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Are there Sects in the Catholic Church? by Christoph Schönborn, O.P. Archbishop of Vienna, Austria Taken from: L'Osservatore Romano Weekly Edition in English 13/20 August 1997, page 3 I. Clarification of a concept For some time now the media have been reporting about "sects in the Church" or "sects within the Catholic Church". This is what a number of movements and communities are called which were founded over recent decades. Early on, some of these new groups were labeled as "conservative" or "fundamentalist"; now one tries to eliminate1 them as "sects within the Church". People are warned of them as of the classical sects or the religious youth movements which make people psychologically ill and in which they are inhumanly treated. Many faithful are aware that there have been sectarian schisms in the history of Christianity, including today. But the claim that groups approved by and acknowledged in the Church are "sects" within her, seems disturbing to many Christians. Towards a theological clarification of the concept 'sect' The notion "sect" is originally a religious term used by the Church. Recently it has been broadened into a socio-political dimension at the cost of precision and clarity. In everyday use it has become a slogan defining groups considered "dangerous", since they offend against the fundamental values of the liberal democratic society. At present the following criteria are generally applied to a sect: formation of an elite group, sealed off from social reality and frequently in opposition to it; the development of alternative ways of life, often so extreme that they lead to a loss of the sense of reality and to unhealthy exaggerations. Besides following an aim in life that goes against generally accepted conventions, or a spiritual idol with occasionally utopian features, the following inner characteristics are listed: renouncing today's basic values of personal freedom and tolerance; occasionally fighting for fundamentally opposed attitudes; a totalitarian way of life; oppression of the members' consciences; ostracizing outsiders, as well as the tendency to dominate society or aspects of it. If several of these characteristics are recognized in a group, it is called a sect. According to the religious (more apt and precise) usage of the term, those groups are called sects which have broken away from the general or national Churches. Often sects hold onto particular values, religious ideas or ways of life of the original ecclesiastical community. But these particular basic principles are understood in an absolute way and are lived out in a community life that is strictly isolated from the former body and that aims at self-preservation and self-defense. The following characteristics arise from these basic conditions: some one-sided religious ideas (e.g. holding that the end of the world is near), refusing to exchange ideas with people of different opinions; an over-enthusiastic promotion and pursuit of their own ideas; fierce proselytizing, over-confidence in their sense of mission towards an often despised world; a conception of salvation that is exclusive to a certain number of people belonging the specific group. According to Catholic theology, a sect is characterized by estrangement from the common biblical-apostolic truth and the central contents of faith. Therefore the Church considers sects always to be tantamount to heresy (c.f. Gal 1:6-12) or schism. Nobody needs to have studied theology to recognize the basic contradiction in the slogan "sects within the Church". Their presumed existence in the Church is an indirect reproach of the Pope and Bishops who are responsible for investigating whether ecclesiastical groups are in agreement with the faith of the Church in teaching and practice. From a theological and ecclesiastical point of view, a group is considered a sect when it is not recognized by the relevant Church authority. Sects are outside the Church (and outside ecumenical movements). They are isolated and as such do not want to be examined by Church authority. Their statutes and ways of life are scrutinized. It is therefore wrong if communities which are approved by the Church are called sects (by institutions, individuals, or in media reports), or if a life according to the three evangelical counsels is seen as a sect-like practice. According to canon law, the faithful have the right to found associations. It is the duty of the Bishops or the Holy See to examine new groups or movements — which St. Paul calls new charisms — and to acknowledge them as genuine. The authority of the Church is obliged to promote and support the work of the Spirit of God in the Church today. The Church has to intervene and correct if there is an unhealthy growth or a deviation in teaching and practice. This is different from a sect which does not see itself to be under such an authority and does not acknowledge any; Church groups submit consciously and freely to authority, and are ready to accept corrections if needed. Many examples show this. Libero Gerosa summarizes the essential criteria of genuine charisms as follows: "Charisms are 'special graces' granted by the Spirit to every and any faithful. These gifts make them 'fit and ready to undertake the various tasks' for building up the Church. Some of these gifts are extraordinary, others simpler and more ordinary. Judging their genuineness and proper use is a matter for those with authority in the Church who have no right to suppress genuine charisms".2 No one needs to be uneasy if communities approved by the Church are labeled as "sects within the Church" by the public. Should there be doubts or questions, it is possible to ask the appropriate ecclesiastical authorities for information. Some remarks on 'fundamentalism' "Fundamentalism" was originally the name given to a religious-ideological movement that sprang up in the United States before the First World War aiming at a strictly literal understanding of the Bible (especially of Genesis), which developed into a collective Conservative Protestant movement. Typical of fundamentalism in the country of its origin today is the rejection of any historical critical view of the biblical texts, an almost mythical orientation towards an idealized past, the refusal of any positive evaluation of modern development, a sometimes importunate moralism, above all directed against prevalent consumerism, now and then some right-wing tendencies and declarations critical of democracy. In modern philosophy and sociology this American fundamentalism — though duly criticized — is seen as a phenomenon that should be taken seriously as an expression of the "American Civil Religion" in the view of the problems of extreme liberalism. Quite different from this term is the concept of a "religious fundamentalism" which spread in Europe in