VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Legion of Christ has admitted that it knew that its most prominent priest had fathered a child several years ago yet the religious order didn't remove him from teaching morality to seminarians and speaking publicly about ethics and other church issues.
    
In a statement early Wednesday, the Legion said it was sorry it hadn't acted "earlier and more firmly" to remove the Rev. Thomas Williams from his very public ministry.

It said it took responsibility for the lapse, but didn't reveal exactly when its superiors learned of his child.
    
Williams admitted Tuesday he had had a relationship with a woman and had fathered a child "a number of years ago."
    
The Legion is still reeling from 2009 revelations that its late founder was a pedophile who fathered three children, and that the order covered it up.