For over 50 years, the Vatican concealed the crimes of Father Marcial Maciel, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, as revealed through leaked documents from the Vatican Apostolic Archives. Maciel, originally from Cotija de la Paz, Michoacán, was shielded by five popes: Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, and John Paul II.
This extensive cover-up allowed Maciel to commit numerous sexual abuses against minors, struggle with drug addiction, and maintain multiple relationships with women, resulting in three secret children.
Allegations against the Mexican priest began in 1943, just two years after the establishment of the Legionaries of Christ in Mexico City. During this time, Maciel acted with impunity.
On October 1, 1956, Pope Pius XII ordered Maciel to focus on “healing” and to avoid any contact with his students. The papal decree also specified that if he did not comply, he would be suspended from priestly duties according to canon law.
Despite these measures, the recently disclosed documents confirm that a “mafia” within the Church protected Maciel from any serious investigation into sexual abuses. This network included high-ranking members of the Catholic Curia who ensured the allegations remained silenced.
Among the names mentioned in the documents is Cardinal Giuseppe Pizzardo. In 1956, when Maciel was ordered to be suspended, Pizzardo met with a high-ranking clergyman at the Vatican and, instead of imposing serious sanctions, agreed that Maciel should merely be asked to "heal.” It was also suggested that Maciel was a victim of hostility from then-Archbishop of Mexico, José Garibi Rivera.
Pope Pius XII passed away in 1958 without concluding the investigations into Maciel’s actions, allowing the impunity to continue under the pontificates of John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, and John Paul II.
Furthermore, Angelo Dell’Acqua, the then-Vatican Secretary of State during John XXIII’s papacy, advised against suspending Maciel from his religious duties. This decision created a culture of protection that lasted for years within the Vatican, allowing the cover-up to persist.
According to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, there are three main reasons why the Vatican protected Marcial Maciel:
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Maciel’s Charisma: His ability to recruit young people who wished to dedicate their lives to the Catholic Church in a strongly anti-clerical Mexico made him a valuable asset for the Church.
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Communist Conspiracies: Allegations against Maciel were often dismissed as the result of communist plots, thus deflecting scrutiny from his actions.
- Fundraising Abilities: The Legionaries of Christ were known for their exceptional fundraising skills, which may have provided them with protection within the Catholic Curia.
Another highly controversial aspect is that not only was Maciel heavily protected, but he also received papal approval in 1946 from Pope Pius XII, who was aware of the Legionaries of Christ project and actively supported it. This relationship deepened with John Paul II, who presented Maciel as “the apostle of youth.”
The Polish pope elevated Maciel to a prominent position within the Church, often keeping him close during various trips to Mexico and other countries. In 1994, John Paul II named him a permanent consultant for the Congregation for the Clergy and a member of the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops.
In 1997, eight former members of the Legionaries of Christ publicly accused Maciel of sexual abuse in an open letter to John Paul II, stating that neither the congregation nor other members of the hierarchy had addressed their complaints. While numerous allegations mounted against him, Maciel’s influence, charisma, and papal protection prevented any significant actions against him for decades.
John Paul II strongly defended Maciel, even as many abuse allegations surfaced. In 1994, upon Maciel’s 50th anniversary as a priest, the pope sent him a congratulatory letter for his pastoral work. This paternal support allowed Maciel to continue his activities without fear of repercussions.
After John Paul II’s death, Pope Benedict XVI ordered in 2006 that stringent measures be taken against Maciel, commanding him to withdraw from public priestly duties and dedicate himself to a life of “prayer and penance.”
In October 2019, the Legionaries of Christ published a report detailing the sexual abuses committed by Maciel and other members of the congregation. This report, titled “Radiography of Eight Decades to Eradicate Abuse,” acknowledges that besides the abuses attributed to Maciel, there were 175 minors who were victims of violations by 33 priests within the congregation from 1941 to 2019. An additional 90 students were abused by 54 seminarians, 46 of whom were never ordained.
Despite the ongoing scandals, the Legionaries of Christ have continued to grow, currently boasting over 21,000 members and operating more than 154 schools, five international academies, and 14 civil universities, educating around 176,000 students.
Meanwhile, Marcial Maciel passed away on January 30, 2008, in Florida, at the age of 87, without ever facing a formal canonical trial for the allegations against him.
Image and News Source: https://www.infobae.com/mexico/2024/07/23/el-vaticano-encubrio-los-crimenes-de-marcial-maciel-y-los-legionarios-de-cristo-mas-de-medio-siglo-segun-documentos-filtrados/
