Vatican Punishes a Leader after Abuse Charges, by Ian Fisher, The New York Times, May 19, 2006

Vatican Punishes a Leader after Abuse Charges

By Ian Fisher
The New York Times
May 19, 2006

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/19/world/europe/19cnd-vatican.html?
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ROME, May 19 — The Vatican cautiously acknowledged today long-standing allegations of sexual abuse by the founder of prominent Catholic community, asking him to give up his public ministry in favor of a quiet life of "prayer and penitence."

J.L. Pino/European Pressphoto Agency

The Rev. Marcial Maciel, seen in Spain in 2001, was asked to renounce celebrating public Masses and live a life of "prayer and repentance."
Photo by J.L. Pino/European Pressphoto Agency

The announcement marked the first public action by Pope Benedict XVI on the sensitive issue of sexual abuse in the church. And it came against a priest with a particularly high profile: the Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado, 86, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, one of the fastest growing Catholic communities, praised often by Pope John Paul II.

The statement said that Father Maciel would not undergo a church trial for the allegations against him, which were not disclosed, though at least nine men had accused him of molestation. The reasons, the statement said, were Father Maciel's "advanced age" and "weak health."

Pope John Paul II gives his blessing to father Marcial Maciel during a special audience at the Vatican Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2004.
Photo by Plinio Lepri/Associated Press

But the statement said the Vatican's doctrinal office had decided "to invite the father to a life reserved to prayer and penitence, renouncing any public ministry. The Holy Father has approved these decisions."

Reactions to the Vatican decision varied, with some praising the Pope for taking so public a stand and other saying it did not go far enough, given the seriousness of the allegations against Father Maciel himself and the wider crisis of confidence in the church over sexual abuse.

"It certainly could be stronger," said John Wilkins, the former editor of the influential British Catholic magazine, the Tablet.

"But this is the founder of the Legionaries," he said. "This is a pretty devastating judgment for the Legionaries. For a new movement like that, the reputation and position of the founder is critical."

The judgment was first made public on Thursday on the website of National Catholic Reporter. The Vatican document did not specify exactly what duties Father Maciel would be barred from, but National Catholic reporter quoted anonymous Vatican officials as saying he could not celebrate mass publicly, give speeches or interviews.

The Legionaries was founded by Father Maciel in Mexico in 1941 and has now grown to include about 650 priests worldwide and 2,500 seminarians in 20 countries. The order runs a dozen universities, and recently opened its first degree-granting college in the United States, the University of Sacramento. Father Maciel stepped down from the order's leadership this year. Pope John Paul II had repeatedly praised him and his work, most recently at a public audience in November of 2004, for the 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

In 1994, in a trip to Mexico, Pope John Paul II called him "an efficacious guide to youth" -- a statement that several victims said prompted them to make complaints.