Summary
- The recently opened archives of Pope Pius XII shed light on the scandal surrounding the founder of the Legionaries of Christ.
- Documents show Vatican officials had evidence of Reverend Marcial Maciel’s misconduct but took decades to sanction him.
- The Vatican was poised to take tough measures against Maciel in 1956, but his supporters intervened after Pius XII’s death.
- Maciel was eventually reinstated as superior of the Legion and the order was officially recognized despite the Vatican’s initial concerns.
