Legion of Christ finds 33 priests, 71 seminarian sex abusers

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By NICOLE WINFIELD

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Legion of Christ religious order, which was discredited by its pedophile founder and the cult-like practices he imposed, says an internal investigation has identified 33 priests and 71 seminarians who sexually abused minors over the past eight decades.

A third of the priestly abusers were themselves victims of the Legion’s late founder, the Rev. Marcial Maciel, while others were victims of his victims — a multi-generational chain of abuse that confirms Maciel’s toxic influence spread throughout the order.

The Legion counted 175 victims of the priests, but didn’t provide a number for the victims of the seminarians, most of whom were never ordained and left the congregation.

The Legion released the statistics on Saturday, the same day Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the Legion’s biggest defender at the Vatican, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, as dean of the College of Cardinals.

Read more: https://apnews.com/e23d4e965a0b84cad18bef11d9b5d825

[SharonAnn]

1. I'd course. "Insular groups of men often do bad things,"

From a Newsweek article in 2002? About pedophilia in the institutional Church.

[lonely bird]

2. Shut down this criminal enterprise

Francis would gain much credibility within the church and elsewhere if he shut down the Legion (interesting that that was the name of a demon) and opened the Vatican’s files to secular authorities to investigate all abuse allegations. Those who oppose such sunlight disinfectant would do well to look at those the Christ railed against, religious hypocrites.

[keithbvadu2]

3. More pedophile priests... not even news anymore, just new details.

More pedophile priests... not even news anymore, just new details.

[milestogo]

4. Maybe Jesus can send "legion" into some nearby pigs, which will rush into the river and drown.

[RussBLib]

5. brotherhood of pedophiles

WTF are they teaching in seminary school these days?!

[FiveGoodMen]

9. "these days" ?

Shit's been going on forever.

[rpannier]

6. Lots of research to support that victims often become abusers as well

The Legion of Christ sucks
Marcial Maciel... may he rot in Hell
Sodano resigning is great

[3Hotdogs]

7. Now, if they really believed that Jesus stuff, Hell and such,

would they behave as they do?

But they still need your money.

[Duppers]

8. Exactly. They're running a scam.

Many yrs ago a retired Methodist
minister admitted to my husband and myself that he was an atheist. He knew we were. Anyway, he said he had to "keep up the appearances." His wife was a believer & he had a retirement from the church.

I've always wondered what percentages of all denominations are faking it. However, it seems that the Catholic hierarchy are in more unique positions to add sexual abuse to their crime of hypocrisy.