Dr Edward Peters: Fr. Maciel’s penance

The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith has invited Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, to spend his remaining days in "prayer and penance, refraining from all public ministry". Given the enormity of the sexual abuse accusations made against Maciel and the apparent credibility of many of his accusers, this directive (an "invitation" from CDF being essentially indistinguishable from an order), stopping short of a trial and well short of a conviction (or, for that matter, exoneration), will strike some as an inadequate resolution of this case.