HBO Max premiered the first two episodes of Marcial Maciel: The Wolf of God, a documentary series that exposes, with previously unpublished testimonies and exclusive documents, the story of the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, one of the most controversial figures in the contemporary Catholic Church in Mexico and Latin America.
"We tell the story of Marcial Maciel, from his beginnings in Michoacán, his obsession with founding his own congregation, and his charisma in building networks of power and financing, to the serious allegations of child sexual abuse, drug addiction, and the alliances that protected him for decades," producer Sebastián Gamba told ENSTARZ . He and director Matías Gueilburt have made some of the most acclaimed documentaries in Latin America.
"We found a treasure trove of information and were fortunate that many of the journalists who investigated and reported on the case agreed to participate. The documentary is part testimony, but also a tribute to journalism," Gueilburt added. "Without them, we couldn't do our work."
Raúl Olmos, Carmen Aristegui, Fernando González, Jason Berry, Marco Politi, Iacopo Scaramuzzi, Idoia Sota, and Emiliano Ruiz Parra. Their investigations have documented the scope of the crimes, the cover-up networks, and the economic empire that Maciel built.
The path to the Legionaries of Christ
The first chapter explores Maciel's childhood and youth, the path to ordination, and the creation of the Legionaries of Christ, with an emphasis on his strategy to gain influence in Europe. The second chapter shows the expansion of the congregation, its ties to the Vatican, and the beginning of the public denunciations that would change its image in the public eye.
The series brings together historical whistleblowers such as Juan José Vaca, José Barba, and Alejandro Espinosa, who broke the silence on abuse. Elena Sada, a former member of Regnum Christi, also participates.
The series premieres with two episodes on August 14, and will continue with the third on August 21 and the fourth on August 28. Each episode seeks not only to reconstruct the events but also to invite reflection on power, impunity, and the victims still seeking justice.
Available on HBO Max, this docuseries reinforces the platform's commitment to high-impact social stories that contribute to collective memory.
