Pope at Vatican meeting on Legionaries of Christ

(May 1, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI took part in a Vatican meeting on Friday over the fate of the Legionaries of Christ after revelations that the religious order’s founder had fathered children and abused seminarians. The Pope had not been expected to participate in the meeting between five Vatican inspectors and the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. But Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said Pope Benedict had decided to stop by the meeting to greet participants and make an appearance. The Vatican ordered an investigation, known as apostolic visitation, in 2009 after the Legionaries acknowledged that its founder, Fr. Marciel Maciel, who died in 2008 at age 87, had fathered a daughter who is now in her 20s and lives in Spain. The Legionaries have also acknowledged that Fr. Maciel had also sexually abused seminarians and that two men are claiming to be his sons. The inspection, carried out by five inspectors - all bishops appointed by Rome, began last July 15 and ended March 15, to get firsthand knowledge of the order and its work. The Vatican meeting which was to continue into Saturday, was expected to issue a statement, Fr. Lombardi said. However, he noted that the pope would make the final decision on the order's future after studying the case. Pope Benedict's presence at Friday's session was yet another indication that he is taking personal interest in looking into clerical abuse cases.