(ZENIT News / Santiago de Chile, 10.21.2025).- For more than two years, a group of priests and consecrated members of the Regnum Christi movement in Chile lived under the shadow of grave accusations that shook both their community and the broader Church. Now, the Chilean Regional Prosecutor’s Office has formally closed its criminal investigation, concluding that there is no evidence to support the allegations of sexual abuse initially raised in a 2023 civil lawsuit.
The decision, announced on October 20 by the specially appointed regional prosecutor, brings a decisive end to a case that had drawn national attention since it first emerged. The lawsuit, filed in June 2023, accused seven priests of the Legionaries of Christ, along with one consecrated and one former consecrated woman from Regnum Christi, of alleged sexual misconduct said to have occurred between 2008 and 2010 at a student center in Chile.
What followed was a long and thorough investigation—initiated, notably, at the request of the accused themselves. Confident in their innocence, the priests and consecrated members had asked the Public Ministry to open a criminal inquiry in August 2023 to clarify the facts laid out in the civil suit. Over the next two years, investigators carried out a series of exhaustive steps: taking statements from all parties involved, hearing from witnesses on both sides, and examining medical, psychological, and forensic reports.
In the end, prosecutors found no basis to substantiate the alleged crimes. The case will therefore be formally archived, with no charges filed.
According to a statement released by the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi in Chile, “all the necessary procedures, both those decreed by the Public Ministry and those requested by the parties, were carried out to determine the existence of any punishable act and its possible perpetrators, accomplices, or cover-ups. None were found.”
The congregation’s statement also expressed deep sorrow for the pain caused throughout the lengthy process. “We are saddened by the immense suffering this situation has brought to so many for so long,” it read. “The priests, consecrated woman , and former consecrated woman who were accused have faced this period with patience and faith despite the feeling of injustice and dishonor. They deserve that we now work to restore their good name and reputation.”
The outcome of the Chilean investigation aligns with the conclusions reached by a canonical inquiry ordered by the Holy See, which was completed in 2021. That internal Church process had already determined that there were no credible grounds to the accusations.
The Legionaries of Christ and the Regnum Christi federation have faced scrutiny in the past, particularly due to historical scandals involving their founder, Marcial Maciel, whose abuses came to light decades ago. In recent years, the movement has undergone a period of reform and restructuring under Vatican oversight. For that reason, the Chilean case carried heavy symbolic weight—both as a test of transparency and as a measure of how far the congregation had come in handling such crises.
This most recent resolution, therefore, closes not only a judicial chapter but also a deeply personal one for those involved. It comes after months marked by uncertainty, public suspicion, and emotional strain on a community already navigating a legacy of institutional reform.
While the statement from the Legionaries made no reference to possible next steps, It would be reasonable—and expected—to file a lawsuit against someone who falsely accused and damaged the good name and reputation of not one but several people.
As Chile’s prosecutors close their files, what remains is the call for continued transparency, compassion for all affected, and a renewed effort to ensure that the wounds of past decades do not define the Church’s future.
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