National
By TOM ROBERTS
On the letters pages this week you will find one by Fr. Owen Kearns of the Legionaries of Christ. He is editor in chief and publisher of the Legion-ownedAbuse Tracker Catholic Register. The letter is an edited version of the original, which accuses NCR of a slur against the Legion and of spinning the story about Legion founder Fr. Marciel Maciel Degollado, who has been accused of sexually abusing seminarians in the past (see below).
Kearns’ letter also said NCR used a “journalistic resource,” with the implication that we are simply interested in keeping the story alive with no regard for the facts.
It is not the first time Fr. Kearns has reacted to a story about either the Legion’s activities or its founder. Whether Kearns’ responses have been solicited in the preparation of an article or delivered to us in reaction to one about Maciel, the content has been consistent: Fr. Maciel is demonstrably innocent and all one need do is consult the Legion’s Web site for the necessary information.
One might come away with the impression that NCR and the Legion are engaged in meaningless rounds of gainsaying.
Perhaps an explanation from our perspective is in order. Why do we do what we do? Why all the stories on the Legion?
Posted by kshaw at January 15, 2005 03:45 PM