George Weigel (always to be read!!) writes on the changes the Vatican is bringing to the Legionaries of Christ!!
Next Acts in the Legionary Drama | First Things
Next Acts in the Legionary Drama | First Things
The May 2010 Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Newsletter can now be found at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/Newsletters/Newsletter108(May2010)(RGB).pdf Bill C-384 was soundly defeated by a vote of 228 to 59. Check how the Members of Parliament voted at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/HowTheyVoted.pdf On June 5, 2010, we are co-hosting the US/Canda Push-Back Seminar at the Radisson Gateway Hotel at the Seattle/Tacoma Airport. The overwhelming defeat of Bill C-384 proved that we can Push-Back the euthanasia lobby in the US and Canada and convince people that euthanasia and assisted suicide are a dangerous public policy. Register for the Seminar at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/2010SeminarFlyer(RGB)(LetterFormat).pdf The Schindler family are being attacked by a Florida television station and Michael Schiavo. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is standing in solidarity with the Schindler family. My blog comments: http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2010/05/att
Hi Tim,
ReplyDeleteI know you have the utmost respect for Mr. Weigel, however, I truly think he is attempting to make a silk purse from a sow's ear when he writes:
"To propose that such an unprecedented course of action be seriously considered is not a question of desperate situations calling for desperate measures, but of great evils requiring the remedy of heroic virtue—in this case, the heroic exercise of the cardinal virtues of courage, justice, and prudence."
Quite frankly, I see absolutely nothing heroic about the Church's winding up of the Legionaires. What were the Church's other realistic options? Keep it running "as is", even after its founder was clearly shown to be a fraud and a reprobate? The evidence of the founder's malfeasance is overwhelming and accessible in the public domain. It cannot be hidden by the Church without causing even greater damage to the RCC's tattered reputation.
The Church had no alternative or realistic options available to it - therefore - winding it up can hardly be classified as "heroic". My goodness, if this is not a case of literally making a virtue out of necessity, then I do not know what is.
What might be considered truly heroic is if the Church decided to actually accept some criticism for its own complicity in promoting a blind and simple minded piety that encouraged such gullability among its own adherents. Hmmm...but of course such self-awareness and reflection might actually tarnish the image of JP2 who did so much to encourage a climate in the Church where the Legionaries could flourish. I am quite serious - you guys should not be too quick to canonize JP2 until his legacy unflods a bit more. You will only end up with more egg on your faces.
Lastly, let's not forget that the Legionaries are an extremely rich order. I am sure that the Church will be very careful to keep its fingers on all the goodies which have been amassed over the years.
Some heroism...do what is plainly obvious, engorge yourself on the wealth of the corpse, deflect your own complicity, all the while crowing about your unprecedented courage, justice and prudence.
Good grief. Apologetics has sunk to a new low in the RCC.
Cheers...Martin