Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Truth about Miles Jesu

March18, 2009 -Rome: After a year and ten months, the little known investigation into Miles Jesu, a diocesan Ecclesial Family of Consecrated Life approved in Rome, is reaching its final conclusions. After studying the investigative report, the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is expected to approve the Vicariate’s recommendations.

On June 18, 2007 Cardinal Ruini had initiated an investigation of a “disciplinary character,” as stated in his decree. With the appointment of a Canonical Visitor, Fr. Anthony McSweeney, SSS, the investigation was to “ascertain the well-foundedness of the alleged violations of canonical discipline” and to “verify…the real functioning of its [Miles Jesu’s] organs of government.” The aim was also to “examine the community life of each religious” and draw up “a detailed final report to present to the Ordinary of the Diocese of Rome and the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.”

Cardinal Ruini’s decree stated, “I recall to mind finally that it is not licit to deter the Religious in any way from such obligations [of trusting and facilitating the Visitor], nor to otherwise hinder the visit itself. Any act eventually carried out in violation of the present decree by the above mentioned organs of government is to be considered radically invalid.”

Soon after the appointment of the Canonical Visitor, Miles Jesu appealed unsuccessfully to the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life to stop the investigation. However, Miles Jesu was able to prevent the Canonical Visitor from exercising governing power.

The investigation partially resulted from a credible formal appeal to the Vicariate of Rome by ten community leaders of Miles Jesu. Its purpose had been to disclose the “critical situation” of Miles Jesu and to ask for intervention to relieve “injustices” and “great suffering…in the most charitable and prudent manner, under the guidance of the Church,” as the appealing letter expressed. It also made clear that, “a canonical visitation would be of great assistance in the present crisis.”

The investigation was also prompted by a priest's unusual exclaustration request to Cardinal Ruini. A Miles Jesu priest needed to remove himself from community life for reasons of emotional health, but couldn't resolve this need through a standard appeal to his superiors. Given the situation, the priest was instructed by Archbishop Luigi Moretti, the Vicegerent for the Vicariate of Rome, to by-pass Miles Jesu superiors and appeal directly to Cardinal Ruini. The priest was also told to include the full background and details regarding his unusual circumstances and grave need. This instruction resulted in the submission of a 25 page extraordinary appeal for exclaustration submitted to Cardinal Ruini, May 16, 2007.

The Miles Jesu priest gave the following two reasons to Cardinal Ruini for the extraordinary appeal:

“I had explained to Msgr. Moretti that, due to the incompetent states of my own superiors, my request for exclaustration could not possibly be processed in a proper manner. Both my General Superior and his Vicar are in states of emotional, psychological and physical disability, making them unable to govern the Institute, certainly at any time in the near future (cf. Appendix 1). Yet, my need for exclaustration is a matter of urgency. In fact, guided by advice from competent spiritual directors, I have already found it necessary to recently remove myself from the Miles Jesu community environment due to its damaging effects upon me.”

“I also explained to Msgr. Moretti that my own internal superiors...have the prolonged habit of freely sharing subjects’ confidential matters with others, even in public. As I must mention confidential matters while articulating my grave need for exclaustration, I am additionally frankly reluctant to request exclaustration from my own internal superiors. I do not wish that my confidential life be publically revealed and that I would be publically humiliated simply because I am requesting an exclaustration.”

Fr. Giuseppe Tonello, the chancellor of the Vicariate, Fr. Anthony McSweeney, SSS and Fr. Leonello Leidi, C.O., of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, are the hands on administrators of the investigation. Among other Church hierarchy internationally, Cardinal George of Chicago and Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix, where Miles Jesu has communities, are waiting for the investigation’s outcome.

The concluding investigation of Miles Jesu comes in the wake of the Legionaries of Christ scandal and an emerging plea for the Pope to either suppress or reconstitute that order.
Because of this the Miles Jesu case is sensitive. The investigative results of the Miles Jesu case greet Church faithful now looking to Rome for full disclosure and transparency regarding the Legionaries of Christ. The Miles Jesu investigative conclusion may be consequently held up as a bench mark for Rome’s ability to resolve an order’s inherent deformities.

