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In May 2006, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) made public its decision to “invite” Fr. Marcial Maciel, founder of the religious order the Legion of Christ and the lay movement Regnum Christi, to “a reserved life of penitence and prayer, relinquishing any form of public ministry.” The CDF decision was approved by Pope Benedict XVI. From that date forward, both before and after Fr. Maciel’s death in 2008, senior officials of the Holy See have insisted that this action was intended to “save the Legion and Regnum Christi,” as one such official put it to me.Assuming,...

Someone is lying ... but is it the 100 alleged abuse victims or Fr. Maciel? Brian Mershon Brian Mershon August 7, 2006 From the August 10 edition of The Wanderer Since the official May 19 statement from the Holy See suspending Fr. Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legion of Christ, from all public ministry, more information has become available to shed light on the case from additional sources. The following letter and interview, a new charge of sexual abuse against Fr. Maciel, is an exclusive to The Wanderer. Francisco Gonzalez-Parga, a former priest and seminarian with the Legionaries of Christ...

The Legionaries of Christ: Fr. Maciel's Trial Draws Nearer The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has begun a preliminary investigation and has interviewed dozens of new witnesses – who have filled pages with new accusations by Sandro Magister ROMA, May 20, 2005 – Last April 2, just as John Paul II was dying in Rome, in New York the promoter of justice for the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Charles J. Scicluna, from Malta, was interviewing Paul Lennon, the former headmaster of a "School of Faith" run by the Legionaries of Christ. Mr. Lennon, who...

Editor’s Note: The author wishes it to be known that while he did not have direct contact with the Legion regarding the Maciel case, he was employed in a capacity in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s that brought him in intimate contact with members of the Legion of Christ’s lay movement, Regnum Christi, and has been familiar with the accusations detailed below for some time—both as matters reported in the press, and as matters discussed among members of Regnum Christi and responded to by the Legion itself. The elevation of Cardinal Ratzinger to the Pontificate of the Roman Catholic...

by Pete Vere, JCL Other Articles by Pete Vere, JCL Sifting the Wheat from the Tares: 20 Signs of Trouble in a New Religious Group 03/01/05 Since the closing of the Second Vatican Council, a number of new groups have arisen within the Church. Whereas many new groups start off on the right foot and maintain solid footing, others fall by the wayside. This may be due to poor doctrine or questionable practices. In This Article...Red Flags and Warning SignsFr. Morrisey’s 15 Warning SignsFive Additional Warning Signs from the International Cultic Studies Association Red Flags and Warning Signs As a canon...

Vatican Revisits Abuse Charges Accused Priest Is Close To The Pope January 3, 2005 By GERALD RENNER The Vatican has reopened an investigation into charges first reported nearly eight years ago that a powerful Mexican priest close to the pope sexually abused seminarians. The allegations focus on the actions of the Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado, now 84 and based in Rome. He leads a religious order known as the Legionaries of Christ, which claims 600 priests in 18 countries. Its U.S. headquarters is in Orange and it has a seminary in Cheshire. The allegations surfaced in a Courant report in...