Testimony of Andrew Sullivan Regarding the Investigation of Miles Jesu

Former General Secretary Exposes Rogue "Religious Congregation"

Phoenix, AZ, October 10, 2011, --A former General Secretary sheds light on the Vatican backed investigation of Miles Jesu. In June 2007, an Ecclesial Family of Consecrated Life named Miles Jesu was investigated by the Diocese of Rome. Except for the July 25, 2009 summary statement (http://www.milesjesu.com/About_Miles_Jesu/Leadership.html) by the newly appointed Commissary of Miles Jesu, Father Berry Fischer, C.PP.S., the causes and resolutions of the authoritative intervention have remained obscure. A nine year General Government member of Miles and two-term General Secretary, Andrew Lee Sullivan, has released a formal statement to encourage transparency for the public good.
According to Sullivan’s statement (http://www.regainnetwork.org/article.php?a=47246186) the Founder and General Director, Father Alphonsus M. Duran, was accused of sexual abuse, power abuse, and psychological abuse of members. Sworn testimonies submitted to the investigation described a sociopathic symptomology of the Founder and systemic cult dynamics of the group. The testimonies were from some of the highest ranking members of Miles Jesu.

One of Sullivan’s sworn testimonies identified Miles Jesu, by its methods and behavior, as a cult.
The document carefully referenced the International Cultic Studies Association’s definition of a modern cult (http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/essay_cult.htm).

According to Sullivan, the Legionaries of Christ crisis has encouraged a discussion in Rome of the real risk of unmonitored new forms of consecrated life developing in a rogue way, stemming from a distorted sense of obedience to an authoritarian and charismatic personality. Benedict XVI’s June 15, 2011 meeting with the Roman Curia broached the subject with a statement by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/Vatican.php?id=3403). Miles Jesu stands out as a case in point of a runaway group.


Testimony of Andrew Sullivan Regarding the Investigation of Miles Jesu

My name is Andrew Sullivan. From 1979 to 2008 I was a member of Miles Jesu, a Catholic “religious congregation”. For about a decade, I was a member of the general government of Miles Jesu and for four years the General Secretary of the Society of Miles Jesu, appointed for two consecutive terms by the Founder and General Director, Fr. Alphonsus Duran.. Besides, I served as the provincial of Miles Jesu for Eastern Europe for a few years and vocation director many times during a twenty year period. I was a Miles Jesu priest from 2001 to 2008.

I lived in the Miles Jesu residence in Rome, Italy from 1995 to 2007. The investigation of Miles Jesu began in June, 2007. Having an excellent viewing point for knowing the causes and effects of that investigation, I provided almost one hundred pages of sworn testimony, more than any other member of Miles Jesu, I believe.

Motivated by the public statement of Father Barry Fischer and by the publication of that statement regarding the investigation of Miles Jesu, I make my own public statement in response to Father Fischer’s encouragement that the truth be known. I will first offer some background information on the investigation and its outcome and then comment on Father Fischer’s public statement on the Miles Jesu website.

The investigation resulted from a two-fold cause. As Miles Jesu superiors lacked the competency to handle my need for exclaustration, I was instructed by Archbishop Luigi Moretti, the Vice Regent for the Vicariate of Rome, to bypass Miles Jesu superiors and appeal directly to Cardinal Ruini, the external Superior of the diocesan institute of Miles Jesu. As instructed, on May 16, 2007, I exposed the grave reasons for my need to live outside of Miles Jesu and subsequently exposed the dysfunctional internal dynamics of the community. The document provided for the first time to legitimate external superiors over Miles Jesu, a viewing window of how Miles Jesu rally operates, regardless of public orthodox appearances.

A few days later, the Vicariate of Rome and the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life received an urgent appeal for help from twelve Miles Jesu leaders. Their appeal disclosed a “critical situation” and asked for intervention to resolve “injustices” and “relieve great suffering …… in the most charitable and prudent manner, under the guidance of the Church”. This document explicitly asked for a canonical investigation, saying that “it would be of great assistance in the present crisis”.

