New Haven, Connecticut (WTNH) - A man says that leaders of a multi-billion dollar Roman Catholic sect, called the Legionaries of Christ, knew their founding leader was a pedophile, but they did nothing to stop the abuse.
30-year-old Raul Gonzalez Lara, of Mexico, says he is the secret son of Father Marcial Maciel. Raul is now speaking out publicly about his father's abuse and the double life he led.
Monday, Raul Gonzalez Lara filed a lawsuit in New Haven Superior Court seeking unspecified damages from the international sect, which has operations in Hamden, Orange and Cheshire.
Raul says Father Marcial Maciel, his biological father, started sexually abusing him when he was seven and that the abuse continued for years. Maciel died in 2008.
Attorneys representing Raul say Maciel kept secret the fact he had a son, but they also say the other big secret was he sexually abused his child for years, as well as many other children and seminarians.
"Not only did this man father a child, he sexually abused his own child...," said Attorney Joel Faxon. "Raul was sexually abused for years by Maciel."
Raul's attorney says the Catholic Church was well aware of Maciel's sins, but covered it up for years.
"Both Pope John Paul the II, then Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Ratzinger - Pope Benedict - was warned of Maciel's pedophile tendencies," Attorney Faxon continued. "Neither of them did anything about it. He's an international pedophile. It's disgusting."
Raul Gonzalez Lara says that it was not a secret to those close to Maciel that he was a pedophile and a drug addict.
"When I was growing, I was messed up," Raul said. "I didn't know what was going on..."
The complaint states, in part, "In "1994, five years after receiving a personal letter from another Legionaire stating Maciel's crimes and coercive tactics, the pope publicly celebrated Maciel's 50th anniversary as a Catholic priest and-in a paid advertisement-referred to Maciel as ‘an efficacious guide to youth.'
The Vatican has ordered a full investigation to overhaul the Legionaries of Christ.
The local chapter had no comment when contacted by News 8 Monday afternoon.
The Legion of Christ, founded by Maciel in 1941, now claims membership of more than 800 priests and 2,500 seminarians in 22 countries, along with 70,000 members in its lay arm, Regnum Christi.
