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	Charges, Countercharges on Legionaries' Founder Spirit Daily May 23, 2004 Despite a flurry of published reports, the Vatican has not released any public statement about an investigation of Father Marcial Maciel, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ. Last week an Italian magazine published a story including unusually detailed allegations about an inquiry into sex-abuse charges against the Mexican cleric who founded the Legionaries in 1941. In response, spokesmen for the religious movement reported that their founder had been exonerated, and no further investigation was planned. But to date the Vatican has released no public statement on this remarkable exchange. Jay Dunlap, an America spokesman for the Legionaries of Christ, issued a statement on May 20 saying: "The Holy See has recently informed the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ that at this time there is no canonical process underway regarding our Founder, Father Marcial Maciel, LC, nor will one be initiated." But critics of the Legionaries quickly shot back with a report that the Vatican press office had not confirmed that there is no investigation underway. The critics quoted Father Ciro Benedeittini, the deputy director of the Vatican press office, as saying that his office "had not received any communiqu? about if there exists, had existed, or will exist said investigation." Under ordinary circumstances, no public statement would be issued about an ongoing canonical investigation. Thus the fact that the press office has not received any statement for public distribution is inconclusive. By the same token, since Vatican investigations are conducted under rules of confidentiality, it was extraordinary that L'Espresso magazine carried what appeared to be a detailed report of a probe being conducted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith into charges lodged against Father Maciel by former members of the Legionaries. L'Espresso reported that Msgr. Charles Scicluna, the promoter of justice for the Congregation, had traveled to Mexico and the US in April to interview Father Maciel's accusers at length, apparently compiling a dossier for a canonical case against the Legionaries' founder. The sex-abuse charges against Father Maciel were first made public in 1997, when several men said that he had molested them during the 1950s, when they were seminarians under his direction. The Mexican priest has "categorically" denied the charges, saying that he is completely innocent of the "abominable conduct" with which he was charged. However, in December 2004 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reportedly decided to undertake a serious probe into the accusations. Father Maciel was the subject of another Vatican investigation during the 1950s, when he was charged with charged with misusing presecription drugs. He was cleared of all charges in that case. The 84-year-old Father Maciel stepped down last year as the superior of the Legionaries, declining election to a new term because of his age. The Legionaries, one of the world's fastest-growing religious movements, today have 600 priests and 2,800 seminarians; the group is active in 18 different countries in Europe and America.
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