the 80's, a rather vague and woolly expression that is used for such distinct phenomena as an extreme Islamic fanaticism inflicting the death penalty on dissenters and for the adhering of Catholic Christians to the traditional faith of the Church. Without any discrimination, groups within the Church that are based on her teachings and especially on those of the Second Vatican Council, and followers of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre who parted with the Church, are suspected of fundamentalism. Actually, the term "fundamentalism" is more often a slogan meant to attack someone, than to describe a definite, precise spiritual phenomenon. It is often found in connection with labels such as "dogmatism", "integralism", "traditionalism", "mistrust of people who think or live differently", or "being afraid to make one's own decision". Criticism of fundamentalism is directed against a rigid faith marked by fear and insecurity, not acknowledging any development of dogma and of the understanding of truth, attempting to hold on to rigid forms and formulas, not daring to be exposed to the practices of changing times. This form of criticism is justified. But some critics tend to label all those communities and movements as fundamentalist who — acknowledging the changes of the times — hold on to lasting truths and binding values and do not want to swerve from "the fullness, the organized form and the beauty of the Catholic world of faith."3 These critics should ask themselves whether they do not run the risk of falling into a relativism of value and truth, while advocating, in their own way, an absolutism that makes them the only ones to decide about the valid principles of present realities of life and faith. Asked about the significance and danger of modern fundamentalism, Cardinal Ratzinger carefully differentiates in his new book Salz der Erde: "The common element in the very differing mental attitudes and movements which are classified by us as fundamentalism is the search for security and simplicity of faith. This is not bad as such; after all, faith is meant very much for the simple and little ones — as we are told repeatedly in the Old Testament. The search for security and simplicity becomes dangerous only when it leads to fanaticism and narrow mindedness. If reason as such becomes suspect, then faith is falsified and becomes a kind of party ideology which no longer has anything to do with trust in the living God, source and creator of life and reason. Then pathological religious forms arise, such as a desire for visions, for messages from beyond, and the like. However, instead of attacking fundamentalism, the concept of which is becoming progressively more inclusive and vaguer, theologians should reflect how far they themselves are responsible, if more and more people are taking refuge in narrow and unhealthy forms of religion. If one merely questions and does not show a positive way of faith, then people will inevitably resort to distorted forms of religion."4 II. Specific accusations After this short clarification of the concepts "sect" and "fundamentalism", we now turn our attention to specific accusations against newer communities in the Church. Communities and movements approved by the Church should not be called sects, since their ecclesiastical approbation confirms their belonging to and grounding in the Church. In spite of this approbation, the charges made against the newer charisms in the Church are sometimes considerable. It must be said generally that the teaching and practices of communities approved by the Church should be distinguished from the weaknesses of individuals. We are all familiar with our imperfect human actions. Therefore, it should be stressed that ecclesiastical authority must intervene in cases of unhealthy developments. Some accusations leveled at these communities are: brainwashing as a method, isolation and alienation from the world, estrangement from the family, dependence on charismatic leaders, building up of their own structures within the Church, violation of human rights, as well as the problem of ex-members. What can be said of these accusations? Brainwashing This term cannot even be applied to the often observed change of personality in sects, as brainwashing means the inhuman methods which are used in totalitarian regimes to influence people and change their personalities. It should not be used to describe the formation of members of communities in the Church. The latter is a freely accepted transformation of the personality into Christ, respecting human dignity. It refers to the call of Jesus to repentance and faith (cf. Mk 1:14). Whoever follows the call of Christ will — in grace and freedom — have an outlook of faith on all dimensions of life. St Paul, too, speaks about this transformation one of his letters: "Do not model yourselves on the behavior of the world around you, but let your behavior change, modeled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God, and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do" (cf. Rom 12:2). In Christian tradition it is called "metanoia", conversion of life. The transformation of life is brought about by a call from God to follow Christ. It is a life-long process for a Christian, which has to be freely renewed. Spiritual communities in the Church must make sure that the decision to follow Christ is freely undertaken. This is safeguarded by a series of canonical regulations. Isolation and alienation from the world In the Gospels we read that Christians "do not belong to the world" (Jn 17:16), but that they are "sent into the world" (Jn 17:18). Turning away from the world means not turning away from people, their joys, sorrows, and anxieties, but from sin. In this sense, Jesus prays for his disciples: "I am not asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the evil one" (Jn 17:15). If Christians do not participate in everything and are not fully one with the trends of their times, this does not mean that they despise the world. They only turn away from what is opposed to their faith and also from goods that they no longer consider important, once they have found the "treasure hidden in a field" (Mt 13:44). Communion with Christ ought to urge them not to retreat into a world of their own, but to sanctify the world from inside, transforming it in truth, justice and love. In a society dominated by the media, where the Church should be transparent, there is the challenge, as St Peter says in his First Letter, always to "have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope you all have" (1 Pt 3:15). This applies also to contemplative communities who live behind the walls of monasteries, and in prayer and sacrifice surrender their lives to God for the good of all. On the one hand, the Church is an alternative society,5 and on the other, is a missionary community in the midst of the world. Epistle to Diognetus from the very early Christian Church. Written in the second or third century, it stresses that Christians — as all other people — live in the world, but are opposed to the spirit of the world; striving towards a goal beyond this world. Thus they fulfill their mission as a blessing for the world. "To put it briefly, the relation of Christians to the world is that of a soul to the body. As the soul is diffused through every part of the body, so are the Christians through all the cities of the world. The soul, too, inhabits the body, while at the same time, forming no part of it: and Christians inhabits the world, but they are not part of the world. The soul, invisible herself, is immured within a visible body; so Christians can be recognized in the world, but their Christianity itself remains hidden from the eye. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against her without provocation, because she is an obstacle to its own self-indulgence... Christians as the sojourn for a while in the midst of corruptibility here, look for incorruptibility in the heavens. Finally, just as to be stinted of food and drink makes for the soul's improvement, so when Christians are every day subjected to ill-treatment, they increase the more in numbers. Such is the high post of duty in which God has placed them, and it is their moral duty not to shrink from it."6 Estrangement from family members Respect and loving care for parents belong essentially to the Christian message. If however someone is called to a closer imitation of Christ, then Jesus asks him also to leave his family. The apostles left their families, occupations and country. This kind of imitation of Christ has its continuance in our time. Some parents rejoice at such a decision by their children. But conflicts may arise with the members of some families. Jesus himself talks about it (cf. Mt 10:37). It is not always easy to let a child go, not even in the case of marriage. If one leaves home for Christ's sake, freely accepting his or her call, then it is not an escape from family obligations and may not be attributed to the unjustifiable influence of a community. Criticism is only justified if a deliberate break with the family were intended, offending the other members of the family who often strive to live a faithful Christian life as well. Every member of the family is free to choose his or her own way of life. One must be tolerant and respect the decision of each conscience. There have been difficult situations in the past, of course, and conflicts still arise today, for example when communities influence minors against the will of their parents, or when parents have difficulty in understanding and accepting the decision of a child to enter an order or religious community. But if imitation of Christ is lived with love, determination and Christian tact, respecting everyone's free decision, then a relationship of trust can develop between the "natural" and the "spiritual" family that brings abundant graces, as many have experienced. Dependence on charismatic leaders and personalities Here one has to distinguish between those who use their abilities in a selfish and dishonest way in order to dominate others and make them submissive, and truly charismatic personalities as they can still be found in the Church today. In a "spirit of holiness" (2 Cor 6:6), they do their utmost for the Church and the good of mankind. Throughout the history of salvation there have been truly inspired leaders. The prototype is Jesus himself, and countless men and women have found their way of life and happiness as his disciples. Great founders and charismatically-gifted men and women, such as St Benedict or St Ignatius, St Clare, or St Angela Merici, have given their lives to win others for Christ. They were God's gift to his people. They did not bind others to themselves, but led them to Christ and his Church. In the freedom of God's children, they passed on the supernatural riches of their lives to others, always in obedience to the authority of the Church. Should we not thank God that he is still giving us such people who are filled with his spirit? While necessarily holding onto historical structures, ought we not be open to the Holy Spirit, the soul of the Church? Building up their own structures within the Church It is often held against modern groups in the Church that they build "a Church within the Church". To counter this danger, one has to make sure that the relationship between the existing structures of the Church, above all the parish, and new groups is always well balanced. As Cardinal Ratzinger writes: "In spite of all the changes that will come about, I am convinced that the parish will remain the essential cell of the Christian community... As at most times in history there will also be groups which are linked through a special charism, by the personality of a founder, in a specific spiritual way. For the sake of both, an exchange between them is needed: the movement needs the link with the parish, so as not to become isolated and sectarian; the parish needs groups and movements so as not to lose vitality. Now new forms of spiritual life have already come into being in the world. If one looks around, one can discover an astonishing variety of Christian ways of life, in which the Church of tomorrow is already visible among us".7 Violation of human rights To follow Christ in celibacy, obedience and poverty has always been part of the consecrated life. Whoever chooses this way of life and after several years of discernment and prayer binds himself to it, renounces certain rights as a free decision of his conscience: the right to marry, the right to self-determination and the right independently to manage and acquire property. The Second Vatican Council says: "The evangelical counsels of chastity dedicated to God, poverty, and obedience are based upon the words and example of the Lord. They were further commended by the Apostles and the Fathers, and other teachers and shepherds of the Church. The counsels are a divine gift, which the Church has received from her Lord and which she ever preserves with the help of his grace" (cf. Lumen gentium, n.43). If this way of life is freely chosen, it does not go against human rights, but in the answer to a special call from Christ. Those responsible for the different communities are, however, obliged — in pure conscience to support the vocation of the member for the fruitful upbuilding of the Church and the good of humanity in the spirit of a genuine "communio". Ex-members All religious communities know that their new members need a time of mutual getting-to-know-each-other, of growing into the group and of self-examination, as they prepare for a definite commitment. The superiors have the right to dismiss someone for certain serious