Bishop Ricardo Watty of Tepic, one of the five bishops appointed to the Apostolic Visitation of the Legion of Christ, said in a recent interview that Pope Benedict XVI may meet with some of the victims abused by Father Marcial Maciel. In an interview with Televisa, the bishop explained that during the Apostolic Visitation, he traveled to 33 Legionary centers in Mexico and met with 300 members.
“There are many elements from Father Marcial’s personality that have taken root, and the Legion must be freed from them.
Speaking later about the measures the Holy See is taking to review the Legion’s charism, Bishop Watty explained that it “does not belong to the founder, but rather comes from God and passes through a person, in this case a person who was very, very wounded.”
Addressing the apostolic visitors' meeting with the Holy Father on April 30, he said that the Pope is very concerned about the Legion.
“I was pleased of his insistence that the large number of young people in the Legion receive care and attention.”
Bishop Watty also gave the Holy Father a file containing documentation from one of the groups of victims abused by the Legion founder.
SIC: CNA