Subsequently, by June 25, 2007, with permission from the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Vicariate appointed a Canonical Visitor to investigate Miles Jesu. Cardinal Ruini’s disciplinary decree cited the following reasons:

“The inquiry will tend in particular to ascertain the well-foundedness of the alleged violations of canonical discipline, to verify the ways in which the Ecclesial Family is being governed and the real functioning of its organs of government, as well as examine the community life of each religious in all its aspects – including the relations between them and with the Superiors – and the administration of goods, in a special way those constituting the stable patrimony of the Ecclesial Family itself, with the drawing up of a detailed final report to present to the Ordinary of the Diocese of Rome, as well as to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, for those measures that will be held appropriate and necessary”.

The documents that led to causing Cardinal Ruini’s decree advanced many strong reasons for a thorough investigation, including:

Citing a case involving French kissing, oral sex and masturbation, Fr. Duran was accused of sexual seduction and attempted sexual seduction of younger male members and candidates. The vicar director and other members were accused of cover-up.

Father Duran was indicated to be drug dependent upon pain medication and psychiatric medication. Accordingly, he was largely disconnected with reality, although with moments of lucidity. He was incapable of governing.

For many years, his governing manifested an ultra-authoritarian use of power, sociopathic symptomology, cult dynamics, and disregard for both canon and civil law. Besides, in imitation of the Masonic power structure, a secret Miles Jesu membership both protected Fr. Duran and assured that the future transition of power remained in the hands of his chosen successors.

The documents also clarified that Father Duran’s governing methods included keeping his subjects in ignorance and without studies. He instilled an anything goes kind of obedience that damaged members’ mental and physical health and ignored human dignity. For instance, he ordered members to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, give him enemas and administer drug overdoses.

While assuring members that his manner of acting and spiritual practices represented the best traditions of the Catholic Church, Father Duran’s standard governing methods were largely based upon the induction of fear and the use of deception, humiliation and manipulation. Under the standard of loyalty to the Pope, members of the hierarchy were manipulated to publicly support Miles Jesu, unaware of the internal governing methods of the group.

The documents supporting an investigation underlined that candidates were recruited under false pretenses and deceitful promises, such as the assurance of studying or becoming a priest or going to a particular country to do missionary work. Afterwards, no formation program existed to form recruits and uneducated and uninstructed new members were morally coerced to commit their lives to Miles Jesu. The constitutions were designed to assure maximum rights to the institute and barely any to individual members. Members ordinarily invested great amounts of time recruiting candidates, fund raising and trying to implement the latest erratic new ideas of Father Duran.

By the time of the investigation, dozens of members could be described as emotionally traumatized. Concretely, nine members were suicidal.

I only mention a few things here, the iceberg tip. To enter Miles Jesu was to fall into the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole of an experimental form of consecrated life, that both escaped Church scrutiny and developed in a rogue way without ecclesial monitoring.

After an almost two-year investigation by Fr. Anthony McSweeney, Cardinal Vallini, the new head of the Vicariate, appointed Fr. Barry Fischer as the Commissary of Miles Jesu, on March 25, 2009. To this day, Fr. McSweeney’s investigative report remains a secret, unread even by the internal members of Miles Jesu. Fr. Giuseppe Tonello, the Chancellor of the Diocese of Rome, indicated to me that Fr. McSweeney’s report was about one hundred pages long. We can only guess as to the investigative conclusions and recommendations through the actions and statements of Father Barry Fischer.

Shortly after Father Barry Fischer took office he removed the entire Miles Jesu general governing apparatus. In a personal meeting with him, he mentioned to me that the Vicariate gave him the power to dissolve Miles Jesu if he wished. This implies the recognition of a drastic measure corresponding to an extremely high level of systematic dysfunctionality. Father Fischer chose to attempt to re-found Miles Jesu.

