The Vatican official in charge of the reform of
the Legionaries of Christ has begun to introduce changes to the group,
as Pope Benedict acknowledged that the Holy See had been slow to act on
the scandal in the order, said AP reports in the Washington Post.
The Legion said in a
statement this week that Cardinal Velasio De Paolis has limited some of
the duties of its secretary general and also expanded the group's
governing general council and will appoint the two new members himself.
Pope Benedict appointed Cardinal De Paolis to take over and
profoundly reform the Legion after a Vatican investigation concluded
that its founder was a fraud who sexually abused seminarians and
fathered at least three children.
In the new book of interviews with Pope Benedict, the pontiff voiced
regret that the Vatican acted "slowly and late" but said that the order
has done good and should not be dissolved despite the double life of its
founder, Father Marciel Maciel.
"Somehow they were concealed very well, and only around the year 2000 did we have any concrete clues."
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