reasons. But, unfortunately, departure or dismissal may also occur after someone has already made a final commitment. Some of those who have left a community keep in friendly contact, following their own way by mutual agreement. Of course, communities approved by the Church will — in case of conflict — offer their members and ex-members the opportunity to approach the appropriate Church authorities. Some ex-members cannot come to terms with their negative experiences and make them known from the platform of the media. People living together will experience their limitations and weaknesses. It is, however, unjustified, to present personal difficulties within a community as if they were a general experience. On the whole, negative experiences of individuals are painful for the Church community. Such experiences continue to be discussed in public. There is no interest in questions of the teaching of the faith, but in ways of behavior and their effects. In discussion it becomes obvious that the Church in her various communities is an "alternative society" with respect to a liberal secular society — "Whoever is ready to accept religion only in the form of a civil religion which is compatible with society, must be suspicious of anything more radical".8 Should criticism be based on real problematic developments in a group, this will be sufficient reason for the appropriate Church authority to undertake a thorough investigation. Criticism may give rise to a purification and better growth of groups. In the Vatican Interim Report of 1986: Sects and New Religious Movements - A Challenge for Pastoral Ministry, we read that attitudes adopted by sects (such as intolerance and aggressive proselytism) are not enough to characterize a sect, since these attitudes may be found in Church communities as well. To quote: "However, these groups may undergo a positive change by becoming more deeply absorbed in Christian formation and also through contact with other Christians around them. Thus they may continuously grow in thinking and acting with the Church".9 To think with the Church is a challenge for both sides: the group has to learn to bring its charism in as one among many (thus resisting the temptation to lay claim to an ecclesiastical absolutism); those who have no direct access to this form of life in the Church have to learn to see in such a community a gift of the life-giving Spirit, whereby many can find a new approach to faith. In our time, a new desire is arising in different countries of the world, in spite of all human frailty, to live up to the message of Christ and to serve the Church in union with the Holy Father and the Bishops. Many see new charisms as a sign of hope. Others experience these new awakenings as something strange; for others they are a challenge, by others again they may be experienced as an accusation, against which they vindicate themselves — sometimes reaching with reproach in turn. Some promote a kind of humanism that has less and less to do with its Christian roots. But we should not forget: "If the Second Vatican Council speaks of the 'ecclesia semper reformanda', it speaks not only of the necessity to think anew about the structures of the Church, but moreover about the constant renewing of the life of the Church and about the querying of some long-established and treasured ideas which may be too much in keeping with the spirit of the age".10 NOTES 1 Cf. H. Gasper, "Ein problematisches Etikett: Mit dem Sektenbegriff sollte man behutsam umgehen", Herder Korrespondenz 50 (1996), 577-580; H. Maier, "Sekten in der Kirche? Es muß Platz geben für unterschiedliche Wege", Klerusblatt 76 (1996), 208. 2 Libero Gerosa, Charisma und Recht, Trier 1989, p. 66; quotations in text from Lumen gentium, n. 12. 3 L. Scheffczyk, Katnolische Glaubenswelt: Wahrheit und Gestalt, Aschaffenburg 1977, p. 351. 4 J. Ratzinger, Salz der Erde. Christentum und katholische Kirche an der Jahrtausendwende: Ein Gespräch mit Peter Seewald, Stuttgart 1996, pp, 146f. 5 G. Lohfink, Wie hat Jesus Gemeinde gewollt?, Freiburg (Neuausgabe) 1993, pp. 142f. 6 Epistle to Diognetus, 5-6; trans. by Maxwell Staniforth in: Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers, Penguin Books 1968, reprinted 1987, pp. 144ff. 7 J. Ratzinger, op. cit., p. 283. 8 H. Gasper, ibid. 9 I. Kapitel, ed., Referat für Weltanschauungsfragen der Erzdiözese Wien, 1986, p. 5, 10 H. Maier, ibid. Taken from: L'Osservatore Romano Weekly Edition in English 13/20 August 1997, page 3 L'Osservatore Romano is the newspaper of the Holy See. Are There Cults in the Catholic Church? A friend of mine is a school principal, a job he knows often requires the skills of a seasoned diplomat. He must balance the desires of students, parents, teachers, coaches et alia and do so within a slender budget. But his decision to move to a new school put him in the middle of a firestorm like he had never seen before. It's not that my friend espouses some wild-eyed education reform or that he has some heinous conviction in his past. His methods are sound and his record as clean and bright as his boyish smile. What riled some people at his new school is the fact that he belongs to one of the new movements in the Church. "It's a cult!" the gossips said. "Do you want your children influenced by a guy who belongs to a cult?" Armed with a collection of articles and letters they found on the Internet (where else?), the gossips mounted their campaign. "Why would they hire someone like that?" "Others around here belong to the same cult." "He must have pulled the wool over someone's eyes!" To his credit, my friend has not backed away from the challenge ahead of him. He is quietly, even smilingly going about his business to demonstrate that neither he nor the movement to which he belongs is what they have heard or read. Where others might see an insurmountable challenge, he sees an opportunity to bear witness and evangelize. I, too, have to deal with some of these same prejudices in my role as communications director for the Regnum Christi movement in North America. I must admit that nothing sticks in my craw (or presents the opportunity to embrace the cross) like the accusation that my colleagues and I are mind-numbed robots subject to the wiles of our spiritual masters. It's so profoundly insulting. And so very, very wrong. It completely shuts off discussion: if I'm under the influence of the cult, I'm obviously just parroting what I've been brainwashed to believe, right? That's why I believe it is important to examine the difference between "cults" and the new movements now growing in the Church. What is a "cult"? Catholic apologists are familiar with the argument that the Church itself is a "cult." This attack often cites the basic catechetical definition of the Church as "creed, code and cult." The Church has a set of beliefs, its creed; it has moral and spiritual norms, its