UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter
Tom Roberts | Dec. 5, 2013
The Legion of Christ, a religious order of priests still dealing with the fallout from revelations of sexual abuse by its disgraced founder, announced Thursday that a recent investigation has uncovered “significant evidence of sexual abuse” by another Legion official who served as the order’s novice master at its Cheshire, Conn., seminary.
At the same time, the order issued a summary of actions it has taken in addressing other cases of alleged sexual abuse by its priests, as well as a long letter from Fr. Sylvester Heereman, the order’s acting general director, detailing the Legion’s approach to dealing with the issue of sexual abuse.
The announcements come just ahead of an extraordinary general chapter at which the Legion will elect new leaders and approve a new constitution. The general chapter is to open in Rome Jan. 8 and is expected to run about a month.
In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Velasio De Paolis to govern the order as it and Regnum Christi, its lay branch, underwent reform and reorganization. The January general chapter is the culmination of that reformation processes.
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