The late Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado (center) presents a gift to Pope Paul VI. (Photo from "Vows of Silence," www.VowsofSilenceFilm.com)

Vatican investigates Legionaries of Christ

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The Catholic Church looks into cult allegations — and $1,000 hams.

By Jason Berry — Special to GlobalPost

Published: July 19, 2009 19:54 ET

Editor's note: A sweeping Vatican investigation of an international religious order — and the cult of personality built around its founder — has just begun in Rome. Five bishops are delving into the finances and internal dynamics of an organization suspected of influence peddling. Award-winning investigative reporter and author Jason Berry has tracked these events for years in a book he co-authored and a documentary he produced on events leading to the Pope's decision to investigate. In this exclusive report for GlobalPost, Berry breaks new ground on the Vatican investigation of the Legionaries of Christ, and the case against Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado, the founder.

ROME — Pope Benedict XVI recently appointed five bishops from as many countries to investigate the Legionaries of Christ, a religious order founded in 1941 by the late Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado, a Mexican priest who is accused of sexually abusing young seminarians, and who left a grown daughter who was born out-of-wedlock.

Even after death, Maciel wields power through the influence he secured.

While the American Catholic Church has been publicly battered by two decades of priest sexual abuse scandals that erupted in the press and devastated church finances with hundreds of millions of dollars spent on compensating victims and legal fees, the Maciel scandal has gone largely unnoticed by most of the American press.

There’s a reason: For decades, the Legion shunned the media while Maciel cultivated relationships with some of the most powerful, conservative Catholics in the world. He also forced his priests and seminarians to take vows never to criticize him, or any superior. The legion built a network of prep schools and an astonishing database of donors. In Maciel's militant spirituality, Legionaries — and their wing of lay supporters, Regnum Christi — see themselves as saving the church from a corrupted world. Behind the silence he imposed, Maciel was corrupt — abusing seminarians and using money in ways that several past and present seminarians liken to bribery, in forging ties with church officials.

The silence Maciel imposed on his followers allowed Maciel to pursue a double life.

Maciel, who was born into a wealthy ranching family in Mexico, wooed cardinals and bishops with money, fine wines, $1,000 hams and even a new car — and in so doing secured support for his religious order inside the Roman Curia.

Now, as the investigating bishops, called “visitators” — from America, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Chile — begin travels for interviews in the order’s far-flung religious houses, two Vatican officials are in the Legion’s corner.

Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals and the former Secretary of State, and Franc Rode, the cardinal who oversees religious congregations, were both longtime allies of Maciel and strong supporters of the order today.

The issue facing Benedict has no precedent in modern church history: whether to dismantle a movement with a $650 million budget yet only about 700 priests and 2,500 seminarians, or to keep the brand name and try to reform an organization still run as a cult of personality to its founder. Excessive materialism and psychological coercion tactics continue Maciel’s legacy.

Two years ago Benedict abolished the “secret vows” by which each Legionary swore never to criticize Maciel or any superior, and to report any criticism to the leadership. The vows helped facilitate Maciel’s secret life of sexual plunder.

Comments:

13 Comments.

Posted by amos49 on July 20, 2009 07:41 ET

In addition to the Vatican investigation, the U.S. Attorney General should investigate the improper uses of finances.

Posted by giselle on July 20, 2009 08:58 ET

Our gravest concern at present is that the Legion stop recruiting to its schools and carrying forth its ordinations (and consecrations) as if nothing were wrong. As Mr Berry has noted, those brought inside enter a virtual "concentration camp." They either remain trapped (and unable to truly serve the Church they love, despite appearances) or leave -- often with their faith in shreds.

www.life-after-rc.com

Posted by Louis K. Jarvis on July 20, 2009 11:21 ET

"Many Cardinals, Bishops and priests are on the road to perdition and taking many souls with them." The Blessed Virgin at Garabandal, Spain, in June 1965. And if this is true? Consider the Prophecy of Premol from the 5th century A.D. "And is it not so, O Lord, Thy Church is torn apart by her own children?"