code; and it has a way of coming together in worship, which is its cult. The American Heritage Dictionary first defines cult in this positive way: "a system or community of religious worship or ritual." Every religious group has its own form of "cult." The word itself derives from the Latin cultus, which means "worship." It is the root of other words with positive connotations: "culture," "cultivation." The derogatory meaning of "cult," which unfortunately has become the more common usage, is reflected in its secondary definition: "Obsessive devotion to a person or ideal; a group of persons sharing such devotion. "The anti-Catholics who call the entire Church a cult point to the pope as the one to whom we are obsessively devoted; the average Catholic in the pew knows that is false (if for no other reason than because so few Catholics really are devoted to the pope). But it may not be as clear to the average Catholic that the new ecclesial movements are not "cults" in the sense of David Koresh's Branch Davidians or Jim Jones' suicidal followers in Guyana. The new ecclesial movements have leaders, many of whom are still alive, whom "followers seem to worship unquestioningly." The movements call for living in a way that seems to change a person's outlook, even one's personality. They have writings that are supposed to be "for members only." Some have been known to cause divisions in parishes and even families. They can seem weird. They don't go with the flow?. What does the Church say? The Church's Code of Canon Law (Canons 298-329) provides for associations of laity and clergy that are "distinct from consecrated life "but in which the laity " strive by common effort to promote a more perfect life or to foster public worship or Christian doctrine or to exercise other apostolic works..."(Canon 298). The new movements such as Regnum Christi, Legion of Mary, Focolare, Cursillo, the Neocatechumenal Way, and Communion and Liberation (among many others) all fit this description. They have subjected themselves to the scrutiny of the Church and have received at least some level of Church approval. For instance, as recently as June 28, 2002, the Vatican officially announced approval of the statutes governing the Neocatechumenal Way. The Church does not rush to judgment in these matters. The Neocatechumenal Way first came into being in 1964. Regnum Christi came into being in the 1940s; Pope John Paul II personally approved the Constitutions governing it in 1983, culminating 37 years of scrutiny spanning five pontificates. It should be noted that a common characteristic of a "cult" is that it will not bow to any outside authority nor allow itself to be scrutinized. Any group that is seeking the approval of the Church is most probably not a cult; any group that has received such Church approval is certainly not one. In fact, some definitions of "cult" explicitly state that they must be new religious movements that arise entirely outside any religious framework. A group that arises within a Church but then isolates itself is more properly called a "sect," a term first applied to protestants that split off from the Catholic Church but nowadays applied more negatively to any unhealthy splinter group. So are there sects in the Catholic Church? Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, answered that question in a 1997 article in L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's official newspaper. The Cardinal notes that sects are marked by dissent from the Church's teachings, promoting heresy and even schism. The new movements, by contrast, are known for their fidelity to the Magisterium. Indeed, today's theological dissenters are among those most likely to call the new movements "sects" or "cults" precisely because the movements represent a renewal that the dissenters dislike. But the words of Cardinal Schonborn are reassuring: "No one needs to be uneasy if communities approved by the Church are labeled as 'sects within the Church' by the public." The "brainwashing" controversy But what of the fact that people who join a new movement may start behaving differently? "Cult experts" note that a sign of cult involvement is that one changes behavior, starts using different language, associates with different friends, and makes other changes in life. Family and friends may start suspecting that the one they love has become "brainwashed," though psychologists have moved away from that term, referring instead to "mind control" or "coercive persuasion." Cardinal Schonborn's analysis is again reassuring. He says "brainwashing means the inhuman methods which are used in totalitarian regimes to influence people and change their personalities." "Formation in Church-approved groups is something altogether different," he explains, "because it is a freely accepted transformation of the personality into Christ, respecting human dignity." There is a clear distinction, then, between "mind control" and the process of profound conversion to which the new movements in the Church call the faithful. True conversion can come only from a free decision to love God with all one's mind, heart and soul. The movements subject to the Church's authority and faithful to the Church's teachings present themselves as good ways — but never the only way — to approach God in love and service. There is a profound controversy among psychologists over what constitutes "brainwashing" or "mind control," or if it is even possible. The term grew in popularity after North Korean communists tortured American POWs to make them mouthpieces for communist propaganda. Though some men under duress said what their Korean captors wanted, the brainwashing failed. Similar experiments by the Soviets, the Red Chinese and even the CIA also proved failures. "Snapping?" So if violent torture and extreme deprivation cannot brainwash a person, can less violent techniques do so? Some cult researchers insist they can, as in the book Snapping by Flo Conway and Jim Siegelman. Their theory is that a chemical change happens in the brain when there's an increase in serotonin, the chemical that enables certain transmissions between nerve synapses, to make people more "suggestible"to mind control. Serotonin is stimulated, they say, by events that get people singing, clapping and cheering. Combined with sleep deprivation, dietary restrictions and other factors, the "snapping"happens when the increased serotonin blocks critical thinking and the individual opens the floodgates to being "programmed." Father Lawrence Gesy is a pastor and expert on cults for the Archdiocese of Baltimore; much of his twenty years of working with cults is reflected in his book, Today's Destructive Cults and Movements. Father Gesy espouses the Snapping theory, noting that the increasing secularism of our culture has opened the door to cults. "Fifty percent of people today are