Kirchenakte1941-2019 · 78 years
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Legionaries of Christ: abuse by the founder Marcial Maciel and other priests
The Mexican priest Marcial Maciel founded the religious congregation of the Legionaries of Christ in 1941 and led it until 2005. According to the Legionaries' own report of 2019, 33 of their priests abused at least 175 minors, Maciel himself at least 60, mostly boys between 11 and 16 years old, many of them in the congregation's minor seminaries. 111 victims go back to a chain: victims of Maciel later abused others themselves. After an investigation, the Vatican found in 2010 that Maciel's acts were in part true crimes; a system of trust and silence had long made him unassailable, and doubters had been discredited.
- Period
- 1941-2019 (78 years)
- Report published
- 21 December 2019
- Country
- Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United States
- Institutions
- Legionaries of Christ
Holy See - Category
- Sexual abuse, Cover-up
- Level of evidence
- A Primary source · what does this mean?
- Persons
- Marcial Maciel Degollado (founder and superior general of the Legionaries of Christ 1941 to 2005, died 2008)
What happened to the people
Who was affected? Victims and numbers
- According to the Legionaries' report, 175 minors were sexually abused by a total of 33 priests of the congregation, at least 60 of them by Maciel himself. Most victims were boys between 11 and 16 years old.
Evidence: Kommission der Legionäre Christi für Missbrauchsfälle der Vergangenheit, II. 2. a) Las víctimas, S. 7
„175 menores de edad han sido víctimas de abusos sexuales cometidos por un total de 33 sacerdotes de la Congregación. Este número de víctimas incluye los al menos 60 menores de edad de los que abusó el P. Marcial Maciel“
Informe 1941-2019 sobre el fenómeno del abuso sexual de menores en la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo, II. 2. a) Las víctimas, S. 7. Original · Archive copy Evidence: Kommission der Legionäre Christi für Missbrauchsfälle der Vergangenheit, II. 2. a) Las víctimas, S. 7
„En su gran mayoría las víctimas fueron niños adolescentes de entre 11 y 16 años“
Informe 1941-2019 sobre el fenómeno del abuso sexual de menores en la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo, II. 2. a) Las víctimas, S. 7. Original · Archive copy - In the congregation's minor seminaries, through which about 10,000 pupils passed, 15 priests abused 65 children; a further 90 pupils were abused by 54 seminarians. In the congregation's schools there were 33 victims of 7 priests.
Evidence: Kommission der Legionäre Christi für Missbrauchsfälle der Vergangenheit, II. 2. c), S. 8
„en los seminarios menores de la Congregación, 65 víctimas han sufrido abuso por parte de 15 sacerdotes. Otros 90 alumnos fueron abusados por 54 seminaristas“
Informe 1941-2019 sobre el fenómeno del abuso sexual de menores en la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo, II. 2. c), S. 8. Original · Archive copy Evidence: Kommission der Legionäre Christi für Missbrauchsfälle der Vergangenheit, II. 2. c), S. 9
„En los centros educativos de la Congregación, 33 víctimas han sufrido abuso por parte de 7 sacerdotes“
Informe 1941-2019 sobre el fenómeno del abuso sexual de menores en la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo, II. 2. c), S. 9. Original · Archive copy
How were they charged and sentenced?
- As superior general from 1941 to 2005, Maciel himself decided on appointments, investigations, punishments and transfers. 14 of the 33 perpetrators abused while they held leadership positions; this made reporting and punishment more difficult or prevented it.
Evidence: Kommission der Legionäre Christi für Missbrauchsfälle der Vergangenheit, II. 1. a), S. 6
„el P. Maciel como superior general tenía la responsabilidad directa sobre todas las decisiones importantes de gobierno, entre ellas, los nombramientos, admisiones al sacerdocio, investigaciones y sanciones“
Informe 1941-2019 sobre el fenómeno del abuso sexual de menores en la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo, II. 1. a), S. 6. Original · Archive copy Evidence: Kommission der Legionäre Christi für Missbrauchsfälle der Vergangenheit, II. 2. f), S. 10
„Este hecho ha dificultado mucho y en ocasiones bloqueado las posibilidades de denunciar y sancionar este grave mal“
Informe 1941-2019 sobre el fenómeno del abuso sexual de menores en la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo, II. 2. f), S. 10. Original · Archive copy - In the state courts, one of the 33 priests was convicted and proceedings against one were pending in 2019; six died without having stood trial, and the others were not prosecuted, among other reasons because of limitation periods.
Evidence: Kommission der Legionäre Christi für Missbrauchsfälle der Vergangenheit, II. 2. d), S. 9
„Civilmente, de los 33 sacerdotes, seis fallecieron sin ser juzgados, uno fue condenado“
Informe 1941-2019 sobre el fenómeno del abuso sexual de menores en la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo, II. 2. d), S. 9. Original · Archive copy
What happened to those affected?