Lacking access to Fr. McSweeney’s report, its recommendations can only be implied by the sweeping mandate claimed by Fr. Barry Fischer. He was charged with defining the charism and spirituality of Miles Jesu, writing a new set of constitutions, developing vocation discernment and formation policies, reviewing the financial policies and completely revising the practices and customs of Miles Jesu. Father Barry Fischer told me personally that by the time he would be finished, history would consider him the real founder of Miles Jesu. Clearly, Fr. Fischer’s mandate implies hitting the restart button on a rogue institute.

Upon taking office, Father Barry Fischer almost immediately decreed the following: members now could travel and take walks all by themselves outside the community residences, i.e. without another member’s physical presence; members now could visit their families; members now would be allowed to study and work in secular jobs.

I would now like to comment briefly on Fr. Fischer’s statement regarding the Miles Jesu investigation.

It is a positive step that Fr. Fischer has parted the curtains, at least in generic terms, to let some truth out to the public about Miles Jesu. This is commendable. He justly publicly affirmed the courage and good will of the members who took matters to the Holy See.

At the same time, Fr. Fischer’s approach is both seventeen months late and still not transparent. His statement side-stepped the specific confirmations of the official investigation. The specific discoveries of the investigation should have been clearly stated.

Rather, Fr. Fischer chose to emphasize his personal experience, saying, “it has become clear and undeniable that the founder, Fr. Alfonso Duran, presented erratic behaviours that were totally beyond the scope of powers given to him”.

Father Fischer stated that “some of the allegations against Fr. Duran are hearsay and have not been verified”. The meaning and purpose of this line is ambiguous. Does this refer to ex-members claims of sexual abuse by Fr. Duran? It is unclear. Yet, even if the investigation did not emphasize sexual abuse, I know that highly credible testimonies were given to Fr. Fischer documenting sexual abuse by Fr. Duran. Fr. Fischer chose to remain vague and silent on the issue. Such allegations still need to be verified and made public for the sake of healing both on individual and communal levels.

Father Fischer stated that, “I also am personally grateful for those members who had the courage to solicit intervention of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, thus bringing to light the situations under question”.

I only add here that the men who exposed Miles Jesu to the Holy See have not been treated by Fr. Fischer and Miles Jesu with the corresponding dignity and respect they deserve. After all the injustices they had endured for many years, these members were offered a relatively small conditional donation, not even compensation, made difficult to claim by bureaucratic red tape. Meanwhile, these escaping members suffered from a post-traumatic condition characteristic of ex-cult survivors.

Mindful of the utter failure of the experiment of Miles Jesu, and it was an experiment on innocent human lives, I believe it is valuable to consider lessons that may benefit history. Hopefully, Church leaders can learn from this catastrophic omission.

Consider the bare facts of the ongoing attempt to re-found Miles Jesu. The founder was replaced and publicly identified as someone not to be imitated. The founder and general director was deposed by Church authorities. The successor was removed from authority, subsequently seeking a laicization. The entire general government was stripped of governing powers. Many of the chief customs and practices of the institute were abolished. The constitutions of the institute were scrapped and subjected to a re-write from scratch. The founding charism had to be discerned and discovered. A formation program had to be developed for the first time in the institute’s forty-six year history. The chief policies regarding apostolates, finances and vocations had to be abandoned and re-worked according to the thinking of the Church. The replacement head, i.e. Fr. Barry Fischer was invested with the authority to dissolve the institute.

Based upon my twenty-eight year experience as a Miles Jesu insider, numerous conversations with many Miles Jesu members, and familiarity with the investigation and its aftermath, I wish to share a few personal opinions.

The consecrated vocation is a participation in the distinctive divine gift of a founder’s spirituality. As such, a member of consecrated life appropriately seeks holiness by imitation of a holy founder. For instance, St Francis of Assisi received the divine gift of a unique holy way of life. His followers shared in that gift by imitation not only of Christ, but of St Francis. This is how religious life is supposed to work to nurture holiness in its members.

