Personal prelatures have always creeped me out just a little (especially unofficial ones like RC). They just seem like cultish offshoots of an already wonderful faith that doesn't need the extra embellishment. I know that a lot of people are happy with their decisions to go that route, though and if it helps to bring someone closer to God, on a personal level then hey, cool beans.
I may someday change my mind about that (when the kids are all grown and I need a little spiritual enhancement?) but I would NEVER N E V E R send my son off to a boarding school/pre-seminary place. I wish I could say that "I totally understand that that couple prayed and they totally trust the people who are in charge at that place and it's totally safe...etc. etc." but there's NO WAY nuh uh, never, nope, no-way-jose that any young, unformed boy should be let loose in the wilderness of sin and degradation like that. Nope. I draw the line there and I DO make judgements of parents who think it's hunkydory to send their (let's say) 11 year old son to live with a bunch of stranger boys and men in a community with NO MOTHERS???? Sure, it may be that there are 99 percent wonderful humans there with only the most chaste of intentions toward mentoring the young boys to the priesthood...it's that teeny little germ of ickiness and sin that snuck in on the ONE percent person(s) that spoils the whole lot and spreads the sin like a nasty disease that lasts for generations. Sheesh, the whole purpose of my raising the children is to model to them what a loving, TWO PARENT household is so they can discern what is their vocation for life. They can choose whatever they wish (with careful guidance)when they are ADULTS.
Boys can hide for a LONG TIME when they've been abused in some way and then WILL go on to abuse. It's a fact. Even if it's just witnessing something a little bit bad...NO JUST NO.
I'm sorry that I don't have a more trusting heart. I know that there are a lot of false accusations toward men in the Church and that there are FAR more instances of abuse toward young boys in secular life or other churches than there are in the Catholic Church, but there is NO WAY that it is safe to EVER put young boys and men together in a group, safely. Not with the society we live in and the unfortunate sins of people in the past.
That being said, I've not commented on the whole LC thing because I know a lot of people directly involved with RC (I was asked to join years ago and always had an "ew" feeling about the situation) but I read this article today and it pretty well sums up how I feel.
From the article (and part of why joining RC always felt forced, cultish, and creepy to me):
"...2. At the beginning of his work, the delegate ought to consider informing the members of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi that, as they gave themselves to these institutions without knowing the pathologies of their founder, they are free to leave these institutions without sin, guilt, shame, or remorse.
Such a statement is essential to stop the moral blackmail that (according to credible reports from the families of Legionary seminarians and students in Regnum Christi schools) continues today: “Since you came to us it is clearly God’s will for you to be here, and you will be turning your back on God’s will and sinning if you leave . . .”"
Anyway, none of this will make sense to you if you don't know or care about RC. Full disclosure: I was in the RC backed FAMILIA program for the four years. It was really nice and I had no problems with it other than it was kind of boring and repetitive. It was also a little misleading in that I didn't even know it was an offshoot of RC until a few years into it. That was super odd and just the beginning of why I think personal prelatures are cultish and weird.
