Editing Pope Benedict XVI (section)

==== Legion of Christ founder Marcial Maciel ====
One of the cases Ratzinger pursued involved [[Marcial Maciel]], a Mexican priest and founder of the [[Legionaries of Christ]] who had been accused repeatedly of sexual abuse. Biographer Andrea Tornielli suggested that Cardinal Ratzinger had wanted to take action against Maciel but that John Paul{{nbsp}}II and other high-ranking officials, including several cardinals and the Pope's influential secretary [[Stanisław Dziwisz]], prevented him from doing so.<ref name="ncr-maciel" /><ref name="independent-johnpaul">{{cite news |work=Irish Independent | first=Richard | last=Owen |url=http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/vatican-tries-to-shift-blame-for-abuse-on-to-john-paul-26646654.html |title=Vatican tries to shift blame for abuse on to John Paul&nbsp;– Europe, World News |date=3 April 2010 |access-date=15 December 2015}}</ref>

According to [[Jason Berry]], Cardinal [[Angelo Sodano]] "pressured" Ratzinger, who was "operating on the assumption that the charges were not justified", to halt the proceedings against Maciel in 1999.<ref name="nationalcatholicreporter.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/update/bn051806.htm |title=Vatican restricts ministry of Legionaries priest founder |work=National Catholic Reporter |first=John L. Jr. |last=Allen |date=18 May 2006 |access-date=14 June 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927170000/http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/update/bn051806.htm |archive-date=27 September 2011 }}</ref> When Maciel was honoured by the Pope in 2004, new accusers came forward<ref name="nationalcatholicreporter.org" /> and Cardinal Ratzinger "took it on himself to authorize an investigation of Maciel".<ref name="ncr-maciel" /> After Ratzinger became pope, he began proceedings against Maciel and the Legion of Christ that forced Maciel out of active service in the Church.<ref name="times-7086738" /> On 1 May 2010, the Vatican issued a statement denouncing "the most serious and objectively immoral behaviour of Father Maciel, confirmed by incontrovertible witnesses, which amount to true crimes and show a life deprived of scruples and authentic religious feeling."<ref name="nyt1">Donadio, Rachel [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/world/europe/02legion.html "Pope Reins In Catholic Order Tied to Abuse"], ''The New York Times'', 2 May 2010 [https://web.archive.org/web/20110926210130/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/world/europe/02legion.html WebCitation archive]</ref>