Pope places community under Vatican leadership again

The measure affects the male and female branches of the “Family of the Incarnate Word,” the Dicastery for Orders and Religious Communities announced on Saturday.

The communities “Instituto del Verbo Encarnado” (Institute of the Incarnate Word) and “Servidoras del Senor y de la Virgen de Matara” (Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara), founded in Argentina in the 1980s, are in a prolonged crisis, In 2010, allegations of abuse against the now deposed founder Carlos Miguel Buela became known.

The Vatican closely followed the organization from the beginning

According to new investigations into both branches of the organization, the priestly community will in future be led by Argentine Bishop Jose Antonio Satue Huerto as papal delegate, according to the statement. The female branch, on the other hand, is subordinate to the nun Clara Echarte as papal delegate. “Since its founding, the Dicastery has always followed the affairs of the two Institutes with particular attention and care,” says the communication signed by Simona Brambilla as Prefect and the Religious Aitor Echave as Undersecretary.

The elected delegates Huerto and Echarte were to accompany the communities “particularly in the areas of formation, religious discipline, apostolates and leadership”.

Two branches also in Germany

The name of the “Family of the Incarnate Word” refers to a passage in the Gospel of John. There it says about the incarnation of Jesus Christ: “And the Word became flesh.” The community, which consists of three branches, has branches in several countries, including two in Germany: Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate and Pritzwalk near Berlin. According to the members’ self-description, the aim is to contribute to the “evangelization of culture” through their own activities.

As early as 1995, the Vatican appointed papal delegates to lead the community for the first time. In 2001 the community’s headquarters were moved from Argentina to Italy.

In 2010, after internal church investigations into confirmed allegations of psychological abuse, financial irregularities and sexual assault, Buela was deposed for life and banned from contact. However, Buela only partially adhered to the requirements.