ROME
The Irish Times
The entire order may become as infamous as its founder, paedophile Marcial Maciel, writes PADDY AGNEW in Rome
A ROTTEN fish smells from the head down, or so goes a much-used Italian saying.
The “fish” in this case is the religious order the Legionaries of Christ, and the bad smell left behind is that of its disgraced founder, the late Fr Marcial Maciel Degollado, a serial paedophile, a drug addict and a man who fathered six children by two different women.
The details of Fr Maciel’s immoral behaviour have long been known, with even the order itself asking for forgiveness for it in March 2010.
However, following revelations last weekend, it may transpire that Maciel was not the only child abuser in the Legionaries of Christ.
In this case, the rot seems to have spread through the Legionary body.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.