Sifting the Wheat from the
Tares: 20 Signs of Trouble in a New Religious Group
Peter J. Vere, J.C.L., M.C.L.
Since
the closing of the Second Vatican Council, a number of new groups have arisen
within the Church. Whereas many new groups start off on the right foot and
maintain solid footing, others fall by the wayside. This may be due to poor
doctrine or questionable practices.
As a canon lawyer, I am often asked what the Church looks for when
assessing new groups forming within the Church. While the following is by no
means exhaustive, it presents a pretty good list of red flags and warning signs
that would give any canonist pause when examining a new association.
Fr.
Francis G. Morrisey, OMI is well-known to every student of religious law. As a
lifelong member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Fr. Morrisey possesses much
experience living in religious community. He is also a professor of canon law at
Saint
Paul
University and
a former consultor to the Congregation for Religious — the curial dicastery in
Rome that
oversees various forms of consecrated life within the Church. This has given him
much experience examining and assessing numerous religious orders and new groups
within the Church.
Several years ago, Fr. Morrisey proposed 15 criteria, or warning
signs, when evaluating new associations within the Church. While these warning
signs are not law per se — that is, law in the sense of legislation —
most canonists accept these criteria as a solid guide when examining and
assessing new associations within the Church. For those with access to a good
ecclesiastical library, Fr. Morrisey presents and explains these fifteen
criteria in his article “Canonical Associations...” published in
Informationes, vol. 26, (2000), pp
88-109.
For those without access to an ecclesiastical library, or for those
looking for an explanation more accessible to the average layperson, here are
Fr. Morrisey’s 15 criteria along with my personal explanation of what they mean:
1. “Total” obedience to the
pope
Many will find this first warning sign surprising. As Catholics,
are we not all called to obey the Holy Father? Indeed, we are. When a new
association sincerely seeks to obey and follow the teachings of the Holy Father,
canonists are for the most part satisfied the group is doing what Catholic
groups ought to do.
Nevertheless, some new associations abuse Catholic sensibility in
this regard. These groups cite “total obedience to the Holy Father” when what
they really mean is partial obedience to selected teachings of the Holy Father,
without embracing the entire papal message. Additionally, when challenged over
their partial obedience, these groups will appeal to their “total” reliance upon
the Holy Father in an attempt to bypass the authority of the diocesan bishop.
This brings us to Fr. Morrisey’s second warning
sign.
2. No sense of belonging to the local
church
As Catholics, we belong to the universal Church. Yet we also belong
to the local church community, meaning a local parish and a local diocese. Even
the Holy Father is not exempt in this regard; he is, after all, the Bishop of
Rome and thus belongs to a local Roman Church. Thus the ministry and apostolate
of any association should focus on the local church. If a new association or
religious order has no sense of belonging to the local church, then this becomes
cause for concern.
3. Lack of true cooperation with diocesan
authorities
To belong to the local church, one must cooperate with local
diocesan authorities. After all, Christ instituted His Church as a hierarchy.
Within this hierarchy, our Lord instituted the office of bishop to oversee a
portion of Christ’s faithful. Thus the local bishop, and not a particular
religious group or association, bears ultimate responsibility for the care of
souls within a particular geographical location. If a new association refuses or
impedes cooperation between itself and the local diocesan authorities, then its
fidelity to the Church is questionable.
4. Making use of lies and falsehoods to obtain
approval
As Catholics, we concern ourselves with speaking the truth. After
all, our Lord denounces Satan as the “Father of Lies.” So any new association
should be truthful in how it presents itself to its members, Church authorities,
and the outside world. This is not just a matter of basic honesty; any group or
association that resorts to falsehoods to gain approval is likely concealing a
deeper problem.
The Church understands that every association, particularly when
the association is new, makes mistakes when engaging in ministry or apostolate.
When an association is honest, however, these problems are easily identified and
quickly corrected. This in turn increases the likelihood of the new association
succeeding within the Church.
5. Too soon an insistence on placing all goods in
common
While the Church has a history of associations and religious orders
in which members place all their goods in common, the decision to do so should
come after a reasonable period of careful discernment. Placing one’s goods in
common in not for everyone, and the consequences of such a decision are
lifelong. Additionally, the potential for abuse by those who administer the
common goods is great. Therefore, canonists frown upon any insistence by an
association that its new or potential members place their goods in
common.
Due to the fact that modern times see less stability in common
life, with members sometimes opting to leave after a number of years, the most
prudent handling of goods in common is to place them in trust until a member
dies. That way, if the member leaves, the goods are available to meet his or her
needs outside of the community.
