ROME — The Legion of Christ has expressed its “deep sorrow” after internal investigations revealed that a Legionary priest has been found guilty of sexually abusing a minor.
The charges against Legionary Father William Izquierdo involve a novice when Father Izquierdo served as instructor of novices in Cheshire, Conn., between 1982 and 1994.
Legionary Father Luis Garza, North American territorial director of the congregation, was informed of the case in July 2012, the Legion said, and added that a third party and independent investigation of the allegation then took place that concluded in August of this year, ruling that the allegation was true.
In a Dec. 5 statement, Father Garza said the health of 85-year-old Father Izquierdo has “declined greatly,” and he is now “in an advanced state of dementia.” He added that the priest has not exercised his ministry since 2008 and has been unable to respond to questions about the allegations.
“Father Izquierdo is in the process of being moved to an assisted living facility, where he will receive proper treatment,” Father Garza said.
An abuse allegation against Father Izquierdo first came to light in 2005, Legionary spokesman Father Benjamin Clariond told the Register, but this was not with a minor. After the allegation came to light, his ministry was “restricted,” and in view of his failing health, he did not exercise his ministry after 2008, the spokesman said.
“As territorial director, I want to express my deep sorrow for the suffering endured by anyone as a result of Father Izquierdo’s actions,” Father Garza said. “My prayers are with them, as well as our every effort to provide healing for the psychological and spiritual wounds endured.”
Father Garza said that “significant evidence of sexual abuse” was uncovered after the Legion commissioned an independent investigation by the company Praesidium. That investigation concluded in August 2013 and was “carefully analyzed” by the Legion’s North American review board in October.
The news comes at a time when the Legion is preparing for its general chapter meeting next month. The meeting will determine the future of the congregation after the disclosure of sexual abuse and other grave misconduct committed by its founder, Father Marcial Maciel.
As part of those preparations, the Legion has said it is implementing a series of measures geared towards greater openness and transparency in the area of sexual abuse and “aggressively addressing” such allegations.
Letter About Abuse Cases
One of these measures — a lengthy letter on abuse cases in the Legion — was issued today to all members of the congregation by Legionary Father Sylvester Heereman, the Legion’s acting general director. It was timed to coincide with the Father Izquierdo revelations.
According to a copy of the letter obtained by the Register, Father Heereman wrote that it is intended to show the Legion’s commitment to “openly and aggressively addressing allegations of sexual abuse,” and it covers past and current abuse cases, including those of Father Maciel.
The letter offers an overview of the Legion’s efforts aimed at preventing and eradicating any risk of sexual abuse of minors. It also includes an analysis of the seriousness of sexual abuse and the suffering of victims, actions undertaken by the authorities of the congregation and principles and recommendations on how to deal with future cases.
Father Heereman makes a point of thanking those who have “broken the silence that usually surrounds sexual abuse.” Their voices, he said, “have prompted us to seek the truth about what happened in order to help the victims and to renew our determination to prevent this from happening in the future.”
He also invites anyone who witnesses “imprudent behavior or boundary violations not to remain silent, so that appropriate action can be taken.”
“We deeply regret the pain that we have caused [victims],” Father Heereman wrote. “Like the rest of the Church and society, today we better understand that care for victims of sexual abuse is a priority. We are committed to continue to welcome them with compassion and offer to accompany them on a path of healing and reconciliation.”
Sexual-Abuse Cases
A total of 35 Legionary priests have been accused of sexual abuse of minors throughout the congregation’s history, the Legion has revealed, although Father Clariond told the Register he expected more to emerge in the future. Of these 35, nine have been found guilty (including the founder) and punished canonically (two were laicized, and seven had sanctions imposed on their life and ministry), 14 have been acquitted (10 priests were found innocent after an investigation was made, according to Canon 1717 of the Code of Canon Law; the other four cases involved imprudent behavior, but not crimes that would require sanctions), and two had already left the ministry when the allegations were presented, and, therefore, no canonical procedures were initiated against them. Ten other cases are still under review.
Of six accused Legionary of Christ superiors and formators, three have been found guilty of sexually abusing adults under their authority, one of whom includes Maciel. The other three have been acquitted. Two cases were judged to have been imprudent behavior that did not warrant restrictions on ministry. The other case allegedly occurred 40 years ago, but the accusation was made recently. Even though the investigation pointed to his innocence, by common consent, restrictions were imposed on the priest, “in an abundance of caution,” the Legion said. The spokesman didn't clarify how many acquittals were civil or canonical in nature, but said they were a combination of the two.
