Chilean prosecutors close 2-yr probe, clear Regnum Christi priests/consecrated of abuse claims. No evidence found, aligning w/ Vatican inquiry
Newsroom (22/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) For more than two years, seven priests from the Legionaries of Christ and two consecrated women from the affiliated Regnum Christi movement endured grave accusations of sexual abuse that reverberated through their community and the wider Catholic Church. On October 20, the Chilean Regional Prosecutor’s Office formally closed its criminal investigation, finding no evidence to support the claims raised in a 2023 civil lawsuit.
The announcement by a specially appointed regional prosecutor marks the definitive end to a high-profile case that gripped national attention. The civil suit, filed in June 2023, alleged sexual misconduct by the group at a student center in Chile between 2008 and 2010.
What ensued was a rigorous, two-year investigation—unusually initiated at the accused’s own request. In August 2023, the priests and consecrated members, asserting their innocence, petitioned the Public Ministry to launch a criminal inquiry to address the civil allegations head-on. Prosecutors responded with exhaustive measures: collecting statements from all parties and witnesses, reviewing medical and psychological evaluations, and analyzing forensic evidence.
The result: no substantiation for the alleged crimes. The case will now be archived, with no charges pursued.
In a joint statement, the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi in Chile affirmed that “all necessary procedures—those ordered by the Public Ministry and those requested by the parties—were exhaustively carried out to identify any punishable acts, perpetrators, accomplices, or cover-ups. None were found.”
The statement conveyed profound regret for the ordeal’s toll. “We are saddened by the immense suffering this situation has inflicted on so many for so long,” it said. “The accused priests, consecrated woman, and former consecrated woman have borne this period with patience and faith amid profound feelings of injustice and dishonor. They deserve our concerted efforts to restore their good name and reputation.”
The prosecutorial closure dovetails with a 2021 canonical investigation commissioned by the Holy See, which similarly found no credible basis for the accusations.
The Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi have long grappled with a shadowed past, most notably the decades-old abuses by their founder, Marcial Maciel, exposed in the late 2000s. Under Vatican-mandated reforms, the movement has pursued renewal, making this Chilean case a litmus test for its progress in transparency and accountability.
This resolution closes not just a legal file but a wrenching personal chapter, amid months of uncertainty, public scrutiny, and emotional hardship for a community still healing from institutional scars.
While the Legionaries’ statement outlined no immediate legal recourse, experts note that Chile’s laws on defamation and false accusation could pave the way for civil action against those whose claims proved unfounded—potentially addressing the reputational damage to multiple individuals.
As prosecutors seal the dossier, the path forward demands sustained transparency, empathy for all touched by the saga, and vigilance to ensure the Church’s past wounds do not overshadow its future.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Zenit News
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