Damian Thompson on the (latest) Legionaries of Christ scandal:
One interesting aspect of this sordid business: although the Legionaries are extremely conservative – their strangely good-looking Roman seminarians always sport ruler-straight side partings – their critics extend across the whole Church. The holier-than-thou manner of Legionary priests and Regnum Christi lay people gets up everyone’s noses. Of course, there is a lot of sympathy for good Catholics who have been duped – but this is the risk you run with personality cults. The question for this wealthy and well-connected order is: what next? And no one seems to know the answer.
Of course, a self-described “Dominican” (who even uses the Order’s coat of arms as his avatar) leaves this comment:
Mr. Thompson,
In recent weeks I have often thought, but am now of the conviction, that you are a wicked and an evil man. A scandal monger of the worst kind.
Your ‘play’ at being the ‘defender’ of orthodox doxtrine and liturgy is a sham. You have, and are continuing to do great damage to the Church.
I shall pray very hard for you as you will have to answer for these terrible deeds. I hope, genuinely, that no one will reveal any of your closeted skeletons.
Dumbass.