unchurched,"he said. "We are living in vulnerable times." It is impossible to deny the evil perpetrated by cults such as the AUM Shrinyiko that released serin gas in a Tokyo subway in 1995 or the suicidal Heaven's Gate cult of Marshall Applewhite. At the same time, mind-control theories raise an important theological question: if God gave us free will, did He also give us the means to take it away from others? Or to give it up unwittingly? There is significant evidence that says "yes."Perhaps it is simply one form of what Saint Paul calls "enslavement to sin": if I make the conscious decision not to love God but to give someone else a god-like role in my life, I habitually deform my conscience. Perhaps that is what "mind control" really is: a very badly formed conscience. A final note about "brainwashing" or "mind control": the "snapping" process does not appear to be permanent. The vast majority of cult members eventually leave of their own accord, which further suggests that any surrender of free will by joining a cult is at best a temporary phenomenon, though it can leave deep scars. Charism-atic leaders Some critics of the new ecclesial movements point to the enthusiasm they have for their founders as evidence of cultish tendencies. Even though the movements profess their love for Christ and their fidelity to the pope and his fellow bishops, some suspect that is mere window-dressing to hide the real "hero worship" that underlies the new movements. After all, talk to a Focolare member about the movement and you get an earful about Chiara Lubich. Look for information about Communion and Liberation and you get deluged with the words of Monsignor Luigi Giussani. Is this focus on founders out of proportion? Not in the eyes of the Church. In a letter to the World Congress of Ecclesial Movements in May, 1998, Pope John Paul II defines a movement as "A concrete ecclesial entity, in which primarily lay people participate, with an itinerary of faith and Christian testimony that founds its own pedagogical method on a charism given to the person of the founder in determined circumstances and modes." This definition highlights three traits of the new movements: they are primarily lay; their work is to evangelize; and their charism comes from their founder. The focus on the writings and teachings of the founder, therefore, is not some sort of hero worship. The Church recognizes that when God gives a new gift — a new charism — he does so through individuals who show fellow Christians how to live a spirituality that responds to the needs of the day. It is telling that many of the new movements were prophetic of Vatican II: founded in the decades preceding the Council, they anticipated the Council Fathers' call for "the laity to take a more active part, each according to his talents and knowledge in fidelity to the mind of the Church, in the explanation of and defense of Christian principles and in the correct application of them to the problems of our times" (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, I.6, 18 November 1965). So, far from being a sign that they are "cults," the focus on a founder's teachings is a sign that the new movements have received their charism, their unique vocation, in the same manner as all the other charisms in the history of the Church: Benedictine, Dominican, Franciscan, Jesuit, Carmelite, Salesian, etc. The gratitude and enthusiasm members feel for their founder is only natural. They owe much to their founder's generous response to God's call. Conversion Cult experts warn us that mind-control groups lead to dramatic changes in behavior and personality. They note that destructive cults also have their own jargon. Cult members think differently, act differently and even speak differently. These criteria for judging a cult can become troublesome. Many parents have seen their young adult children go away for a few months, come home dressing in different styles, thinking about different concepts, and acting in new ways. It's called going away to college. Now, I don't want to trivialize what it means to be part of destructive groups, because they are a reality. At the same time, certain criteria need to be judged with common sense. And when it comes to Christian conversion, the criteria may need to be judged with un-common sense. Pope John Paul II calls us to join the New Evangelization because the culture around us has abandoned Christ. If a person begins to change, to watch less television and read more books, to speak less about the latest movies and more about ancient truths, friends and family may think that person is weird. Loving Christ is not fashionable; it can make people uncomfortable. It poses a fundamental question: am I healthier living by the standards of popular culture or the standards of the Gospel? What about ex-members' complaints? The Web sites and pamphlets that denigrate the various new movements draw heavily from the negative comments of ex-members. For example, the Web site of the so-called Opus Dei Awareness Network features ex-members' complaints about such practices as opening of mail, corporal mortification, and members' financial commitment. To one who does not know much about consecrated life in the Church, these aspects of life in Opus Dei can raise concerns. The opening of mail, however, is a practice in communal religious life that dates back centuries; it is an expression of the freedom and openness of Christians in community with no secrets from one another. Corporal mortification similarly is a practice centuries of saints have found beneficial. The financial commitment for members who promise to live poverty, chastity and obedience as consecrated laypersons is to surrender their income to the community. That is no different than what is asked of any consecrated person in the Church. Nobody in Opus Dei or anywhere in the Church says these practices are for everyone; but no serious Catholic can question the spiritual benefit for living this heroic level of imitation of Christ for countless persons throughout history. And these are not practices that one enters blindly; members who accept the call to serve the Church and the world as consecrated members of Opus Dei know what they are committing to. Opus Dei, though it is technically a personal prelature and not an ecclesial movement, is an excellent example because it has so often been labeled "cult-like" and yet continues to surge forward. It has been heavily scrutinized by the Church and found to be of God, so much so that it is the only personal prelature in existence. And a crowning glory was the October 6 canonization of Opus Dei's founder, Saint Jose Maria Escriva. Ideological attacks In 1995, a former Focolare member, Gordon Urquhart, published a book entitled The Pope's Armada. In it, he argued that the new movements, especially Focolare, the Neocatechumenal Way and