The investigation of Father Maciel

Vatican says no church action planned against Legionaries' founder

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican has confirmed that it plans no canonical process against the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, investigated for alleged sexual abuse of teenagers under his care. The Vatican confirmation came after the Legionaries issued a May 20 statement saying that "there is no canonical process under way into our founder, Father Marcial Maciel, LC, nor will one be initiated." Father Maciel has consistently denied the accusations made against him. The confirmation was issued by Passionist Father Ciro Benedettini, a Vatican spokesman, after Catholic News Service asked him about the Legionaries' statement. The decision not to start a canonical process comes after Msgr. Charles J. Scicluna, an official of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, traveled to Mexico and the United States earlier this year to interview adults who said they were abused by Father Maciel, now 85, when they were teenage seminarians of the Legionaries. "

Taken from CNS News Briefs May 20, 2005.

The International Herald Tribune's story Vatican will not try founder of Mexican order for abuse quotes Juan Vaca, one of the men who alleges that he was abused by Father Maciel, as saying that the investigator who interviewed him since the new investigation began, Monsignor Scicluna, told him that the Church owed him an apology along with the other victims for not protecting them. Vaca also said that the ending of the investigation would destroy the Vatican's credibility.