It's the next chapter, I suppose. Vistations from Rome, to all houses and facilities of the Congregation.
When I read, recently, that the founder had died last year, I was not so affected. When I read, about the same time, he had fathered a child twenty-some years ago, I was still not very affected. This is different.
It seems I had ceased to care so much about the founder, this man I used to call Nuestro Padre. It was between him and God. I had no part.
In truth, I have no part in the affairs of the Congregation either. Still, this feels different to me. The first was one man's fate. This is about the fate of many. Many who took up a holy challenge to add to the good in the world.
Many whom, I firmly believe, were betrayed. Not "simply" by the founder, he who was supposed to model how a Legionary lived both the exterior and interior life. Again, this was just one man, albeit a man with a crucial role to play. But, one man with the frailties of men.
But the Congregation betrayed them also. The Congregation in the persons of the superiors at the highest levels. It is not believable that the founder's activities were not known to some.
Yet they kept silent, the least they did. They vehemently denied there was anything to be said, somewhat worse to do. They cast out those who spoke up, the worst they did.
One man may fail. The Congregation and many men failed the members. That is less excuseable.
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