Rome, Italy, May 4, 2010 / 00:25 am
The Holy See’s Saturday statement regarding the Legionaries of Christ is “extremely significant,” Vatican expert Sandro Magister says. In his view, Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez will likely be appointed the commissioner to rebuild the Legion.
The statement was issued at the conclusion of the Apostolic Visitation of the religious order founded by Fr. Marcial Maciel, whose behavior was described by the visitors as “extremely serious and objectively immoral,” in some cases criminal. His offenses in some cases depicted “a life devoid of scruples and of authentic religious sentiment,” the statement said.
The authors of the statement announced the appointment of a commissioner who will assume full powers in the phase of rebuilding the Legion. It is expected that Pope Benedict will appoint this commissioner before summer, according to Sandro Magister’s latest column.
The Archbishop of Guadalajara, Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez, is the only candidate mentioned so far and is seen as “very resolute and trustworthy,” Magister says.