Legionary and Regnum Christi reactions to "Driving Straight on Crooked Lines"

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Legionary and Regnum Christi reactions to "Driving Straight on Crooked Lines"

A couple of weeks ago I met a former Franciscan who is quite overtly critical of the Legionaries of Christ and their founder Fr. Marcial Maciel. The Legion of Christ, founded by Maciel in 1941, now claims membership of more than 800 priests and 2,500 seminarians in 22 countries, along with 70,000 members in its lay arm, Regnum Christi. After the death of Pope Paul II, Maciel was stripped of his authority and the Legion of Christ will be reformed by a Vatican appointed representative. Father Maciel was still a priest when he died in 2008.

My Franciscan friend was right all on all counts in his criticism of Legionary reactions. However, one of his comments related to my memoir “Driving Straight on Crooked Lines: How an Irishman found his heart and nearly lost his mind." He said “If you publish your book in Mexico the Legionaries will shut down the distribution system.” That is when we disagreed. He was amazed when I told him that several Legionaries have already written to me to tell me how much they enjoyed the book. He was further amazed when I informed him of one instance where the book was recommended to local Legionaries by their Territorial Director. Then I told him that a Regnum Christi team-leader read the book, bought copies for his friends at work and later purchased a copy for each member of his Regnum Christi team. He tells me they will use it as an “inspirational” case study.

The Legionaries who wrote to me about the book suggested they had some “historical” quibbles – it turns out they are not substantial disagreements but rather different memories of the same events. One said to me, “Jack, when you and I joined we were in the Church Triumphant. Now we are in a Church that has been brought to its knees. And, you know what? I am very comfortable in this new Church.” All of these former colleagues agree that an auto-biography is, by definition, subjective. They seem to agree that my experiences, as related in the book, are a fair reflection on what life in the Legion was like for those of us who had close contact with Maciel.

I believe my former colleagues when they tell me that there have been substantial changes made in the rules and regulations since my time. Evidently, the rules relating to family visits have been greatly relaxed. One Legionary told me “You won’t believe me if I tell you that I can visit my family literally as often as I want to.” That is a huge and important change to my mind. The Private Vows (never to criticize ones Superiors) have been abolished. Another said, “In my particular apostolate (in Europe) I and my team work with poor people in close collaboration with our Bishop. There is no longer any pressure on us to recruit new members.” He sounded genuinely content in his ministry. I remember him as an excellent priest – and I have read very favorable articles about his work in magazines published where he resides. I believe these statements from my former brothers.

A recently posted review on Amazon reads: “This book gave more than a glimpse into the heart of one of the orders making headlines today. While the situation regarding the order's leader, Maciel, is unimaginable in many ways, this book also shed light on the people that were involved in the order for the RIGHT reasons. I think it is easy for people to focus on all of the bad things going on, especially as you see it splashed on CNN every other day. This book was able to give the perspective of someone who hasn't denied any of the crimes that were committed or the cover-ups that were obviously made, but it gives a voice to those young men who joined simply because they wanted to do good work and be a part of something bigger than themselves. It was refreshing to read an honest story about the good things that the church, and even this particular order, has done.”

Maybe that review articulates why the Legionaries and Regnum Christi members seem to enjoy the book. As for my Franciscan friend, all he could say when I recounted these first impressions to him was “Well, I’ll be darned.”

If you read the book, I would be privileged it you would take a minute to leave a review on Amazon and if you would “vote” on the reviews that are already there.

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The story that inspired "Driving Straight on Crooked Lines"

“A long time ago, a Monk set out on his travels accompanied by his assistant, a Brother. Night was falling when the Monk told the Brother to go on ahead to find lodging. The Brother searched the deserted landscape until he found a humble shack, in the middle of nowhere. A poor family lived in the hovel. The mother, father and children were dressed in rags. The Brother asked if he and the Monk could spend the night in their dwelling. “You are most welcome to spend the night,” said the father of the family. They prepared a simple meal consisting of fresh milk, cheese and cream for the Brother and the Monk. The Brother felt moved by their poverty and even more by their simple generosity.

When they finished eating, the Monk asked them how they managed to survive in such a poor place, so far away from the nearest neighbors and town. The wife looked to her husband to answer. In a resigned tone of voice he told them how they managed to survive. ‘We have one cow. We sell her milk to our neighbors who do not live too far away. We hold back enough for our needs and to make some cheese and cream-that is what we eat.”

The next morning, the Brother and the Monk said their good-byes and set out to continue their journey. After the Monk and the Brother had walked a few miles, the Monk turned to the Brother and said, “Go back and push the cow off the cliff!” “Father,” the Brother replied, “they live off the cow. Without her, they will have nothing.” The Monk repeated his order “go back and kill the cow.”

With a heavy heart, the Brother returned to the hovel. He worried about the future of the family because he knew they depended on the cow to survive. His vow of obedience bound him to follow the orders of the wise Monk. He pushed the cow off the cliff.

Years later, the young Brother became a Monk. One day he found himself on the same road where he found lodging so many years ago. Driven by a sense of remorse he decided to visit the family. He rounded the curve in the road and to his surprise, he saw a splendid mansion, surrounded by landscaped gardens, in the place where the hovel used to be. The new house exuded a sense of prosperity and happiness. The Monk knocked on the door.

A well-dressed man answered. The Monk asked, “what ever became of the family who used to live here? Did they sell the property to you?” The man looked surprised and said he and his family had always lived on the property. The Monk told him how he had stayed in a hovel on the same spot, with his master the old Monk. ‘What happened to the family that lived here?” he asked.

The man invited the Monk to stay with him as his guest. While they ate, the host explained how the family’s fortune changed. “You know Father, we used to have a cow. She kept us alive. We didn't own anything else. One day she fell down the cliff and died. To survive, we had to start doing other things, develop skills we did not even know we had. We were forced to come up with new ways of doing things. It was the best thing that ever happened to us! We are now much better off than before.”

This is a blog of the memoirs of an Irishman - from Dublin - who is a former member of the Legion of Christ.

"Driving Straight on Crooked Lines: How an Irishman found his heart and nearly lost his mind" is available on Amazon.com and other outlets.

I look back at the events in the Legion that made me who I am today. It's a fun read with a serious message: positive change can come from adversity.

When I first heard the story of the Monk and the cow, my job - a job I truly loved - was eliminated at the multinational corporation which employed me. My cow was taken away from me, through no fault of my own. The person who told me the story was suggesting I could find new peace, happiness and financial well-being in my adversity, just as the family did when the Monk stole the cow.

A few years later, revelations about the double life of Fr. Marcial Maciel the Founder of the Legionaries of Christ, killed another cow in my life and in the lives of tens of thousands of people.

There is a Spanish saying: "God writes straight on crooked lines". "My Legionary Life" is about trying to not get lost in the crooked lines of our own - or others - making. It is about discovering the straight lines that reveal the true purpose for which we exist.

It is the the story of the first Irish Legionary of Christ to set foot in Mexico. It begins in Dublin, Ireland, passes through Spain, then Mexico, Italy, the U.S.A and Gabon, in Central West Africa.

When I am not writing, I make a living as an international managment consultant.

The Monk who Stole the Cow

Tuesday, June 22, 2010