Communion and Liberation, were "brainwashing cults" that served as the pope's secret police sent out to exert undue influence on society. Writing in The Tablet, a British periodical, ex-Jesuit priest Michael Ryan reviewed the book and disagreed with Urquhart's argument that these new movements are "cults." He also disputed the idea that they could be working in concert since, he said, they are "rivals" each claiming to be "the only way" to live true Christianity in our day. Ryan's presentation is a perfect example of how an ideological bias can affect one's judgment of the new movements. The Tablet is one of many English-language journals by and for dissenters who want to change the Church's teachings on key matters such as sexual morality and the ordination of women. Perhaps because the new movements represent renewal in concert with the mind of the Church, the dissenters, who fancy themselves progressives, are most ready to dismiss the new movements as cults because they are as young, vibrant and growing as the dissenters wish their movement would be. Ryan presents only two options in his article: either the movements are cults, as Urquhart says, or they are sects trying to become a "Church within the Church." Neither is the case. I write from personal experience of a variety of gatherings of the new movements together — Pentecost 1998 in Rome, March 2000 in Chicago, Pentecost 2000 in New York — that as the movements grow in knowledge of one another, they see how the Holy Spirit has inspired various new charisms that complement one another and are all needed in today's world. Yes Virginia, there are bad groups We need to be clear about one simple fact: not all new movements that call themselves Catholic are good. Only those approved by the Church or seeking Church approval while faithful to the Magisterium should be deemed worthwhile. The proof that the Church's scrutiny means something is the fact that some groups are found not to be "of God." For instance, Archbishop Marcel LeFebvre's Society of Saint Pius X is a schismatic sect because of its open rebellion against the Holy See, ordaining priests and bishops without the Holy Father's permission. The Vatican has worked strenuously to end the schism and bring the SSPX back into full communion with the Church. Other organizations devoted to the old mass remain one with the Church, but the SSPX has resisted. Another example of a group found wanting is Father Nicholas Gruner's International Fatima Rosary Crusade. Father Gruner's priestly faculties have been suspended since 1996 as his group has been in conflict with the Church for two decades. Father Gruner has essentially accused the Holy Father of lying about the Fatima message and its application in our times. The Church has also passed judgment against groups espousing reported apparitions, such as at Bayside in Long Island. When the Church finds the alleged messages are counter to revealed truth, it declares the apparitions illegitimate. Unfortunately, some of the faithful get caught up in these messages, which often play upon their fears, and thus the unity of the Church suffers. Finally, Father Gesy, the Baltimore priest who works with cult victims, says some "covenanted communities" that claim a Charismatic spirituality have become cult-like in their methods. He notes they tend to have a domineering leader who draws the community away from the Church at large, receding into a tightly restricted group that would allow young people to date only within the community, for instance. Though these groups can seem faithful to the Magisterium, in truth they reject the Church's authority at the local level, be it from the pastor or the bishop. Rather than taking up the apostolate of evangelization, they remove themselves from the Church and the world. Now, these small, divisive groups are not to be confused with the Charismatic Renewal at large, which is among the approved new movements. The Charismatic Renewal is unique, however, in that it claims no one individual founder who received the charism. That may be why domineering individuals can hijack Charismatic spirituality and create these cult-like groups. Clearing one's name I have found some of the people who earn a living as "cult experts" are not open to discussing a group's attributes once they have heard from a few disgruntled former members. I suppose there is a financial incentive: the more "cults" there are to battle, the more customers one can find. But there is also the sad fact that being labeled a "cult member"simply closes the door to rational conversation. A few months ago, I reached by telephone one "cult expert" who refers to Regnum Christi on his Web site. The site is peppered with disclaimers so he can't be sued by anyone; he lost a million dollar settlement to one alleged "cult" about a decade ago. I invited him to come visit us and get to know us. He said he didn't have time to go meet every group he lists as "dangerous or controversial"; besides, he said, any group can put on a good face for a day. So there we have it. We are stuck with the "cult" label so long as one self-proclaimed "expert" lists us on his Web site. It does not matter what the Church says; it does not matter how intensely we have been scrutinized by outside authorities; it does not matter that our spirituality is simply one version of the way Christians for centuries have sought to love and serve Christ. Our solace is in the cross and in the promise of the Beattitudes: "Blessed are you when they speak all manner of evil against you for my sake..." How Ecclesial Movements Fit In With Parishes Interview With Professor Arturo Cattaneo
ROME, JAN. 9, 2005 (Zenit.org http://www.zenit.org).- At its plenary
assembly in November, the Pontifical Council for the Laity reflected on
the need "to rediscover the true face of the parish."
