Thursday, February 5, 2009

Mexico: Molesting priest accused of fathering child

A Mexican cleric who founded an influential Catholic religious order has been accused of secretly having a child.

In 1941 Rev. Marcial Maciel founded the ultra-conservative Legionaries of Christ, an order that has grown to include about 800 priests and 70000 lay affiliates. In 2006, he was given a slap on the wrist by the Vatican after it was discovered that he molested and former seminarians. (Maciel died in 2007 at the age of 87).

Recent blog posts emerged claiming that despite his strong Catholic teachings Maciel fathered at least one child. The late priest’s double life was said to have lasted “for many years” and included having an affair with a mistress.

The hypocrisy of a priest who couldn’t practice what he preached has rocked the Vatican beyond the Pope Benedict XVII’s controversial de-excommunication decision. The scandal over Maciel’s secret doings has undoubtedly hurt the Legionaries of Christ, which at times appeared to be a cult of personality:
“Father Maciel was this mythical hero who was put on a pedestal and had all the answers,” (Rev. Stephen Fichter) said. “When you become a Legionarie, you have to read every letter Father Maciel ever wrote, like 15 or 16 volumes. To hear he’s been having this double life on the side, I just don’t see how they’re going to continue”…

Father Fichter added: “As Legionaries, we were taught a very strict poverty; if I went out of town and bought a Bic pen and a chocolate bar, I would have to turn in the receipts. And yet for Father Maciel there was never any accounting. It was always cash, never any paper trail. And because he was this incredible hero to us, we never even questioned it for a second.”
Image- Catholic News Agency
Online Sources- The Telegraph, BBC News, New York Times, Catholic Online, Reuters, IHT

7 comments:

Omugabe said...

This is just gossip.
Why can't there be clear statement of the exact act(s)?
What the fcuk does 'molest' mean?
Did he sodomize and traumatize children?
Or did he screw and impregnate an adult?

A man making a baby with a woman is no big deal, even if the man is a promoter of religious rubbish.

Erwin C. said...

As we mentioned in the post Maciel molested "former senmanrians" who belonged to the Legionaires of Christ. Those he abused were most likely young adults at the time of the incidents.

If Maciel's actions were truly "gossip" then how come the AP reported that:

"Chicago-based Legionaries spokesman Jim Fair declined to comment on specific allegations but said the order had learned "surprising" things about Maciel that were "not appropriate for a Catholic priest.""

Lastly, while a man fathering a child is not normally a "big deal" the circumstances surrounding Maciel (e.g. him breaking his vow of chastity, creating an ultra-conservative Catholic order) makes this story both tragic and highly relevant.

Unknown said...

The documentary "Vows Of Silence" builds quite a case against Maciel, with sex, drug, and psychological abuse accusations going back to the 1940s.
vowsofsilencefilm.com

Omugabe said...

First off, the main stream media does do gossip, and lost of it.

Second, what the heck does 'break his vow of chastity' means?
A priest making a so-called vow of chastity is like someone making a new year's resolution. It's not worth a hill o beans.

Third, what is this 'molested'?
Did the priest sodomize little boys, like a lot of the perverted catholic and anglican priests often do?
Did he rape little girls?
Or did the priest just fcuk and impregnate adult females?

Anonymous said...

guess what my recent ex boyfiriend is a famous Mexican artist/sculpteur and we did research on this exact guy and if you do also you will find his victims were little KIDS and were MOLESTED!!! People don't fake really embarrassing traumas. BTW that interesting powerful Catholic group is like a Mafia and paid my ex gobs of money to woo him into to do a god-like sculpture of this guy last year, two of the busts actually, one went into a very elite University in Mexico City, named Anahuac and actually one of the Olympic swimmers named Paola Espinosa went there as well as a few other Olympic swimmers, my ex also made them sculptures and was highly paid for those as well.
BTW, this is a very elite sect/ group and is very much like a cult and highly judgmental people in it and it is very funny how this guy was in charge. I like one of you don't find it a huge deal he had a child with a WOMAN, but messing with children is heinous! I think that it is very sub human to expect a human- let alone a man to not have sexual desire and if you try to ignore it then it becomes twisted and perverse! Just my little opinion...

Anonymous said...

guess what my recent ex boyfiriend is a famous Mexican artist/sculpteur and we did research on this exact guy and if you do also you will find his victims were little KIDS and were MOLESTED!!! People don't fake really embarrassing traumas. BTW that interesting powerful Catholic group is like a Mafia and paid my ex gobs of money to woo him into to do a god-like sculpture of this guy last year, two of the busts actually, one went into a very elite University in Mexico City, named Anahuac and actually one of the Olympic swimmers named Paola Espinosa went there as well as a few other Olympic swimmers, my ex also made them sculptures and was highly paid for those as well.
BTW, this is a very elite sect/ group and is very much like a cult and highly judgmental people in it and it is very funny how this guy was in charge. I like one of you don't find it a huge deal he had a child with a WOMAN, but messing with children is heinous! I think that it is very sub human to expect a human- let alone a man to not have sexual desire and if you try to ignore it then it becomes twisted and perverse! Just my little opinion...

Omugabe said...

Anonymous, If your so-called 'ex' has information that this priest sodomized boys and rape little girls, then you should 'do the right thing' by those INNOCENT CHILDREN!

You BOTH should present your 'evidence' to the competent authorities who can persecute and prosecute him, and save other children.

Or maybe the 'gobs of money' is so 'blinding' that it will cause you 'see no evil, hear no evil'?

The response above was to a priest impregnating ADULT female, which to the average person is every day affair between male and female?