Scripture says, "The dog returns to his vomit" (Pr 26:11) and "the washed nut revolving itself in the mud" (Pd 2:22). Such application can be made of defamatory and partial articles of the Spanish magazine Vida Nueva in relation to the Heralds of the Gospel. This is the third publication of the aforementioned magazine "cautioning" and "vaccinating" the public in relation to the Association (for previous responses, see here and here).
Now, the Heralds' press sector has claimed its rights to this partiality, responding duly to the undeserved accusations. The last of these is here, already translated into Portuguese, for the readers of Heralds Vérites.
Darío Menor: whose advisor?
The purpose of this response is to show the public how Darío Minor, journalist of "Vida Nueva", has used information received from someone anonymous, information that is as indiscreet as inaccurate, to manipulate public opinion against the Heralds of the Gospel.
See in full the article of the herald press sector to the magazine "Vida Nueva".
The Heralds of the Gospel manifest their perplexity
An attempt to strangle the truth
The journalist Minor, from "Vida Nueva", emerges with increasing evidence as the official press officer of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CIVCSVA). Without embargo, far from his role as a "mediator of truth", Minor seeks to present with great fanfare the rumors of the "gold beak", his privileged informant, indiscreet and inaccurate, who "pontificates" with or without authority. The data released – always to the detriment of the Heralds of the Gospel – show indisputable lack of impartiality on the part of the "informant" or Darío Menor. Our institution, without embargo, acknowledges grateful "Vida Nueva" the fact that it has published our answers so far.
Less return to the charge ensuring that[A intervenção nos Arautos] " was motivated by alleged crimes, sins and irregularities in which they would have incurred and that they would have been discovered during the apostolic visit, begun in June 2017".
This statement does not match the truth. In fact, the Visitors at a meeting with the institution's authorities said they had found nothing serious against fides et mores. This information was ratified by the Vatican Secretary of State to two representatives of the President-General during a personal meeting they had with him in Rome, completing the Apostolic Visit. On the other part, the Heralds have asked CIVCSVA to detail the vague allegations of the Commissariat Decree that indicate "serious shortcomings" in generic categories, but still – and the Church is in the clave of dialogue and mercy – have not received no signs of smoke on the part of who should at least drop a word…
However, the journalist Minor, informed by his "infallible" source, ensures that there are crimes, sins and irregularities. Attention draws attention the contrast between the absolute mutism of the competent authorities in relation to the Institution – which supported by Canon Law (c. 50) should have been heard before the decree was even made – and the security with which his unofficial advisor offers his readers the supposed causes of the commissioner. We are undoubtedly faced with a very peculiar way of applying justice: dialogue is denied to those interested and a journalist would have been granted to make known to the general public what the most immediate interested parties ignore…
Moreover, it is worth mentioning that during the Apostolic Visit, only one (a) whistleblower – let us have news – presented itself on two occasions, with discordant complaints among themselves, about the same alleged sexual abuse. And his complaints were twice filed by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith… The other allegations of alleged sexual abuse were filed at a date after the end of the work of the Visitors at the end of 2018, encouraged, as it all states, by a group coordinated with the purpose of harming the Heralds, as has already been explained in previous response. Regarding some of these complaints, the conclusion has been the finding of the absence of any unlawful and the absolute absence of evidence of materiality. Others have been seriously analyzed and have serious gaps. The alleged implicated collaborate with justice and are morally certain that their innocence will be proven in court, with the consequent legal measures in relation to accusers.
In conclusion, i.e. Minor or the "gold beak", or the two, should apologize to readers for having informed them badly and to the Institution for having wanted to discredit it.
New attacks against a windmill…
Next, you will reason with serenity about the new litany of accusations against the Heralds… Here is minor's latest update: "Among them they highlight possible cases of child sexual abuse, parental alienation, abuses of conscience and power, practice of irregular exorcism, fanatical cult of founder and collection of donations without permission from the bishop diocesan."
It haunts that "possible cases of child abuse" are a pretext to intervene in an Association. There are dioceses, religious orders and even cardinals accused of alleged abuse or incriminated by them, whose people, dioceses or orders have not even been touched… Why would it be justified, then, to sentence the Heralds before any court ruling?
"Parental alienation". All young people who frequent the Heralds, or live in their homes, have written permission or consent from their parents. The vast majority of parents of graduates are grateful and expressed more than satisfied for the training given to their children. Where's the fearsome parental alienation? Interestingly most of the few families who today accuse the Heralds of this alleged "crime" had to get their children back home for misconduct… as in one of the cases cited by "Vida Nueva". We have launched a challenge here: if Darío Menor or her "gold beak" puts on the table the number of complaints of parents who claim that their children have been the subject of parental alienation, the Heralds will also publish the impressive number of families who claim otherwise. If you're a good knight, we don't doubt you're going to pick up the glove.
"Abuse of conscience and power." Accusation as ethereal as fragile… What does such abuse of conscience or power consist? That there are some complaints on the part of a few former members is possible. Were they thoroughly studied? These questions we have addressed to the competent authorities without success. Perhaps, by mediation of Darío Menor, covered by anonymity, someone could give us an explanation…
On the supposed "irregular exorcisms" already responded to satiety: they did not exist and this was admitted by the Visitors themselves. You're trying to resurrect a mummy that won't stand. The same is said about the "fanatical cult" of the founder, an accusation that would make a boy shudder, not an institution that remains, with the grace of God, anchored in the Tradition of the Church. As for donations without authorization, the Heralds have a habit of presenting themselves to the Ordinary of the place before visiting the supportive members of the Institution for various apostolic purposes, among others, requesting the updating of donations that many of them have already do sporadically. It draws our attention that other lay associations, which proceed in the same way, have not been the subject of this questioning…
"Vida Nueva" officially anticipates sending a letter correcting civcsva's error in the decree, reaffirming that the intervention goes ahead. The President of the Heralds has not received such a letter and patiently awaits that it be given to him, unless, exclusively, "Vida Nueva" or his "gold beak" publishes the facsimile…
Who knows the Heralds up close is with them
Finally, Darío Menor, with his partiality in the selection of sources, presents a decree issued by D. Irineu Andreassa concerning the Heralds. It should be said in passing that the Bishop expressed in a public and written manner his disagreement with the instrumentalization, by some media, of his administrative measures in relation to the entity, pointing out behind this attitude defamatory a "trap of the Evil". This last document, apparently, is not known to Darío Menor…
In any case, we may be allowed to cite two other episcopal weight testimonies. These in our favor. One of them is the Bishop of Bragança Paulista, where the General Iacuria of the Institution and the priestly formation house, D. Sérgio Aparecido Colombo, whose filmed testimony can be seen on the Internet. We extracted from it only one excerpt:
"My experience with the Heralds, the experience of the Diocese, is very positive, it is very beautiful, even because they are always helpful, not only with the Bishop, not only with the paris[a eles confiada]h, but with the diocese itself."
And the other is by D. Benedito Beni dos Santos, theologian of great projection and General Supervisor of Formation of the Heralds of the Gospel, currently apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Lorraine, who also wanted to give his recorded testimony, accessible on the Internet:
"Mons. John is actually a complete person. Let's say, it's a gift from God to the Church. First, because he teaches above all through his testimony of life. Hence the name of Heralds of the Gospel, founded by him. The Heralds announce first of all, not with their mouths, but with the witness of life."
Qui potest capere, capiat!