Outspoken Ex-Priest Sued Over Documents

Last year, Pope Benedict XVI took disciplinary action against Maciel after a long, on-again, off-again investigation into allegations of sexual abuse. Maciel is no longer supposed to celebrate Mass in public, give lectures or make other public presentations.

Maciel, 87, is the founder and patriarch of the Legion of Christ, a worldwide order of more than 750 priests and 2,500 seminarians, and of Regnum Christi, an affiliated movement of lay people that claims 70,000 members around the world. The U.S. headquarters for the order is in Connecticut.

Both groups are built around the aging priest's "charism," a church term for exceptional gifts and mission. Maciel, who was close to Pope John Paul II and is venerated by many Catholics, stepped down as head of the Legion after last year's papal sanction. He then left Rome and moved to his home town of Cotija, Mexico.

Complaints of sexual abuse against Maciel came to light in the 1990s, when nine former members of the Legion, including several priests, alleged that Maciel had molested them when they were young seminarians, from the 1940s into the 1960s.

The National Catholic Reporter newspaper, citing Vatican sources, reported last year that the number of accusers who had come forward was "more than 20, but less than 100." Lennon said the number of victims is much greater than 100.

Lennon said turning over any documents he has would not stop them from being circulated. He denies that any were obtained illegally.

"They have lots and lots of money," Lennon said of the Legion. "I don't have any. The idea is to drag this on in such a way that it will bleed us to death." Lennon is soliciting donations for his legal defense on the site.

Jason Berry, who co-wrote a 2004 book and produced a forthcoming documentary film about the Maciel case, both titled "Vows of Silence," called the group's founder "arguably the greatest fundraiser in the history of the modern church." He's also "one of the worst pedophiles in the history of the church," Berry said.

On the two Web sites, former members of the order discuss the sexual abuse allegations that drove Maciel out of Rome. But Lennon said most members of the order would not even be aware of the allegations.

"They can only watch certain television programs, they don't have radios and they can't use the phone without permission from their superiors," he said. He added that phone calls are monitored.

"The Legion of Christ is trying to shut down Regain, which is a clearinghouse for information on what the Legion is really about," Berry said. "It shows the group's extraordinary hubris in thinking they can crush an opponent by trampling on the First Amendment."

Staff writer Alan Cooperman contributed to this report.