Posted by JP on October 31, 2009 05:11 ET

Father Damien who worked with lepers in Molokai is soon to be canonized.
The time came when he stood up and said, "we lepers".
The Church is torn apart by her own children, yes in humility we must pray never to one day admit that "we too are lepers in the Church on the road to perdition.
May your recognition of this road of perdition inspire you to lead a more Christian life. May you harbor only forgiveness for sinners while you endeavor to speak out against the wrong they do.
This is my endeavor truly each day that I live.

Posted by Alexmartin73 on July 20, 2009 17:48 ET

I was a Legionary for many years. During my time as a legionary I saw Fr. Marcial (Nuestro Padre) live a very extravagant life. And there was a cult of him. He also knew how to wine and dine the elite. I was a waiter in the CES (Centro de estudios superiores) in Rome. One of the brothers who would prepare the Dinning room. We only had the very best for the visitors. (we would enjoy the leftovers afterwards in a Room beside the small kitchen). The display given to visitors would be similar to a very expensive restaurant. (I still remember the Mount Blanc deserts bought for the occasions). We could not even question things we saw, if I were to say "why does Nuestro Padre need special rooms in each house" to a brother, I could be 100% sure that brother would report my remark to superior and there would be consequences (I would be sent to work in east Europe or Columbia). The Legion had a way of keeping us in toe. It was a question of shut up or leave.(if you had the bottle) We really did believe we were doing God’s will by going on "recaudacion de fundos" in Mexico (begging for money from Rich). There was an Irish Priest Fr. William, who would get millions for the legion; The Guy got sense one day and left.

There are a lot of Good, very good priests. However the Legion knows how to spin a story to match their needs. I had a lot of good times in the Legion, they treated me very well, I was no abused by anyone, However even after leaving the Legion it was not until the Legion revealed the true story about the Founder that I became aware of the true nature of the Legion and its ability to brainwash people. because the Legion did pervert Religious life for its only ends and that of its founder. Many Legionaries did not live as Legionaries should, they would live apart, have their own money, own houses, cars, etc.. Any now I know why, because the founder was not a true Catholic, he did not believe, he was a parasite of the church, using faith for his own means.

Its sad when I think of the day in Mexico in 1998 when Fr. Alvaro spoke to us in Rosedal in Mexico about the allegations. He said they were false and were made to discredit "Nuestro Padre". These guys so intelligent as they are, were not able or willing to see the truth or even investigate. Fr. Macial has more power in the Legion than the Pope did, He knew how to use is power.

I hope and pray that the 5 Bishops will be able to see the true structure of the Legion (not the legion Painted by superiors), They will see pious communities, clean seminarians. What they don't and won't see are the one to one's the seminarians get with superiors, team balance, and the culture that is still there of hiding the truth. Even today they did don't criticize a superior, they keep the spirit of the Legion (I know this from a priest in the legion)

From what I can see in the Media only the Tip of the Iceberg has been revealed, There is a lot more to come. I feel sorry for the men of Faith in the Legion.

Posted by afs82ust on July 20, 2009 13:37 ET

I said this before and I will say it again: because the Legionaries of Christ is a community that was founded on a spirituality that is both flawed and fraudulent, it saddens me to say that the one and only thing left to be done is for the Legionaries of Christ to be dissolved as a religious community.

Posted by JP on October 31, 2009 05:03 ET

What exactly do you know about the spirituality and the training for the priesthood in the Legion of Christ? Your saddness seems to indicate that you are an authority on this topic. Indeed you must be sad about any individual who is a fraud, so am I. But this doesn't warrant wholesale condemnation of the whole group some of which are very good, yes even holy individuals. This attitude tarnishes you as being unjust!
I think it is fraudulent to make condemning statements about whole groups based on superficial knowledge. To my way of thinking this behaviour is as fraudulent as that of the founder of this order.

