Argentina born Curia Cardinal Eduardo Pironio (+1998), a head of the Congregation for Religious, was declared “venerable” by Francis on February 18.
During his time at the congregation (1975-1998), the renovation of Pironio's private apartment was paid by the Legion of Christ, Jason Berry writes on NcrOnline.org (March 4).
This was during a time, when multiple abuses accusations had already been raised against Father Marcial Maciel (+2008), the Legion’s founder.
Bribing Vatican officials was Maciel’s strategy to gain influence. Pironio was a frequent guest at the Legion college in Rome.
Renovation of the cardinal's home was "a pretty big resource, expensive, widely known at upper levels of the Legion," one priest told Berry.
Pironio provided payback when he helped secure papal approval of the 1983 Legionaries’ constitutions, bypassing the ordinary process.
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