6. Claiming special revelations or messages leading to the founding
of the group
Although this represents a warning sign, it is not absolute. The
Church recognizes the presence of many legitimate apparitions and private
revelations throughout her history. Yet not all alleged apparitions or special
revelations turn out to be true. Therefore, the Church must further investigate
any claims of special revelations or messages — particularly when they become
the catalyst for founding a new association. If, however, a new association
refuses to divulge or submit its alleged revelations or special messages to the
Church, then this immediately calls into question the authenticity of both the
association and the alleged apparition.
7. Special status of the founder or foundress
Of course, the founder or foundress will always enjoy a special
role in the founding of a new association or community. Nevertheless, in all
other respects he or she should be a member just like everyone else. This means
that he or she is similarly bound to the customs, disciplines, and constitutions
of the community. If the founder or foundress demands special meals, special
living quarters, special dispensations from the rules imposed upon other members
of the community, or any other special treatment, then this is a clear
warning sign. It is of special concern if the founder or foundress claims
exemption from the requirements of Christian morality due to his or her status
(see point 15 below).
8. Special and severe penances
imposed
As St. Thomas Aquinas teaches, virtue is found in the middle,
between two extremes. Therefore, any penances imposed upon members of the
community should be both moderate and reasonable. Special and severe penances
are not signs of virtue — rather, they are signs of
extremism.
9. Multiplicity of devotions, without any doctrinal unity among
them
The
purpose of sacramentals and other devotions is to bring us closer to Christ and
the sacraments. Hence sacramentals are not superstitions. A new association or
community should insure that any special devotions or sacramentals unite its
members to Christ, the sacraments, and the mission of the association. For
example, praying three Hail Marys in front of the statue of
St.
Joseph
while the Blessed Sacrament is exposed does not offer such unity. Eucharistic
Adoration, Marian devotion and devotion to
St.
Joseph are
all good in themselves, however, they should be offered either individually or
collectively as devotion to the Holy Family. They should not be offered
simultaneously.
10. Promotion of “fringe” elements in the life of the
Church
As previously mentioned, every association or organization within
the Church should exist to serve the needs of Christ’s faithful. Therefore,
canonists view any association that exists solely to serve fringe elements —
whether these elements be special apparitions, private revelations, or extreme
social or political agendas, etc. — with
suspicion.
This
is not to deny that extraordinary events may sometimes become the catalyst for a
new association or religious order. For example, St. Francis of
Assisi
founded the Franciscans after receiving a locution from our Lord to “Rebuild My
Church.” Nevertheless, St. Francis did not found the Franciscans with the
intention of promoting his internal locution. Rather, the internal
locution inspired St. Francis to found an order that would serve the Church.
Within the Church, one finds the three traditional vows of poverty,
chastity, and obedience. Additional or special vows present numerous problems.
Often, special vows are reduced to means through which superiors unduly control
members of the community or association. The danger is particularly pointed
where a special vow cannot be externally verified. Take “joy” for example; one
can usually appeal to objective evidence that someone is not living a life of
poverty, chastity and/or obedience, but as a feeling, “joy” is too subjective to
be judged in an objective manner.
12. Absolute secrecy imposed on
members
While some discretion and privacy is necessary within any Church
community or association, secrecy should never be absolute unless one is a
confessor preserving the seal of confession. Therefore, any association or
organization that imposes absolute secrecy upon its members should be approached
with the utmost caution. Members should always be free to approach diocesan
officials and the Holy See if certain problems arise within the community that
are not dealt with in an adequate fashion. Similarly, since these associations
exist to serve the Church, all members should be allowed to converse freely and
honestly with members of the Church hierarchy when
requested.
13. Control over the choice of
confessors and spiritual directors
Confession and spiritual direction concern the internal forum —
that is, those things that are private to a person’s conscience. Within
reasonable limits, a person should be free to choose his or her confessor and
spiritual director. On the other hand, obedience to one’s superiors in carrying
out an association’s apostolate or ministry concerns the external forum. In
other words, the latter are public actions that can be externally verified.
The roles of confessor and spiritual director should never be
confused with the role of superior. Nor should there even be the appearance of
confusion. Of particular concern to canonists is when a superior imposes himself
as confessor and/or spiritual director of a member under his charge. After all,
a superior will have to make decisions about a member’s future — and in so doing
there exists a strong temptation to make use of information gathered under the
seal of confession.
14. Serious discontent with the
previous institute of which certain members were
part
Like some of the other red flags presented, this warning sign is
not absolute. Sometimes, a very good reason exists for a member’s discontent
with his or her previous institute. Nevertheless, serious discontent with a
previous institute should be carefully examined. In most cases, such discontent
points to some deeper problems with the individual, particularly if he or she
has a history of “conflict of personalities.”