Together, both cases represent a wakeup call for Rome. They unfortunately expose an evident lack of effective monitoring of newly developing forms of consecrated life, to the serious detriment of members.

An anonymous source intimately knowledgeable of the internal problems of Miles Jesu and the details of the investigation said: “Those who uncovered the internal dysfunctionality of Miles Jesu to the proper Church authorities were truthful and courageous. They concretely testified to an inhumane internal community dynamic. They turned to the proper immediate ecclesial superiors of Miles Jesu as an ultimate attempt to subject the hidden behavior of Miles Jesu to the judgment of the Church. They have waited patiently for the Church to make her judgment and have suffered immensely because of this.”

When this same anonymous source was asked to comment on the actual content of the investigation he said: “The good will and orthodoxy of the group is not the issue. Generally speaking, the core concern is a variety of abuses and inherited governmental incapacities.”

Concerned for the public, this information about the investigation of Miles Jesu is provided as a service to the Catholic faithful. The above general verifiable facts are indispensable for anyone contemplating involvement with this group.

EMAIL SERVICE FOR NEWS INQUIRIES: milesjesutruth@gmail.com

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20 comments:

  1. Great website! I will stay away from this group. This sounds a lot like the Legionaries of Christ to me.

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  2. http://www.papalencyclicals.net/John23/j23religios.htm

    Miles Jesu should follow this document!

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  3. So this kind of thing is going on in our Ukrainian Church too? Wow.......

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  4. Cardinal Ruini is to blame for the abuses in this group!

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  5. I was a member of this group and I can attest to the fact that they are a cult. I am afraid they will sue me if I talk about what was going on inside. This is a terrible way to live, afraid of this organization. They have a lot of money and can sue ex-members very easily. When will the Church do something. When will Cardinal Rhode do something?

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  6. Don't they have a house in Phoenix? I was there once for confession. They seem to be good confessors, I did find the community a little strange though. Can't quite figure out what their apostolate is. Why don't they all just become priests?

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  7. I am going to keep my kids away from this group!

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  8. I don't believe there is an investigation into Miles Jesu. I know them, they are a good group!

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  9. What do you mean there is not an investigation? Call the Diocese of Phoenix!! They will tell you!

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  10. I checked with the diocese of Phoenix and confirmed that there is an investigation. Miles Jesu should be transparent and let people know what's going on. Their silence is not a good sign. There is no information about the investigation on their web site. What's going on?

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  11. This group is in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church too? Does Patriarch Husar know about this?

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  12. Constitutions of Miles Jesu

    http://www.wikileaks.com/wiki/Constitutions_of_Miles_Jesu_(Soldiers_of_Jesus)%2C_March_2004

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  13. Thank you for your courage in exposing this group. This group is leading many souls astray.

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  14. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  15. ANOTHER BAD CATHOLIC ORDER? WTF??? DONT THEY GO SOME CAMP GOING ON THIS SUMMER? MY SISTER GOT SOME PROMO FOR THIS AT CHURCH. I WAS LIKE WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? I'M GONNA SHOW THIS TO MY DAD.

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  16. Fr. Fischer----SET THOSE CAPTIVES FREE!!!!!

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  17. Father Fischer ain't setting anybody "free." He got sucked into their egotistical vortex. Satan is quite alive and well & Fisher is merely tucking him in with a blanket. Fool. Then Fisher gets that protestant woman to "oversee" what he doesn't want to touch .. helping former cult members get their lives together. This group is demonic --- Satan never wants you to know he's there. Way to go, MJ!

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  18. I was given an eye-witness account of Fr. Vota's funeral Mass ... pathetic. In our diocese half the church is filled with priests & deacons with the Bishop presiding and it's concelebrated -- BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHO THEIR PRIEST-BROTHER IS. I was told home-schooled families were there [Vota offered Masses for them], but otherwise the church was practically empty. What a hideous way to die with those MJ bozos hovering over him in death. Father Vota was a decent priest but it's horrible his funeral mass was absent his brothers from "the order of Melchizedek" i.e., his fellow priests. And for the love of God, keep your children away from that so-called "order", Miles Jesu.

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  19. So many lives ruined by this group.

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  20. I, of course, a newcomer to this blog, but the author does not agree

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