When Glenn Fraveau, former member of thirteen years in the religious order, Legion of Christ, sent an e-mail a couple of days ago, telling me of the death of religion journalist, Gerald A. Renner, co-author with Jason Berry of Vows of Silence, I thought how appropriate it was that he had “got away,” as we Irish would put it, so close to the Feast of All Saints.

What a glorious wake and Mass of celebration there must have been for this leader, loved and revered by thousands. With the experience of 40 years as a journalist, 25 of which he had spent specializing in religious reporting, he spoke with courage and authority, and with a touch of humor for good measure.

In a true sense, Renner was an heroic spiritual fire-fighter for Christ and his sheep. Fires ignite fear and heat, pain and suffocation, destruction and turmoil in the physical world.

So, too, in the spiritual world there are invisible fires of scandals and indifference, but they become devastatingly apparent as they engulf the lives of God’s people, leaving them in too many instances, stripped of their faith, with weakened vision, and often near-despair, unable to pray or hope in God’s presence in their lives, finding no purpose, some becoming addicted to dope and depravity. As we look at those wrecked lives, we can’t help but ask: “Why wasn’t this prevented? Why didn’t someone care?“

Renner cared. Berry cared. Favreau cared. The nine seminarians cared. And countless more.

In only one instance, have I been directly affected by the Legionaries’ founder, Father Maciel Degollado, and that was on a Christmas Eve. The year escapes me, but never the experience. By then, I had listened to a sufficient number of heart broken parents, disillusioned young people, and irate members loyal to Degollado to have been convinced that the Church’s defrocking the founder would have been a blessing to all, including the founder himself.

When I turned on the TV to participate vicariously in the Mass, I was stunned to see Degollado at the altar, concelebrating with Pope John Paul II, who favored the priest and felt that the order was a sign of Catholic restoration in Latin America, akin to Opus Dei in Spain. The irony is, of course, that both cults adopted a way of life more suited to the Rich and Famous than to the Christ of the poor and marginalized.

As I watched the drama of the Mass unfolding at the altar, I felt myself editing out the opulence of expensive vestments, tuxedos, furs, designer gowns, Knights of Columbus swords and uniforms, and I longed for a Francis of Assisi’s simple manger, with the star leading us back to the simplicity of Clare, John of the Cross, and a John Paul I.

By that time in my life, I had been around a few blocks in the institutional Church, holy and not so holy, and was no longer so much scandalized with riches, but always so with abuse of any kind, particularly, of course, as are we all, with sexual abuse of children.

In an open letter to National Catholic Reporter, Renner told of seminarians who had wanted to leave the Legion, but were prevented from doing so in 1966, and ended up running away. One in a seminary in Mexico had to beg for his passport, and clothes to go home. Renner investigated many examples of the Legion’s determination to hold on to its members, despite their desire to leave.

In his indefatigable efforts to rescue the abandoned members of the Legion, this spiritual fire-fighter has left us an example to be aware of those in our paths who need a lift-up, our brothers and sisters in Christ.

A special tribute to Renner would be to purchase the book, Vows of Silence, Free Press, $26.00, read it thoroughly, pray over it, and be prepared to listen to young people if they come knocking at the door inquiring about signing up for the Legionaries of Christ.

Lord, we pray for the young people, hungering for a better way of life, and we ask Thee for the wisdom to be attentive to their searching, to be humble in listening to their dreams, and generous with our time to steady them on their way. Amen.

Fraveau had entered the Legion in 1984 and left in 1997, after his ordination as a deacon. He said, contrary to the experience of nine other seminarians, he had not been sexually abused by Father Maciel Degollado, founder of the Legion,” but felt his personality was being stripped away by control tactics.” (Vows of Silence, p. 148)

The Regain Organization posted this tribute to Gerald A. Renner by Jason Berry:

Gerald Renner was a reporter in the truest sense: he sought and valued the truth, wearing no ideological outfit in its pursuit and in his willingness to speak truth to power. He did so with great achievement. Jerry was a gentleman, polite and sensitive to others, even as he followed the trail of facts. With a genial Irish wit he was capable of standing back in the heat of a moment, grinning at life’s comic complexities. He was a loyal husband to Jackie, a proud father and grandfather.

In the work we did investigating Maciel and the Legion of Christ – for the Hartford Courant, then National Catholic Reporter, and finally for the book “Vows of Silence,” we began as colleagues and became close friends. Over the long haul we stayed in each other’s homes, befriended each other’s families, shared some laughs, drank some Bourbon and even Amaretto along the way. My mother Mary Frances, my wife Melanie and my daughter Simonette enjoyed times with Jerry and join me in sending condolences to his family and all who knew and cherished him.

The brave men who left the Legion and shared their anguished chapters with us saw in Jerry, as I did, a journalist of high principle and great heart. He was one of the finest men I have known. I miss him more as time passes. How fortunate I was to have had him as a friend. God speed, good pal.

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