The Vatican has clarified that Argentine priest Carlos Miguel Buela, who founded the Institute of the Incarnate Word and the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará, committed an offense against the Sixth Commandment. It involved violence and five victims.
Buela died in April 2023, after he had been convicted and appealed the ruling. Just days before his death, on March 30, an appeals court confirmed the finding. But Buela died before the court could draft and publish its decision.
The criminal proceedings ended with his death, since there was no longer a defendant to prosecute. Still, the Vatican chose to make the unpublished ruling known to members of the Institutes. It said it has “moral certainty about Father Buela’s responsibility” and wants to restore the truth as an act of justice for the victims, while making sure members of the Institutes are informed.
Buela founded the Institute of the Incarnate Word in Mendoza, Argentina, in 1984. It is now present in 45 countries, including several where Christians are a small minority, such as Uzbekistan, the Solomon Islands and Tunisia.
The first allegations against the founder emerged in the 1990s. Rome took over the investigations and removed Buela from leadership in 2010. The first conviction came in 2021.
In 2025, the Vatican acknowledged “the Institute’s strong missionary drive and the commendable personal commitment of many of its members,” while also finding irregularities in other areas. Two measures followed: the appointment of two papal delegates and a three-year ban on admitting new candidates while the formation process is reviewed.
The Institute and its members are now entering a period of review, tasked with distinguishing the gift of the Spirit from the limitations of its founder.