15. Any form of sexual misconduct
as a basis
This warning sign is fairly self-explanatory. The Church’s teaching
is clear when it comes to sexual morality. If sexual immorality is the basis for
a new group or association, then the association ought to be avoided.
Additionally, one should immediately report this to the competent Church
authority.
In
addition to the fifteen warning signs presented by Fr. Morrisey, Dr. Michael
Langone has assembled a list of thirteen criteria by which many cult experts
judge a group to be a cult. Dr. Langone is a counseling psychologist and the
Executive Director of the International
Cultic Studies Association (ICSA). He has spent nearly 30 years
researching and writing about cults, and for 20 years has been the editor of the
Cultic Studies Journal. The following five criteria have been adapted
from Dr. Langone’s thirteen criteria and applied to the context of Catholic
associations. Some canon lawyers find them useful when evaluating the legitimacy
of a new association within the Church.
1. The group is preoccupied with
bringing in new members
Of course every new association, if it wishes to grow, will seek to
increase its membership. Such growth, however, should come because potential
members identify with the mission or apostolate of the association.
Additionally, members should only join after a reasonable period of discernment.
Thus, any association whose main focus is to bring in new members, to the
exclusion of other acts of apostolate or ministry, should be carefully
examined.
2. The group is preoccupied with
making money
Like the previous criterion, there is nothing wrong per se
with raising money for one’s association or apostolate. After all, even Christ
and the Apostles used money. Nevertheless, money should be a means of carrying
out legitimate ministry and apostolic work. Raising money should never be an end
in itself. Additionally, the means employed in raising money should be honest
and transparent.
3.
Elitism
The Catholic Church recognizes that by virtue of their baptism, a
certain equality exists among Christ’s faithful, regardless of whether one
belongs to the lay, religious, or clerical state. Additionally, among religious
orders and newer forms of consecrated life, the Church recognizes different
types of charisms. Some are active, in that they tend heavily toward active
ministry and apostolic work. Others are contemplative, in that they tend more
toward prayer and contemplation. Of course, you find everything in between.
Therefore, any Church association that only recognizes vocations to its
association is not thinking with the mind of the Church. Nor are those
associations with a polarized mentality that divide their vocations from those
of the rest of the Church.
4. The leadership induces feeling
of guilt in members to control them
One’s vocation within the Church should be freely chosen.
Similarly, obedience is something a superior should inspire among those under
his or her charge. While it sometimes happens that a superior must impose his or
her will upon a particular member, obedience should never be coerced through
illicit or improper means. Additionally, if a superior must constantly impose
his will upon the majority of the membership through coercive means, then this
proves problematical to the long-term health of the specific association or
religious group.
5. The group completely severs its
members from the outside world
Granted, one must be careful here. After all, the Church has a long
and honored tradition of cloistered and contemplative orders that sever
themselves from the day-to-day activities of the outside world. Nevertheless,
even those orders of the most strict observance encourage some forms of outside
communication with friends, family and the world. Therefore, it is cause for
concern when an association, particularly if the association is
lay-based, encourages its members to completely sever ties with friends,
family, and the outside world. Additionally, one should beware those
associations that encourage or require their members to live and/or socialize
only with other members of the same group or association. One should also beware
if association or friendships with people outside of the group are encouraged
only when they are used to further the goals of the group.
Each new association within the Church has its own unique charism.
Nevertheless, the goal of every new association should be to fulfill a
particular need within the Church. An association becomes dangerous if allowed
to place its own interests, or those of its founder and/or leader, before the
common good of the Church — both local and
universal.
If more than a couple of the above warning signs are found to be
present while assessing a particular association, then Catholics ought to be
wary about becoming involved with the group in question. Such an association is
likely to encounter several difficulties with legitimate Church authorities and
possibly even degenerate into a cult — a destructive group that does
psychological harm and poses a spiritual danger to its
members.
©
Copyright 2005 Catholic Exchange (www.catholicexchange.com). Reprinted with permission. This article is based on a
conference presentation to ICSA/AFF in
Atlanta,
Georgia,
October 15-16,
2004.
Pete
Vere is a doctoral student with the Faculty of Canon Law at
Saint
Paul
University. He
recently co-authored Surprised by Canon Law: 150 Questions
Catholics Ask About Canon Law (Servant Books) with Michael Trueman
and More
Catholic Than the Pope (Our Sunday Visitor) with Patrick Madrid. He
lives with his wife and two daughters in
Ottawa,
Canada.
