The National Catholic Reporter reflects on its long and ultimately successful campaign to hold Legion of Christ founder, Father Marcial Maciel, responsible for a long history of sexual abuse. Others were responsible as well:
For all of the commendable achievements of Pope John Paul II, his blindness to this cancer within the church and his unwillingness until the last years of his long reign to understand the urgency of the problem will be seen as serious flaws of his tenure. His inaction sent signals that he both tolerated and encouraged the debilitating culture of deceit.
The case of Father Maciel, whose victims ranged from youngsters in his charge to young priests, is the most dramatic example of the late pope's failure. Vatican officials today explain that John Paul did not have the information with which to judge the case. That's the very point, however. One can only conclude he failed to listen to the victims and believed for far too long that the scandal was the malicious work of those who opposed the Legion because of its loyalty to him.
Almost all the theocons who defended Maciel maintain radio silence.