the web page will be
analyzed here to demonstrate the typical Legion approach when they
"offer the
answers":
10) Is it true that Legionaries
vow never to speak against the Legion?
Legionaries, like
brothers in any family, defend each other, encourage
each other and look out for each other. They try to live out Christ's
teachings.
Above,
you have a typical misleading, uninformative, very
incomplete answer. Notice that it does not answer the vow issue at all
and sidesteps it, nor is there any indication of how far the "looking
out for each other" can or should go. What specific teaching of Christ
would not permit a criticism of the Legion?
The following is a more
complete
and accurate answer to compare with :
Yes, Legionaries do take a private vow never to criticize the
acts of government of one's superiors or the superior himself. The vow
is as
follows:
Yo (nombre) prometo y hago voto de
no criticar jamas los actos de gobierno ni la persona del superior y de
informar al superior si constase si otro ha quebrantado este
compromiso.
I, (Name), promise and
vow
never to criticize any act of governance of the superior nor his
person, and to inform the superior if I am aware if anyone has broken
this promise.
If
an individual has concerns about a decision of his superior
(including, for example, what team one is assigned to for recreation),
he should
address it with either the superior in person, or with the
superior of that person. That is, go to your boss's boss.
Two
points are to be noted: 1) Because the vow covers all actions
of governance by one's superiors, it thus encompasses almost every aspect of the Legion and
Legionary lifestyle. Thus it is almost equivalent to vow to never criticize the Legion.
2) There is a "squeal clause" binding one by vow to
report any
occurance of such criticism.
In addition to the vow, inside the Legion there is continual exortation of the members to love the Legion as their mother, as a perfect gift from God to them, to such a degree that the thought of criticizing the Legion becomes completely abhorrent and scarcely imaginable. Legionary family business is NEVER to be discussed with Outsiders. Finally, members of Regnum Christi, and nonmembers employed by the Legion may make or have been asked to make similar promises depending upon their level of commitment.