- 111 of the victims, 63%, were abused by Maciel, by one of his victims or by the victim of a victim. 14 of the 33 perpetrators had themselves previously been abused in the congregation.
Evidence: Kommission der Legionäre Christi für Missbrauchsfälle der Vergangenheit, II. 2. e) Las cadenas de abuso, S. 10
„111 de los menores abusados en la Congregación fueron víctimas del P. Maciel, de una de sus víctimas o de una víctima de sus víctimas“
Informe 1941-2019 sobre el fenómeno del abuso sexual de menores en la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo, II. 2. e) Las cadenas de abuso, S. 10. Original · Archive copy Evidence: Kommission der Legionäre Christi für Missbrauchsfälle der Vergangenheit, II. 2. b), S. 8
„De los 33 sacerdotes que han cometido abusos, 14 (42,42%) a su vez habían sido víctimas de un abuso en la Congregación“
Informe 1941-2019 sobre el fenómeno del abuso sexual de menores en la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo, II. 2. b), S. 8. Original · Archive copy
Background
Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)
- In 2010 the Holy See stated that besides the marginalisation of doubters, a "misguided concern" to avoid damaging the good the Legion was accomplishing also created a defence mechanism around Maciel that for a long time rendered him unassailable.
Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Kommuniqué vom 1. Mai 2010, Nr. 2
„as well as a misguided concern to avoid damaging the good that the Legion was accomplishing, created around him a defence mechanism that for a long time rendered him unassailable“
Communiqué of the Holy See regarding the Apostolic Visitation of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, Kommuniqué vom 1. Mai 2010, Nr. 2. Original
Response of the Church
- After an investigation in which over 1,000 members of the congregation were interviewed, the Holy See declared in 2010 that Maciel's very serious and objectively immoral acts were confirmed by incontrovertible testimony and in some cases constituted true crimes. He had created alibis for himself and obtained trust and silence; those who doubted him were discredited, and concern for the reputation of the congregation long made him unassailable.
Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Kommuniqué vom 1. Mai 2010, Nr. 2
„The very grave and objectively immoral actions of Father Maciel, confirmed by incontrovertible testimonies, in some cases constitute real crimes“
Communiqué of the Holy See regarding the Apostolic Visitation of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, Kommuniqué vom 1. Mai 2010, Nr. 2. Original Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Kommuniqué vom 1. Mai 2010, Nr. 2
„to obtain trust, confidence and silence from those around him“
Communiqué of the Holy See regarding the Apostolic Visitation of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, Kommuniqué vom 1. Mai 2010, Nr. 2. Original Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Kommuniqué vom 1. Mai 2010, Nr. 2
„Not infrequently a deplorable discrediting and distancing of those who entertained doubts as to the probity of his conduct“
Communiqué of the Holy See regarding the Apostolic Visitation of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, Kommuniqué vom 1. Mai 2010, Nr. 2. Original Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Kommuniqué vom 1. Mai 2010, Nr. 2
„created around him a defence mechanism that for a long time rendered him unassailable“
Communiqué of the Holy See regarding the Apostolic Visitation of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, Kommuniqué vom 1. Mai 2010, Nr. 2. Original - In 2019 the congregation wrote that it acknowledged with shame the acts in its history and asked the victims for forgiveness; it still remained to examine where there had been cover-up, negligence or omissions. A path of reparation had been begun with only 45 of the 175 victims.
Evidence: Kommission der Legionäre Christi für Missbrauchsfälle der Vergangenheit, III. Epílogo, S. 10
„Entre los pendientes, está examinar dónde puede haber habido encubrimiento, negligencias u omisiones“
Informe 1941-2019 sobre el fenómeno del abuso sexual de menores en la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo, III. Epílogo, S. 10. Original · Archive copy Evidence: Kommission der Legionäre Christi für Missbrauchsfälle der Vergangenheit, II. 2. a), S. 7
„Con 45 de estas víctimas de sacerdotes de la Congregación se ha avanzado en un camino institucional de reparación y reconciliación“
Informe 1941-2019 sobre el fenómeno del abuso sexual de menores en la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo, II. 2. a), S. 7. Original · Archive copy
Original documents to read
- Church document
Kommission der Legionäre Christi für Missbrauchsfälle der Vergangenheit: Informe 1941-2019 sobre el fenómeno del abuso sexual de menores en la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo, 21 December 2019. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 11 Oct 2026) - Church document
Heiliger Stuhl: Communiqué of the Holy See regarding the Apostolic Visitation of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ, 1 May 2010. Original (retrieved 11 Oct 2026)
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Last changed on 22 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.