After four years of drafts and adjustments, the troubled Legion of Christ has announced that its new constitutions have been approved by Pope Francis.
The Pope’s approval of the final draft of the new constitutions brings the first phase of renewal and purification to a close after it was discovered that Legion founder, Fr. Marcial Maciel, had been living a double life.
The new constitutions were drafted during the congregation’s Extraordinary General Chapter meetings, which began on January 9 and was mandated by Benedict XVI in the wake of the revelation of Fr. Maciel’s scandalous activities.
Among other discoveries, it was found out that Maciel was a pedophile, a womanizer and had fathered at least one child.
In 2006, with the approval of the pope, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith imposed upon Maciel “a retired life of prayer and penance, renouncing any form of public ministry”.
Due to his advanced age, it was decided not to subject him to a canonical process.
From that point on, Benedict XVI carried out a process of reform for the Legionaries, and in 2010 the then-Archbishop Velasio de Paolis was appointed as their Papal delegate, thus initiating a three-year process of renewal.
Full Story: Pope Francis approves new constitutions for Legionaries of Christ
Source: Catholic News Agency