Regardless of what happened in 1956, the congregation has not been free of scandals. In 1997 some exlegionarios accused Father Maciel of pedophilia. At the end of 2004, after congratulating Father Maciel for his 60 years of priesthood, John Paul II authorized the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to reopen the case.
Martha Wegan counsel is authorized to represent the Holy See for eight exlegionarios against the founder of the Legion of Christ. She informed the representatives of the December 2, 2004. “I think now the case is being taken seriously.” Wegan is a renowned Austrian lawyer authorized to practice in the ecclesiastical courts.
The Legion of Christ has continued to appear in a policy of neutrality before the harsh accusations and defends itself by inviting people to share their works. However, businessmen and politicians allied to the Legion of Christ have sometimes tried to attack the accusers or their funding sources, such as the near bankruptcy of the Canal 40 in Mexico when it issued a report on allegations of sexual abuse of Father Maciel as well as the cancellation of red circle was also broadcast on Mexican television in conjunction with the communication company image to the threat of mass withdrawal of advertisers.
In a statement, the Holy See does not specify whether it had finally concluded that the allegations were genuine, but because of Maciel’s advanced age of 86 years, and his deteriorating health had decided not to start a canonical process on a large scale in the Church. The order represents the first important decision regarding allegations of sexual abuse committed by Pope Benedict XVI since his appointment in April 2005. The Vatican statement said the decision was issued with the approval of Pope Benedict XVI, “After carefully studying the results of an investigation” of the department of doctrine of the Holy See. He said that Maciel had been “invited” to withdraw to “a reserved life of prayer and penitence and not carry out his public ministry.”
The Vatican gave no details of restrictions on their release, but the National Catholic Reporter, an independent Catholic weekly based in United States, said the order affected the public activities of Maciel, including their ability to celebrate Mass or give public lectures , public presentations or interviews. The press office of the Holy See confirmed the next day the news.
Moreover, in September 2003, members of the Legion became the College of the Virgin Forest in Villaviciosa de Odon, Madrid, replacing its secular character of the school of Catholic schools, assigning a priest as a spiritual adviser and separating students by sex from primary to secondary school. The impact of this change was greater than that achieved in the same half of one academic year, which led to complaints from parents that, contrary had difficulty finding places in other schools citation needed .
In addition, the influential business daily, The Wall Street Journal, the public January 24, 2006 memo sent from the correspondent in Mexico, which explains how the Legion has selected the Mexican upper class to gain influence in that country. Among his allies appointed to the richest man in Latin America and the third richest in the world in 2005 according to Forbes, Carlos Slim Helu, owner of Grupo Carso (Telmex, Telcel, Sanborns, El Globo …). Without a lot of support in the business elite of Monterrey, and Dionisio Garza Medina, chairman of Alfa Group. The newspaper says that the annual budget of the Legion of Christ is 650 million dollars, of which 50 are to charity.
Apart from the above, several U.S. bishops have ordered the Legion to stop operating in their dioceses, to do so without informing their work, but also is required. But the last case has been the most appealing to many as the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, forbade the Legion and Regnum Christi to work on this, as not obeying the accepted policy of protecting minors citation needed .
In a new revelation in February 2009, The New York Times on Father Alvaro Corcuera reported visiting communities and seminars that are legion in the United States, informing its members that its founder had been leading a double life. Apparently the founder had a relationship with a woman who had produced a daughter, while Maciel and his organization were hailed by Pope John Paul II. On March 12, the senior United States Legion of reports being off pictures of Maciel, has discontinued the “Prayer of the faithful” (referring to the founder) and are turning away the cards.