Regnum Christi Movement, Legion of Christ revamped Changes and safeguards in new statutes in the wake of sexual abuse by its founder Marcial Maciel

The Holy See chose not to dissolve the Legionaries of Christ, which it had founded in 1941, but to reform it in depth. (Photo by ALESSANDRA TARANTINO/AP)

By Céline Hoyeau, LeCroix, June 17, 2019

The Holy See has approved new statutes for the Regnum Christi Movement in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal centered on its late Mexican founder, Marcial Maciel Degollado.

This movement brings together priests from the Legionaries of Christ, which was also established by Marcial Maciel, as well as consecrated and lay people from the community.

New statutes covering the Regnum Christi approved by the Holy See are scheduled to come into force on September 15 for a trial period of five years.It was not until Marcial Maciel was elderly that it was revealed that he had sexually abused boys and young men.

After his death in 2008, it emerged that he also fathered as many as six children and there were allegations that he abused two of these children as well.

Despite the scale of the scandal and abuses committed by other members of the congregation, the Holy See chose not to dissolve the community founded in 1941, but to seek to reform it instead.

The reconstituted Regnum Christi Movement will bring together the community of priests of the Legionaries of Christ and the two branches – female and male – of consecrated laity as well as a community of laity.

‘Preserve your mind’

Under the supervision of a representative of the pope, Jesuit Father Gianfranco Ghirlanda, these four branches have been drafting their new statutes since 2013.

The recognition of their movement was thus the last step in the canonical reform process.”This approval marks the end of an important milestone in our history,” the leaders jointly stated, acknowledging that the process had been sometimes fraught with difficulties and tensions.”In recent years we have sought to understand Regnum Christi’s identity more deeply in order to find a canonical structure that would help to preserve his spirit and live the mission that springs from our charism,” they said.

This “common charism” of their spiritual family is presented in the new statutes that define it as a movement of seeking to present the Kingdom of Christ through the sanctification of its members.Personal and apostolic community actions would be performed so that “Jesus Christ may reign in the hearts of men and society.”

Transparency and prevention

The new rules aim to make community life more transparent and prevent abuses such as those committed by Marcial Maciel. A collegial leadership is thus ensured for the entire movement, composed of the superiors of the three consecrated communities and two lay representatives. The latter will be involved in governance through an advisory role. The Regnum Christi Movement, now worldwide, has 1,500 Legionaries of Christ (priests, novices and religious), 523 consecrated women and 59 consecrated men, as well as 24,700 lay people.

Article first appeared at: https://international.la-croix.com/news/regnum-christi-movement-legion-of-christ-revamped/10339?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=e-mail&utm_content=17-06-2019&utm_campaign=newsletter_crx_lci&PMID=d8ec8b77e0cf940a082e735dc179ee5f