The Legion points out that those found guilty of abuse are less than 1% of the 1,133 priests ordained in the history of the congregation and that less than 4% of Legionary priests have been accused of sexual impropriety.
In his letter, Father Heereman also offers a summary of the work done by the Outreach Commission that was instituted by Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, the apostolic delegate appointed by Benedict XVI to reform the congregation.
The commission’s task was to care for those demanding a response from the Legionaries of Christ because of Father Maciel’s misconduct. Father Heereman said that all victims of Father Maciel who approached the commission have been “visited, listened to and attended to.”
“The commission has considered with each one how the Legion could help them overcome their wounds and face the difficulties of their present life,” he said, adding that “none of these cases remains open.”
Father Heereman stressed that the Legion has undertaken a “thorough diagnosis” of abuse within the Legion and how the cases have been handled.
Said Father Heereman, “With this, we wanted to ensure that all charges of sexual abuse against Legionaries have been adequately addressed and to verify that no one who in the past has been found guilty of sexual abuse of minors currently has ministerial contact with children or adolescents.”
Edward Pentin is the Register’s Rome correspondent.
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If we removed all the homosexuals from the seminaries and all of the heterosexuals too, then we would have zero sexual abuse by catholic clergy. I think it’s a good idea.
It’s not even near a start - I know quite a few victims. None have had a meaningful response from the Legion, none have been shown any care whatsoever.
The abuse will not stop unless the Legion admits how it facilitates, is an environment for, abuse. The admission of Izquierdo being an abuser is a very small step - they are only admitting one case in the USA. I know of two separate cases in Dublin/Salamanca. These victims have not been acknowledged or cared for.
The abuse did not die with Maciel, it will not die with Izquierdo.
Another LC priest, many years a Novice Master, was accused in recent years of two serious allegations: giving pornography to a minor and physically ejecting a victim of Maciel from the Novitiate after the victim told him what had happened, packing his bags and sending him home. When these allegations were made in recent years, the response was exactly the same as the Izquierdo one: Fr. X is too old and ill now, he’s on death’s door and has to be near a hospital…
There is a price to pay for not listening to Pope John XXIII back in 1961 on this matter.
So by the reasoning above, all the thousands of heterosexual men who molest young girls are a bad reflection on heterosexuals. You still can’t seem to separate homosexuality from child molestation. Yes, a majority of those molested in churches/seminaries were male because the Catholic Church is overwhelmingly run by males, and women are given a very secondary status. Last I looked, there weren’t many females attending Catholic seminaries or assisting at local parishes; they’re all young men. Instead of blaming the “gay cabal” maybe the church should look at the dangers of having male-centered institutions run by males only. This insistence on separating the sexes and putting seminarians under the aegis of men who aren’t allowed to marry or have intercourse (hetero or homosexual) creates a breeding ground for some vile actions. Trust me, an overwhelming majority of gay men are as disgusted as you are with child sex abuse. It’s just as silly to lump homosexuals and child molesters in the same sentence as it would be to say that most heterosexual men are child rapists.
@Edward - Did you actually read the article? Izquierdo was an adult homosexual male preying on other adult males. And an adult male having sex with a post-pubescent male teenager (which 80% of these minor cases are) isn’t traditional child abuse, it’s predatory and it’s absolutely associated with their homosexuality.
The Church absolutely needs to clean up it’s seminaries for the sake of both men with real vocations and it’s faithful. If liberal homosexual activists are offended in the process, big deal.
Edward said “nice way to equate “men with same-sex tendencies” with child molestation. FYI, they are two entirely separate things, and many gay men find it ridiculous that seemingly intelligent adults can’t see the difference.”
in early 2000 i informed the Legion of the sexual abuse I suffered at the hands of two legionaries, Guillermo Izquierdo and Maciel Degollado. Had the meetings and received the letter for the Legions that neither men would have the opportunity to abuse others. In fact I was told that Izquierdo was in Rome and was becoming senile, a few years later he published a book. The Legion continues to lie and get away with it
Where is Maciel Degollado now ? how many young men has be abused since 2000 ? Does anyone really care ?
@Edward: Since 90% of the victims were male, and over 90% of those were post-pubescent, should we NOT be considering this to be an issue of homosexual abuse? Well over 4/5 of the victims were post-pubescent males sexually abused by men. There is a word for men with a sexual inclination for post-pubescent males, that word is “homosexual”.
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And since the vast majority of priests never abused, and since following those mean old Catholic strictures would’ve completely prevented all the abuse—“no sexual activity of any kind outside heterosexual marriage” is the Catholic rule, dolt, do tell which acts of sex-abuse that would still have permitted—it’s completely impossible to say that the Church is in any way to blame for the abuse itself. For not defrocking and prosecuting priests who committed it, perhaps, but…huh. Is your criticism that the Catholic Church was too kind to homosexuals, too forgiving of human frailty? That’s the only criticism that fits the facts.
