Abstract
The aim of this paper is to problematize Alexandra von Teuffenbach’s reading of the Vatican’s accusations against Joseph Kentenich, a German priest and the founder of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement, denounced for having committed abuse of power and spiritual and emotional abuse against a group of Sisters of Mary in the 1950s. According to Teuffenbach, reviewing the Vatican documents reveals that the reason for Kentenich’s fourteen-year exile from Europe was a measure adopted by the papal consultant, the Dutch Jesuit Sebastian Tromp, to protect the community of consecrated women against their abuser. The purpose of this article is to show that the matter judged by the Holy Office unfolds on a more complex level, one that should be approached from a hermeneutic that does justice to the words used in the official documents as well as to the statements issued by the papal representative. Along these lines, this work analyzes Tromp’s critique of the spirituality of Schoenstatt and its founder, both accused of false mysticism, false individual worship and false spiritual direction. The recent edition of apostolic reports published by Patris Verlag—files which were only released in 2020 as part of the documents of the pontificate of Pius XII—has been used for this research.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 195-221 |
Number of pages | 27 |
Journal | Teologia y Vida |
Volume | 64 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Keywords
- abuso espiritual
- Alexandra von Teuffenbach
- false mysticism
- falso misticismo
- Josef Kentenich
- Movimiento Apostólico de Schoenstatt
- Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement
- Sebastian Tromp
- Sebastián Tromp
- spiritual abuse
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Religious studies