ROME
VICE News
By David Agren
November 2, 2015
Pope Francis has granted an “indulgence” to a controversial religious congregation famous for its millionaire members and notorious for the sexual crimes committed by its founder. The decision has prompted experts to suggest the pontiff is coming under pressure from conservatives as he advances a reformist agenda that puts a priority on serving the poor and attracting lapsed Catholics back to the church, at the same time as he has promised to address sexual crimes involving priests.
Bernardo Barranco, an academic and columnist who writes often on the Mexican Catholic Church, told VICE News that the indulgence for the Legionaries of Christ was “contradictory” to the rest of the Pope’s message.
“I think that this is a reformist Pope who wants to have a different kind of relationship with contemporary society, but there are ultraconservatives who are pressuring for him not to go in that direction,” Barranco said. “To understand [the indulgence] I think we have to look at the tensions and power struggles within the Vatican.”
The Pope granted the indulgence — a removal of punishment due for forgiven sins that is not technically a pardon — on October 28. Such decisions are commonly made in advance of important anniversaries, such as the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Legionaries of Christ in January. Pope Francis has also announced a jubilee year of mercy in 2016, which includes indulgences for Catholics carrying out “acts of mercy” and also permission for priests to absolve women confessing to having had abortions.
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