MARCIAL MACIEL

Fr. 'Marcial Maciel Degollado' (born 10 March 1920) was born into a Roman Catholic family in Cotija de la Paz in the Mexican state of Michoacán. In 1941, with the support of the Bishop of Cuernavaca, Francisco González Arias, he founded the Legion of Christ. Father Maciel was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood in Mexico City in 1944. The recently canonized Rafael Guizar y Valencia is the great uncle of Fr. Maciel as well as an integral part of the founding of the Legion of Christ. ^[1]
In 2006, after an investigation of sexual abuse was opened, Pope Benedict XVI asked the Rev. Marcial Maciel to retire.
^[2]
[3]
[4]

Contents

History with Vatican

Allegations

Allegations of sexual abuse

References

See also

External links

History with Vatican

Called to accompany Pope John Paul II on his visits to Mexico in 1979, 1990, and 1993, Fr. Maciel was also appointed by the Pope to the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the formation of Candidates for the Priesthood in Actual Circumstances (1991). He has been a member of the Interdicasterial Commission for a Just Distribution of Clergy (1991), the IV General Conference of Latin American Bishops (CELAM) (1992), the Synod of Bishops on Consecrated Life and Their Mission in the Church and the World (1993), the Synod of Bishops' Special Assembly for America (1997) and, since 1994, a permanent consultant to the Congregation for the Clergy. The golden anniversary of his priestly ordination was celebrated on 26 November 1994, with 57 Legionary priests ordained on the anniversary's eve. Fr. Marcial Maciel serves as Chancellor of the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, which is based in Rome. During the pontificate of Pope John Paul II he collaborated extensively with the Holy Father, either personally, or through members of his order, the Legion of Christ.
Fr. Maciel has written extensively on the formation of priests and other matters pertaining to Church governance. In founding the religious order, his main purpose for the Legion of Christ was for them to form and motivate enterprising lay members of the Roman Catholic Church to take an active part in the Church's mission. In particular, this is focused on the members of the Church Movement Regnum Christi, for example, through spiritual direction. Regnum Christi was founded by Fr. Maciel.
During the Legion's Third General Chapter in January 2005, Fr. Maciel, at age 84, was succeeded by the elect, Fr. Álvaro Corcuera Martínez del Río, LC, as General Director of the Legion.
Shortly thereafter the Vatican petitioned Fr. Maciel to withdraw from his ministry.

Allegations

There are a number of allegations against Fr Marcial, the Legion of Christ, and Regnum Christi.
Allegations against the Legion and Regnum Christi have been internal to the Church, ie, Catholics concerned that it is too progressive, conservative, elitist, etc... Generally, these allegations have subsided since the full approval of the Legion by John Paul II in June of 1983, and Regnum Christi on 25 November, 2005.
Allegations against Fr Marcial are more serious, to say the least.
He was accused of an addiction to Pethidine, and of forcing his subjects to go to confession. In 1956 the Vatican had him removed as superior while they investigated. The Vatican found him innocent, after interviewing the members of the then-small congregation, and he was reinstated in February of 1959^[5]. There are no records of any members reporting sexual abuse at that time.
In the 1970s, allegations arose by ex-priests that the abuse was not narcotic, but sexual. These allegations are covered below. Although the Vatican has not disclosed how many people have accused Marcial, 9 names appear in the Hartford Courant. Six of these members have since retracted their statements.

Allegations of sexual abuse

Since the 1970s, Marcial Maciel has been accused of having repeatedly sexually abused other congregation members, including young children. Maciel's accusers include a priest, a guidance counselor, a professor, an engineer, a lawyer and a former priest who became a university professor. The men, seven Mexicans and two Spaniards, described themselves as former members of a favored group, known as the "apostolic schoolboys." The abuse allegedly occurred over three decades beginning in the 1940s in Spain and Italy, where boys and young men were taken for schooling. The abuse, they said, involved some 30 boys and young men and extended over at least three decades.
Of the nine men making the accusations, six subsequently retracted their story, claiming it had been a fabrication intended to damage the Legion. The other three continue to maintain these allegations. Fr Maciel and the organization deny the accusations. According to the ReGain organization, as many as 24 men have come forward with accusations of sexual abuse against Fr. Maciel. Fr Maciel and the organization continue to deny the accusations. The liable Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), lead by-then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, examined the allegations. Shortly after some media reported the reopening of the investigation in late 2004, Fr. Maciel stepped down as leader of the Legion.
^[6]
On 19 May 2006 the Vatican published a communique for press, inviting Fr. Maciel to retire to a life of "prayer and penitence".
^[7]
The statement said Maciel had been "invited" to withdraw to "a reserved life of prayer and penitence and not carry out his ministry in public". The statement said that no trial would take place because of his "advanced age [and] frail health.
In Mexico, the Legionaries said in a statement that he had "accepted the instruction with faith, total calm, with a clear conscience knowing that it is a new cross which God, merciful father, has allowed him to suffer". It said that Fr. Maciel declared his innocence "and, following the example of Jesus Christ, decided not to defend himself in any way."
^[8]

References

1. Frances D'Emilio, "Pope Benedict bestows sainthood in ceremony" , ''The Associated Press'' (10.16.07)
2. Ian Fisher and Laurie Goodstein, "Vatican Punishes a Leader After Abuse Charges" , ''New York Times'' (May 19, 2006)
3. "Vatican Disciplines Founder of Legionaries Over Sex-Abuse Claims" , ''Associated Press'' (May 19, 2006)
4. "Vatican Disciplines Legionaries' Founder" , ''Washington Post'' (May 19, 2006)
5. "Legionary Timeline" , ''Legion of Christ''
6. J. McKinley Jr., "Pope-to-Be Reopened Mexican Sex Abuse Inquiry" , ''New York Times'' (23 April 2005)
7. Vatican Communiqué, "Father Marcial Maciel Invited to Renounce All Public Ministry" , Zenit News Agency (19 May 2006)
8. P. Pullella, "Vatican disciplines Mexican priest after abuse case" , Reuters (19 May 2006)


★ Bio of Maciel

★ The Independent (UK) 23 April 2005. ''Pope "ignored sex abuse claim against John Paul's friend"''

★ Washington Post article

★ National Catholic Reporter article

★ Book on the History

★ Legion timeline

See also

★ Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal

★ Roman Catholic priests accused of sex offenses

External links

Video de la presentación del libro titulado "Marcial Maciel. Los Legionarios de Cristo: Testimonios y Documentos Inéditos - Padre Maciel Pederasta Programa Mesa Monitor