VATICAN CITY: The Legion of Christ religious order has admitted it knew its most famous priest had fathered a child years ago yet didn't remove him from teaching morality to seminarians or speaking publicly about ethics.
In a statement, the Legion said it was sorry it hadn't acted ''earlier and more firmly'' to remove the Reverend Thomas Williams from his very public ministry as a spokesman, author and high-profile television personality. It said it took responsibility for the lapse, but didn't admit when Mr Williams' superiors knew of the existence of his child.
Mr Williams, an American moral theologian and former superior of the Legion's Rome general office, admitted on Tuesday he had a relationship with a woman and had fathered a child ''a number of years ago''.
He didn't identify the woman or say whether he is supporting the child, though the Legion said the child is being cared for.
Mr Williams's admission was issued after The Associated Press last week confronted the order with the allegation, which was lodged by a Spanish association of Legion victims. The association's accusations also named other Legion priests accused of sexually abusing minors.
The Legion has been beset by scandal following revelations its late founder, the Reverend Marcial Maciel, fathered three children with two women and sexually abused his seminarians. Maciel died in 2008, and in 2009 the Legion admitted to his crimes.
The Maciel scandal has been particularly sensational given the Mexican-born priest was held up by Pope John Paul II as a model for the faithful, with his priests admired for their orthodoxy and ability to bring in money and attract new seminarians.
Follow the money
Follow the money
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Follow the money
IOW, as usual they took action only after it became a public scandal. Sorry, no points for that.
"The dildo of consequence rarely comes lubed." -- Eileen Rose
"Colonialism is not 'winning' - it's an unsustainable model. Like your hairline." -- Candace Linklater
"Colonialism is not 'winning' - it's an unsustainable model. Like your hairline." -- Candace Linklater
Re: Follow the money
Anyone who has ever sinned is FORBIDDEN FOR LIFE from ever preaching about morality.
Does this principle apply only to Catholics, or to everyone?
Does this principle apply only to Catholics, or to everyone?
Re: Follow the money
Anyone who brings in a fuck-load of cash will be excused from all moral lapses.dgs49 wrote:Anyone who has ever sinned is FORBIDDEN FOR LIFE from ever preaching about morality.
Does this principle apply only to Catholics, or to everyone?
Is more the status here. And everywhere else in the RC org. chart.
Jackass.
yrs,
rubato
Re: Follow the money
GRATUITOUS INSULT ALERT!!!!
GRATUITOUS INSULT ALERT!!!!
GRATUITOUS INSULT ALERT!!!!
Re: Follow the money
Actually, as I recall my catechism lessons, the Catholic Church is sort of in the business of forgiving sins, provided the sinner repents and promises to sin no more.
But I must admit to feeling a certain sense of relief when I read about a "scandal" involving a priest and an adult woman.
Rubato was probably thinking of Michael Corleone. Honest mistake. Fiction...Reality...what's the diff?
But I must admit to feeling a certain sense of relief when I read about a "scandal" involving a priest and an adult woman.
Rubato was probably thinking of Michael Corleone. Honest mistake. Fiction...Reality...what's the diff?
Re: Follow the money
DGS--is this a more modern view? I am not a catholic, but as I recall (from helping friends with their catechism and my own study) priests obtain the power to forgive/retain sins from the original power jesus gave to the apostles. When one confesses to a priest, the sins are forgiven; now it may be another sin to go through the motions without true remorse and contrition, but the sins are forgiven by the priest as god's representative. Hence, the church at one time issued/sold indulgences which forgave the sins of those who obtained them.
Now from what I understand, what used to be confession is now called reconciliation, and I would guess, is really a process whereby the priest intercedes and tries to reconcile the person with the will of god; in such a context the attitude of the person confessing would be important, and lack of a true remorse and a desire to "sin no more" might well affect the ultimate "forgiveness", but this is quite a different understanding of the apostles (and their descendants in faith, which the priests are considered to be) to forgive ad retain sins and have it noted in heaven, as the biblical verses relied upon for the sacrament state (since I have never read that a priest has any special power to know whether the person is sorry or not).
Now from what I understand, what used to be confession is now called reconciliation, and I would guess, is really a process whereby the priest intercedes and tries to reconcile the person with the will of god; in such a context the attitude of the person confessing would be important, and lack of a true remorse and a desire to "sin no more" might well affect the ultimate "forgiveness", but this is quite a different understanding of the apostles (and their descendants in faith, which the priests are considered to be) to forgive ad retain sins and have it noted in heaven, as the biblical verses relied upon for the sacrament state (since I have never read that a priest has any special power to know whether the person is sorry or not).