.- The Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM) released a brief statement today saying that the latest revelations involving the founder of the Legion of Christ, Fr. Marcial Maciel, should not derail the Apostolic Visitation of the congregation that is being carried out by five bishops on behalf of the Holy See.
On Wednesday a popular Mexican TV and Radio program revealed the identity of a woman and three men who claim to be, respectively, the wife and three children of the late Fr. Maciel.
The statement issued by the Mexican bishops was signed by its Secretary General, Bishop Víctor René Rodríguez Gómez, and says that “in response to the demands for a statement from the Mexican Bishops Conference … we are united to the desire of the members of the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ to … know the truth regarding the different situations of their Founder’s life, which as Church we find sad and painful.”
The bishops also said that “we are close to the persons who have suffered these abuses and we demand that justice be made both in the cases related to the Church as well as other sectors of civil society.”
Nevertheless, the Mexican bishops cautioned that “to find the truth does not mean to poison the Apostolic Visitation” of the Legion of Christ that will end later this month.
“On the contrary, as has been expressed by the Legionaries of Christ, the important thing is to be truthful and share the sadness and pain with all those who lived such difficult situations,” the statement adds.
“We are united in prayer to the Holy Father, the Legionaries of Christ and the persons who could have been affected by the conduct of Fr. Marcial Maciel so that our Heavenly Father may give them comfort,” the bishops said in closing.
