Bernardo Barranco V.
AND
The HBO documentary unraveled deep wounds from the Catholic Church with the premiere of Marcial Maciel: God’s wolf. The documentary exposes pedophilia, drug dependence, the manipulation of his image and the millionaire empire of the founder of the legionaries of Christ, with the complicity of his own congregation, of high religious ministers, actors in the Vatican, including Pope John Paul II himself.
On this occasion, society and public opinion have reacted with indignation to the pathologies of the sacred predator. The documentary has aroused an unusual interest in public opinion. Maciel’s reprobable performance is commented on meetings, newspaper articles, radio and television programs.
Recall that in 1997, the first public complaint of former Legionaries was hindered by the government of Ernesto Zedillo. The small CNI40 channel was subjected with a commercial boycott of large entrepreneurs. The journalists who dared to touch the case were editorially repressed. On the other hand, the Jilgueros Pro Maciel, such as Joaquín López Dóriga and Pedro Ferriz, unleashed excessive praise and thanks to a religious who had done much good to society. They repeated the hammer slogan: “For their fruits you will know it.” Maciel reflected our dark side as a Mexican society.
It is evident that times have changed. But now, what has been the reaction of the Catholic Church? How have the legionaries themselves responded, when it is clearly evident the complicity and cover -up to one of the most sinister Mexican religious actors?
The Mexican episcopate has saved absolute silence. It has fallen as if the plot and responsibility were alien. Where the inflamed messages about the victims of organized crime and their demolish criticisms of the government security strategy are. Here there are also crimes and complicities in the house of God. Why shut up abuses? Why the bishops persist in covering up hundreds of pedophile priests.
The Bishop Accountability organizations (bishop’s accountability), of the United States, and Spes Viva, from Mexico, denounced from 2023 to 15 Mexican bishops cover -up of abusers. And urged civil authorities to undertake criminal trials against alleged culprits of clerical pederasty and demanded the Vatican transparency in the investigations against bishops for the possible cover -up of those cases.
Before the documentary, the bishops become “like the Virgin speaks to them,” evade, pretend not to realize, appear ignorance or become disregarded by a situation in which they have absolute responsibility. There are the accomplices Norberto Rivera, Cardinal former Archbishop Primado, and Girolamo Prigione, former nuncio in Mexico; At the Vatican level, Angelo Sodano, former Secretary of State, and Stanisław Dziwisz, private secretary of John Paul II. Marcial Maciel’s pathologies are those of the Church itself.
On August 28, 2025, the Legionaries issued an institutional statement regarding the recent documentary about Marcial Maciel. Nothing new: they apologized to the victims; They demarcated from Mon Pèreas they called him; They insisted that they are being renewed; They affirmed that they will continue listening, accompanying and repairing the damages caused. The usual hypocrisy; An imposture is perceived to impersonate good. To the victims, we know firsthand, the compensation that they proposed at the time are a mockery.
Marcial Maciel did not act alone, because he had the complacency and systemic complicity of his religious structure; In addition, the current legionary command line is the same, and highlights that the directive dome of the Congregation consented to Maciel’s financial whims and has been systematically lying to society and the parishioners. The abuse of actors of the congregation continue to tarnish a religious speech woke, in which they intend to protect themselves.
The matter of money touches the essence of the religious model of the legionaries. You will wonder if the charisma of the Legion is the educational or that of the charitable works, encourage vocations or the evangelization of the upper classes. No, the poor are the best business, Maciel said. The legionaries model is the procurement and mobilization of resources of the economic and political elites of the countries where they are. It is there where one wonders if the legion is a religious business congregation or a religious company.
Legionaries have a real estate, inheritance, donations of private, hundreds of educational centers aimed at elites. Programs under the eyes of suspicion in Mexico, such as Maniga, Compartamos Banco, Foundation Lazos and El Teleton. Legionary money management has been under suspicion in fiscal paradises. Not only of faith lives the Legion, which seems to sentence: for its scandals you will know it.
His strategy has been to use Maciel as a scapegoat; The rotten apple in a healthy basket. The dome of the legionaries is not telling the truth. He is putting the emphasis on the figure of Maciel, the sinister character that began deceiving the legion itself. False, it is a gross ploy to be exculpated. Meanwhile, the artifice of the Legionaries remains intricate in their business model with clear inclination to the ultra -right that stamped his funeral founder.
When will legionaries come to real account, before justice and before God? Evading your responsibility by imputing its founder is a strategy, in the long term, failed. The story will slowly put each one in their place. Legionaries have their place: hell.