Posted by katiel on November 12, 2009 13:14 ET

JP ,
You could be a PR man for the Legion. Don't you think it's a stretch to make the following statement; "To my way of thinking this behaviour is as fraudulent as that of the founder of this order", as well as the rest of your opinion in re to afs82ust previous statement , is ludicrous at best. There is no way you can compare that statement with the life of Maciel as the same. Maciel is the epitome of fraudulent, he had a life time to mend his ways but refused to acknowledge his 'mistakes' to the very end. It took an act of the pope to corral him in and offer him the courtesy of a way out.
Time will tell, but you have to admit that the legion is more than just tainted by its founder, evidence pointing towards those directly underneath him, who have covered for him and who knows what else. You sound like you have been heavily involved with the legion and are hurting quite a bit. It must be humiliating as hell to accept these facts about Maciel et al. Granted, there are I'm sure very holy priests in this group, but to avoid further embarrassment, innuendo and lawsuits, especially with more evidence that there are more children fathered by this letch, for the church to disband this group and place these holy priests in other capacities for the betterment of the church.

Posted by Colin LaVergne on July 21, 2009 10:48 ET

Jason has done a wonderful amount of research on this topic and is to be commended for it.
I wondered at the writing of this article. It seemed quite disjointed, like someone had just taken bits and pieces from some longer article or book and tossed them together. Topics would start, end and restart. Assertions were made that could be understood as normal activities or underhanded activities without enough information to know which it was. E.g. help getting a zoning variance for the university. I did not find it unusual for a Vatican official to 'go to bat' with the local authorities for a Catholic group wanting to start a Catholic university. Was there something underhanded about this? Maybe, but the article doesn't say. And there were several things like that in the article. Again, Jason is to be commended for his many years of diligent research. (He might have mentioned his connection to the Hartford newspaper expose!)

Posted by Beeps on August 12, 2009 13:33 ET

Watch the video!

At 2.01 onwards it shows Card. Ratzinger as he was then
speaking to a journalist - he then slaps the journalist
on his hand - classic.

Posted by Monicatfp on August 17, 2009 07:57 ET

"Now, as the investigating bishops, called “visitators” — from America, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Chile — begin travels for interviews in the order’s far-flung religious houses, two Vatican officials are in the Legion’s corner"

It is my understanding the results of the visitation will be kept private. How could this be when there are so many people who, like my nephew were Leionaries in the past?

Posted by JP on October 31, 2009 04:53 ET

Jason Berry,

I have read your article as posted on this site.

You make statements seem to make a case for "condemnation".
As a critical reader and a very critical thinker, I am hard to "suck in" on the wave of "journalistic investigation" that is onesided.

So the point that I make is simple. The Legion of Christ has pretty impressive membership, a track record of accomplishments.
Most impressive is my contact with a priest working very hard in the Phillipines. He is one of many whom I admire.
The motive of those "ganging up against the Legion" in a very selfrighteous manner seems directed toward wanting to condemn the whole group.
So you want condemnation by association! I do not defend the founder of the Legion of Christ. I defend all those members in the Legion as well as those in Regnum Christi who are dedicated to the Gospel of Christ.
History is full of scoundrels starting with Judas, but the fact remains that the Catholic Church with a billion members has the distinct disability of drawing members from a "fallen race".
This being said, let us condemn the hypocrisy of Fr. Marciel but let us in charity acknowledge the goodness of so very many members of this great group of men and woman.
Full, accurate and fairminded journalism is the hallmark of reports that don't have alterior motives of hate or destruction.
Of course readership dwindles, of course sponsors withdraw support, most people are fairminded. Not enough hours in the day to read every article that has an ax to grind.

Posted by epeters on January 23, 2010 15:00 ET

I was a student at one of the legionaries´schools in Mexico City. I was only in primary school and left after i asked my parents repeatedly I didn't like the school brainwashing system at all. One of the most shocking memories I still have is when one time the students were gathered right after a publication was made in a well respected mexican magazine called Record about Maciel's alleged abuse against seminaries. We were asked to buy as most copies as we could and to throw them away, so no one would be able to read the "lies" that were being said. I was probably about 10 years old but even then i could realize something wasn't right.