NCR’s John Allen is promoting speculation that Pope Benedict will appoint a special commissioner to take charge of the Legionaries of Christ, the ultra-conservative order founded by the late ultra-disgraced Marcial Maciel Degollado. This would be a via media between a “certificate of good conduct” and termination with extreme prejudice–the two extreme options for wrapping up the Vatican’s post-Maciel investigation.

As it waits for its fate to be decided, the order, having closed Southern Catholic College last week, has now put its Connecticut headquarters up for sale. I’d say it is expecting to be in receivership and is anxious to put its house in order as it sees fit.