Thomas Williams and the Legionaires… Breitbart's own Rome Bureau Chief
Popular Priest Fathered Child and Says He’ll Step Aside
By Laurie Goodstein May 15, 2012 New York Times
“The priest, the Rev. Thomas D. Williams, apologized in a statement on Tuesday “for this grave transgression” and “to everyone who is hurt by this revelation.” He said he would take a year off from public ministry to reflect on his transgressions and his “commitments as a priest” — a decision he said he made with his superiors.
Father Williams was the most visible American member of the Legionaries, a powerful and conservative Roman Catholic religious order that has been in turmoil since 2006, when its charismatic founder was banished by the Vatican to a life of prayer and penance.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/us/popular-priest-fathered-child-and-says-hell-step-aside.html
Vatican Inquiry Reflects Wider Focus on Legion of Christ
By Elisabetta Povoledo May 11, 2012
“VATICAN CITY — The Legionaries of Christ, a powerful but troubled worldwide religious order whose founder became enmeshed in a sex scandal years ago, said Friday that the Vatican was investigating seven Legion priests over allegations of sexual abuse of minors.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/12/world/europe/vatican-inquiry-reflects-wider-focus-on-legion-of-christ.html
Catholic Order Jolted by Reports That Its Founder Led a Double Life
By Laurie Goodstein Feb. 3, 2009
“The Legionaries of Christ, an influential Roman Catholic religious order, have been shaken by new revelations that their founder, who died a year ago, had an affair with a woman and fathered a daughter just as he and his thriving conservative order were winning the acclaim of Pope John Paul II.
Before his death, the founder, the Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado, had been forced to leave public ministry by Pope Benedict XVI because of accusations from more than a dozen men who said he had sexually abused them when they were students.
But most members of the Legion continued to defend Father Maciel, asserting that the accusations had not been proved. Father Maciel died in January 2008 at the age of 87, and was buried in Mexico, where he was born.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/us/04legion.html?_r=1
Interview with Thomas Williams: His own story… and please buy the book!
https://insidethevatican.com/magazine/editorial/dossier/interview-thomas-williams-story/