VATICAN CITY
7 News (Australia)
Philip Pullella, Reuters
May 16, 2012,
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The scandal-plagued Legionaries of Christ Roman Catholic religious order suffered another major blow to its image on Tuesday when one of its most prominent members admitted to having fathered a child.
Father Thomas Williams said in a statement he was “truly sorry to everyone who is hurt by this revelation”.
Williams, the American author of more than a dozen books on spirituality and dean of moral theology at a papal university in Rome, often appeared on American television to explain Vatican affairs and Catholic teachings.
The Legionaries have been at the centre of controversy since 2009 when they admitted their charismatic Mexican founder, Father Marcial Maciel, had led a double life, secretly fathering children, using drugs and misusing donations.
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