The Holy See has confirmed that Argentine priest Carlos Miguel Buela, founder of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, committed abuse against several people following a formal canonical investigation.
The finding was reached by two Church tribunals — a Special Criminal Tribunal of First Instance and an appellate court — which determined that there was moral certainty regarding Buela’s responsibility for an offence against the Sixth Commandment involving violence against several individuals.
The Vatican said the decision is intended in part to establish the truth for those who were harmed by the founder’s conduct.
Religious Family Remains Under Vatican Oversight
The decision forms part of a much broader process involving both branches of the religious family founded by Buela.
The Institute of the Incarnate Word and the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará have been under Vatican intervention for more than seven years and do not currently govern themselves independently.
The latest decision was presented during a meeting in Rome on 14 September involving the pontifical delegates responsible for the two institutes, their provincial superiors and representatives of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
The announcement was subsequently made public and was also published by the institute.
Vatican Calls for a Fundamental Renewal
Rather than treating the founder’s legacy and the institute’s religious identity as the same thing, the Vatican said the congregation must undertake a process of examining and renewing its charism.
That process will involve reassessing the spirituality, formation programmes and apostolic activities of both institutes.
The Holy See said the aim is to distinguish the religious charism understood as a gift for the Church from the personal actions and limitations of its founder.
The approach places institutional renewal alongside the Church’s determination to acknowledge the harm associated with Buela.
Abuse Allegations Had Shadowed the Congregation for Years
The Vatican’s latest finding follows decades of controversy surrounding Buela and the organisation he established in Argentina in 1984.
The Holy See began intervening in the religious family about 11 years after its foundation amid allegations concerning Buela, alongside concerns about authority and community life.
In December 2016, the Diocese of San Rafael publicly announced that the Vatican had found Buela responsible for what it described at the time as “improper behavior with adults.” The diocese said allegations included sexual actions involving religious members and seminarians.
The intervention continued in subsequent years as Vatican-appointed officials attempted to address the problems surrounding the institute.
Vatican Commissioner Faced Internal Resistance
In 2019, Spanish Cardinal Santos Abril y Castelló was appointed as pontifical commissioner for the religious family.
During his mandate, restrictions were imposed on the congregation’s expansion. Abril y Castelló also publicly spoke about resistance within the organisation to his intervention.
The current renewal process therefore follows a prolonged period in which the Holy See has sought to exercise greater oversight over the institutes and address concerns about their internal governance.
Religious Family Has Expanded Across 45 Countries
Despite the controversy surrounding its founder, the Religious Family of the Incarnate Word has developed an extensive international presence.
The organisation is now active in 45 countries and has more than 3,000 members, including priests, religious sisters and lay members belonging to its Third Secular Order.
Its rapid expansion from its Argentine origins made it an established international religious community before the Vatican’s interventions significantly altered its governance.
Vatican Delegates Continue to Guide the Process
The renewal effort is being supported by the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Two pontifical delegates are also involved in overseeing the respective branches: Bishop José Antonio Satué of Teruel and Albarracín for the men’s institute and Sister Clara Echarte for the women’s branch.
They were initially appointed under Pope Francis and were later confirmed by Pope Leo XIV.
A Precedent for Institutional Renewal
The Vatican’s approach has similarities to the process previously undertaken with the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi after the Church established wrongdoing by their founder, Marcial Maciel.
In the Buela case, however, the immediate focus is on separating the religious identity and mission of the institutes from the conduct of the man who founded them.
The Holy See says that distinction is necessary as the two communities reassess their formation, spirituality, governance and apostolic work.
The Renewal Process Now Moves Forward
The latest ruling closes one part of a long-running canonical process while opening another phase for the religious family.
With the Vatican continuing to oversee both institutes, the focus now shifts toward institutional renewal and determining how their religious charism can be preserved while addressing the harm and governance problems associated with their founder.
The Holy See has framed the process as an effort to establish truth, pursue justice for those affected and ensure that the institutes’ future identity is not defined solely by the actions of their founder.