Cases against Izquierdo were known and reported as early as 2001. He had all his mental faculties then, yet he continued to be protected by the Legion of Christ. Who is going to finally pull the thin veil of apparent decency from this group?
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I am amazed at how long it took for this formal judgment of guilt to come out. The accusations against other LCs go further back than noted here, but even holding to their dates (Izquierdo, 2005), why so long (2013) to conclude a judgment that most outsiders came to about these men years ago?
Somehow I think this was about the LC communicating selective facts to itself (the members at large) when it seemed most convenient to them. There is no sincere renting of a repentent soul here by any means. The convenience is found in the upcoming General Chapter wherein they must demonstrate to all the world, and to themselves, that Cardinal DePaolis’s efforts have not been fruitless, that they have in fact reformed.
Their news release shows too much media-craft for me to take it as a new beginning on their part. They never mention religious who are not priests who have been accused, or of their male consecrated branches whom we know have accusations. They speak of Praesidium audits but they do not tell you that they only deal with North America, they audit nothing of the vast international domains the LC operates in. No mention here of a case in Chile which Archbishop Ezzati had to take out of their hands because they had so badly handled the investigation.
@Terrye: or you could say that an organization that rarely lets young girls and women into positions of authority and is 90% run by men would be an organization that let some of them molest young boys, since there were no girls around to molest. Molesting children (whether boys or girls) is rarely about “sexual attraction” and almost always about abuse of power and authority. It’s a hateful crime and has very little to do with enjoying sex.
Same old typical Legion numbers game when it comes to priests vs. seminarians who abused. Given that it often took well over a decade of “formation” for these men before they achieved priest status, it does make one wonder, doesn’t it? God only knows how many abusers have found a free ride and supply of young boys for their perverted desires within the structure founded by Maciel expressly for those purposes. Talk about a predator’s dream situation.
As far as whether abusers are homosexual or heterosexual…....most abuse of children occurs within families by men who identify as heterosexual. The Church loves to point out that fact, but at the same time keeps blaming homosexuals in the priesthood for their sexual abuse problems. One can’t help but wonder if the percentage of abusers in the priesthood would actually increase if the Church was suddenly able to rid themselves of homosexuals within the priesthood.
People aren’t stupid; the Church can’t have it both ways.
While not all gay men are pedophiles, it’s nonetheless true that about 90% of priestly molestation cases involve the abuse of boys. It’s natural to make the connection with homosexual attraction.
As for the Legion’s “series of measures geared towards greater openness and transparency in the area of sexual abuse,” where is the posted list with photos of those with credible allegations, their former assignments, and public outreach efforts to locate other possible victims? Why is something only “geared towards” rather than so actualized? Are confidentiality agreements included in settlements? The last time I spoke with a Maciel survivor, nothing beyond moist words had been offered, despite serious financial and professional losses incurred by the victim. How much has the Legion paid to survivors in justice, not in charity? It even fought any financial redress for one of Maciel’s abused sons. Follow the money for evidence of genuine reparation.
Too many questions left unanswered by this skillful use of the bleached language of public relations. For those who have already tread these waters, were ALL files made available to investigators, including personnel files of the accused, or only those authorized by Legion officials? Who decides who gets interviewed, the investigators or the officials? Just compare access to documents released by religious authorities versus those exposed by grand juries, attorneys general, and district attorneys with the power of subpoena. Rafael, seminarians are excluded from bishops’ audits counting abusers because they are not ordained or considered actual clergy; same for religious brothers.
@Marie Dean: nice way to equate “men with same-sex tendencies” with child molestation. FYI, they are two entirely separate things, and many gay men find it ridiculous that seemingly intelligent adults can’t see the difference. Would it be OK for priests to molest young girls? That’s precisely what child molesters would do if given the chance, but since young girls aren’t routinely given access to most churches/seminaries, the poor young altar boys were the targets. It has nothing to do with sexuality.
35 “priest”... It seems they didn’t count those seminarians guilty of sexual abuses in the Legion’s apostolic schools. I Hope Father Sylvester is not trying to hide this sad reality in his letter… but I have some doubt…
And still, in the United States and some countries in the EU, men with same-sex tendencies are allowed into seminaries. I know this for a fact. Until those in charge obey Rome and stop the acceptance of those who have difficulties with sexual matters, this will go on and on and on.
God forgive these horrible men and God heal these victims. This must stop.
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