Vatican official: Spiritual reform must begin with religious orders By John Thavis VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI is seeking to revitalize the faith life of the church, a "spiritual reform" that must begin with the world's men and women religious, said Archbishop Franc Rode, head of the Vatican office that oversees religious orders. That means religious congregations must take stock, recover their "apostolic dynamism" and shed the excessive secularism of the post-Second Vatican Council period, Archbishop Rode said. Archbishop Rode, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, spoke with Catholic News Service about the challenges facing religious life and the directions being set under Pope Benedict. The 71-year-old Slovenian, a member of the Vincentian order, said the vitality of religious orders has always been essential for spiritual reform in the church. "Throughout the history of the church, religious orders and congregations were always the ones pushing forward, bringing dynamism and a call for holiness. They were always on the front lines," he said. For that reason, the "in-depth reform of consecrated life" is one of Pope Benedict's goals, as it was for Pope John Paul II, he said. For some congregations, such a reform will include the recovery of their original charism and the refocusing of apostolic energy, the archbishop said. Since the Second Vatican Council, he said, some orders have abandoned their traditional fields of apostolate, only to lose themselves in uselessness or unproductive activities. The result is stagnation, he said. Archbishop Rode said he's already seeing signs that the church is responding to the challenge with fresh energy and new forms of religious life. He said he met in January with the pope to present a list of 25 requests for pontifical approval from new religious congregations and secular institutes. They shared some key characteristics, including the wearing of a religious habit as a visible sign of identity, significant time reserved for daily prayer, and an emphasis on fraternal and community life. "Far from the kind of dispersion that was widespread after the council, they are taking great care to promote cohesion of the religious community," he said. "The pendulum is swinging from, shall we say, a secularist euphoria back toward a certain severity. But note that this is not an imposed severity -- these young people want it and demand it." Another positive sign that's receiving considerable Vatican attention is the growth of lay movements, many of which are tied to religious orders for their spiritual formation. For example, the Legionaries of Christ, with about 600 priests, has a companion lay movement of more than 60,000 men, women and families. This type of lay-religious cooperation is not entirely new in the church, but there's been a significant flowering in recent years, Archbishop Rode said. "They are attracting a lot of people. They are really mass movements that grow through spontaneous communication and the enthusiasm of their members," he said. An associated phenomenon is the birth of new forms of religious life, institutes whose various branches may include men who are ordained, men who take vows, women who take vows and families. So far, six of these institutes have received pontifical approval, Archbishop Rode said. The form is so new that the Vatican is not sure which department should oversee them -- Archbishop Rode's congregation or the Pontifical Council for the Laity; most likely, an interdepartmental commission will have to be created. "All this demonstrates the great vitality of the Catholic Church. New things are continually springing forth," he said. Archbishop Rode was named prefect of the congregation in 2004. He heads a staff of 40 people, most of them men and women religious, who closely follow the life and work of religious institutes on every continent. The archbishop said the global picture of religious life is quite diverse. In Western Europe, the United States and Canada, the statistics are frankly depressing, he said. In Canada, for example, he said it is "mathematically certain" that, if things do not change, by the year 2040 the majority of existing religious congregations will disappear. He said that would be a shame, considering the important role of religious orders in Canada's history. To illustrate the situation in the United States, the archbishop pointed to the two conferences of women's major superiors -- the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, considered more traditional, and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which he said "goes more in the direction of secularization." The archbishop said that, according to the information reaching him, the more traditional council accounts for the vast majority of new vocations, although their membership comprises only 10 percent of the women religious in the United States. He said the real increases in religious vocations are coming in the Third World, as "Catholicism moves toward the South and toward the East." Asia has enjoyed a boom in vocations, up about 40 percent in recent years, he said. If China loosens restrictions on church activity, that number could skyrocket, he said. Among religious orders, he said, "everyone is more or less preparing for this, either in neighboring countries or already inside China." "Certainly the church is aware that it wants to be ready for the day China opens up. The church is awaiting this moment and preparing for it," he said. Archbishop Rode said Africa has witnessed a tremendous increase in religious vocations, but with the higher numbers have come "huge problems." At present, the Vatican is carefully studying the situation there. "The error, if one can speak of error, is that we simply transported our structures of formation and programs of study to Africa. But they are not appropriate to the situation in Africa, to the African person," he said. He said it was not that Africans were less suitable for religious vocations, but that formation needs to be tailored to the cultural, economic and psychological situation of Africans. Across the globe, Archbishop Rode said, the challenge facing religious orders is to move away from relativist and secularist currents toward greater "evangelical authenticity." He said this means rejecting misinterpretations of Vatican II, as Pope Benedict said in his talk to Roman Curia officials in December. Above all, religious must not understand the council as "an invitation to go uncritically toward the world," the archbishop said. He said education remains an important field for religious. The shrinking of some religious orders and the loss of their teaching apostolate has had severe repercussions, he said. In France, for example, for centuries the country's leaders typically passed through church-run schools and thus had familiarity and at least cultural appreciation of the faith. "Today we see the emergence of a generation of politicians or cultural leaders who are completely ignorant of the Christian tradition," Archbishop Rode said. He said that while it is unlikely that older religious orders can return to teaching on a large scale he thinks some of the new congregations and institutes will recognize the importance of education and make it their primary field of activity. Los movimientos eclesiales, respuesta del Espíritu Santo a los desafíos de la evangelización, hoy Por el arzobispo Stanislaw Rylko, presidente del Consejo Pontificio para los Laicos BOGOTÁ, sábado, 11 marzo 2006 (ZENIT.org).- Publicamos la intervención que pronunció el 9 de marzo el arzobispo Stanislaw Rylko, presidente del Consejo Pontificio para los Laicos, al inaugurar el primer congreso de movimientos eclesiales y de las nuevas comunidades de América Latina.
Los movimientos eclesiales y las nuevas comunidades:
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