I Lost My Brother to an Ultra-Conservative Religious Order
Director Zita Effra's debut documentary tells the story of how her brother joined the Legion of Christ.
Matern Boeselager
Mar 26 2018, 7:44am
[www.vice.com]
"They pride themselves on being slim and fit"
Director Zita Effra's debut documentary tells the story of how her brother joined the Legion of Christ.
Matern Boeselager
Mar 26 2018, 7:44am
[www.vice.com]
"They pride themselves on being slim and fit"
Quote
(Interviewer)How did he find out about the order?
It was through our aunt, originally.
The legion organized summer camps for teens, and one year, she asked us if we wanted to go. Our cousins were going, so my brother and I decided to just tag along. It wasn't weird—there was an hour of religious education each day, but aside from that, it was really fun. We went hiking a lot, did a lot of cool stuff, and had a lovely summer.
(Interviewer) So were they trying to recruit you guys at the summer camp?
Yes. They have a youth club called ECYD, which is a Spanish abbreviation for "Education, Culture, and Sport." Physical activity is what distinguishes the legionaries from other orders—they pride themselves on being slim and fit.
The people at the youth club were encouraging everyone to sign up. It already felt a bit cult-ish then, so, to me, it was very obvious that neither of us would actually do it. But I was wrong.