After the publication of the decrees sent from Rome to the institutes, the condemnation of the veneration of Father Carlos Buela as a saint was clearly established, despite the multiple administrative processes against him. According to the decree: “The existence, gravity and imputability of these acts against the sixth commandment were clearly confirmed, all the more serious because they were committed by the founder and superior general of the institutes.” The document also mentions five victims within the institute and several former members.
However, despite these well-founded accusations and years of accumulated evidence, the members of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE) and the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará (SSVM) seem to prefer to ignore the truth. Instead of confronting the facts, they interpret the decrees as a “prophesied persecution” by Buela, thus justifying their resistance. They consider this situation a spiritual battle, mock the delegates appointed by Rome and continue to promote the sainthood of their founder on social networks and family messages, as a sign of their unconditional loyalty.
Reaction on social networks
In recent days, the networks have been flooded with messages from these religious, who describe the decrees as unfair and accuse the Church of persecuting Fr. Buela. It is ironic that, after showing repeated disobedience, they are scandalized by the closure of the novitiates.
Attached is an excerpt from the daily homily that Fr. Villagrán (IVE), from Germany, shared in “Voz Católica”. In it, he argues:
“Today, there are Christians, even among clerics and religious in hierarchical positions, who see vocations as a problem. They are suspicious of any institution that has many vocations, which, by the way, are many only in comparison with the generalized sterility that exists in this field. In reality, seen objectively, religious vocations are still very few, even in the environments in which they currently flourish. However, there are those who see vocations as a problem and, with a distorted vision, sin against the light. They blame, attribute and foolishly attribute the lack of perseverance of vocations to the congregations that admit them. One wonders: What world do these people live in? Perhaps they have not themselves gone through the tiring task of promoting, receiving, discerning, accompanying, protecting, correcting and consoling the vocations that God sends.”
You can listen to the full homily here: https://youtu.be/pblLLYx0nfs.
The priests, in general, express their disagreement with the religious and laity, describing the decision as demonic, and affirming that the church does not value vocations and seeks to destroy them. They even go so far as to speak of a “sin against the Holy Spirit.” However, they do not take any responsibility for their own role in the destruction of hundreds of vocations that God had entrusted to them.
The reality is revealing: 50% of IVE priests have left the congregation and some have resigned from the ministry. The situation is even more serious in the case of the psychologically ill nuns and those who have left their beloved religious family in large percentages.
It is worth asking: is this attitude of disobedience and rejection of authority the legacy they wish to transmit to the new generations? In the face of Rome’s forceful condemnation, the response of the IVE and the SSVM seems to be an obstinacy that not only contradicts their commitment to ecclesial obedience, but also perpetuates a culture of cover-up and denial.