In the case of Miles Jesu, imitation of the founder produced personal paths of destruction. Besides, Church authorities properly deposed the founder and denounced him as a bad example. Accordingly, I suggest that Church policy not artificially prop up any institution of consecrated life that lacks a truly exemplary founder. Otherwise, the members are deprived of an essential element of their consecrated vocation and a principle is established that may inadvertently invite unholy founders to flourish.

Any experiment that damages human lives should be shut down immediately. I see little reason to reorganize the laboratory to continue the Miles Jesu experiment. I believe it would be better to transparently disclose the experiment’s failing results, dismantle the laboratory, and let history learn from a colossal mistake. Truth demands recognition and respect to produce its healing.

The new salvaged Miles Jesu may be hardly recognizable after Father Fischer’s sweeping pass with Ockham’s razor. Miles Jesu retains a few dozen professed members, mostly uneducated, and a handful of genuinely good ideals. However, the remaining members represent broken men and women in need of psychological and spiritual healing. I believe that an environmental change would be more conducive toward healing than to hit the institutional restart button. Perhaps it would be best to help the remaining members to discover healing in already healthy environments, instead of trying to build a healthy environment with broken people.

I propose that Church authorities establish the means to more effectively monitor new forms of consecrated life and make it impossible for rogue new institutions to fly underneath the radar of Church scrutiny. The law that allows for new experimental forms of consecrated life, i.e. canon 605 should include provisions that protect innocent vocations from possible abuse by unqualified new founders.

After a lengthy investigation, the appropriate Church authorities concluded that Miles Jesu merited to be dissolved. It’s confusing why these same authorities then withdrew from dissolving Miles Jesu. Why?

Fr. Duran taught that institutions outlive individuals. He preached that in adversity, shrewdness and patience would gain all things. He repeatedly underlined that our Lord taught his apostles to be as cunning as serpents. Such indoctrination permeates the blood of Miles Jesu. I hope and pray that naivety will not witness the resurrection of the old Miles Jesu. There are resistant members of the old guard in the group.

I act independently in making this statement. I do so with the hope of sounding a warning to any young man or woman considering joining Miles Jesu. Additionally, every supporting hierarch, benefactor, and internal member of Miles Jesu has a right to know the truth about Miles Jesu. I hope and pray that my testimony will contribute toward healing. Cancer cannot be treated properly unless it is specifically diagnosed.

Andrew Sullivan
Dec 28, 2010
Phoenix, Arizona

The statement by Jackie Parkes is not accurate.

>Jackie Parkes MJ said...
>
> How come within a year of leaving most of the domus members are now married? Weird!
>
> Jackie MJ

The statement by Jackie Parkes is not accurate.

I count eighteen Miles Jesu domus members who left community life during the spring and summer of 2007. It is possible that two of these do not fit strictly within this time frame. It is possible that the total number is slightly higher than eighteen.

From these numbers, six people married since leaving Miles Jesu. None married within the first year of their leaving. The marriages took place from a year and a half after leaving Miles Jesu and onward. The last marriage was recent.

These statistics show that Mrs. Parkes statement is not accurate. These statistics do not suggest something unusual about some leaving members discerning the vocation of marriage and moving ahead with their lives. A moderate number of leaving members married within a reasonable period of time.

In my opinion, the statistics reflect normalcy.

Greater care should have been given to determining the accuracy of information before a generalized and non-investigated statement was made. Apparently, her information was based on a trust in her source. Noting accurate information, I do not imply anything negative about Mrs. Parkes.

Former members, please comment!

This new article recently appeared on the Miles Jesu website

"It is a basic element of Miles Jesu’s charism as lay apostles to combine intelligence and love in practice, at home and at work. We strive to promote—and to live—the message of being professional apostles, and apostles in our professions. Many of our younger domus members are preparing for this in a very real sense with studies in various professions." from http://www.milesjesu.com/missions/mjmonthly2009/MJAugSept09b.html

Please comment on this.

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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