Legionaries 'cannot deny' reports of Father Maciel's misconduct

February 04, 2009

With multiple reports alleging that the late Father Marcial Maciel, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, kept a mistress and fathered one or more children, a spokesman for the Legionaries in Rome conceded: "We cannot deny the existence of these facts but we can't go into detail because we have to respect the privacy of people involved." A former financial officer for the Legionaries told the New York Times that he routinely gave Father Maciel large sums of cash, for which no accounting was given.

 

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Further information:

• Catholic sex abuser fathered secret child (Reuters)
• Catholic Order Jolted by Reports That Its Founder Led a Double Life (New York Times)
• Legionaries acknowledge Father Maciel's misconduct (CWN, Feb 3)
• The Legionaries after Father Maciel (Phil Lawler/Catholic Culture Commentary)