Legion of Christ
Encyclopedia
The Legion of Christ is a Roman Catholic congregation of pontifical right, made up of priests and seminarians studying for the priesthood. It was founded in Mexico in 1941, by Fr. Marcial Maciel, who directed the congregation as its General Superior until January 2005. The Legion of Christ has priests working in over 22 countries, and had 889 priests and 2,373 seminarians as of December 31, 2010. In the U.S. it operates 9 schools (and assists at several others) and two of a small number of seminaries for teenage boys currently operating in the US. Its lay movement Regnum Christi
Regnum Christi
Regnum Christi is an international Roman Catholic lay ecclesial movement associated with the Legion of Christ, founded by Fr. Marcial Maciel. Regnum Christi is dedicated to promoting the Catholic faith. Their motto is "Love Christ, Serve People, Build the Church."-History:The first draft of the...

 has approximately 70,000 members, and the youth branch ECYD
ECYD
ECYD stands for Education, Culture and Youth Development. In translating the original Spanish Educación, Cultura y Deportes , the acronym was kept while changing the words slightly. It is a Catholic youth organization affiliated with the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi movement for youth aged...

 has tens of thousands. In Mexico, the Legionaries administer the Anahuac University Network
Anahuac University Network
The Anahuac University Network is a private universities system grouped and administered by the religious congregation of the Legionaries of Christ. The network is composed of several universities, some with different names and educational approaches...

.It operates centers of education (minor seminaries, seminaries, schools and/or universities) in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, Korea, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, the United States, and the Philippines.

The most important fields of their apostolic work are education, youth and family ministry, evangelization (especially in the mission territory
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...

 of the Mexican State of Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....

 in the Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...

), and social work. The Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi seek to collaborate with the local churches by lending help and support to the bishops and parish priests as they carry out their diocesan pastoral programs.

Ethos

Members of the Legion take vows of obedience
Vow of obedience
The Vow of Obedience in Catholicism concerns one of the three counsels of perfection. It forms part of the vows that Christian monks and nuns must make to enter the consecrated life, whether as a member of a religious institute living in community or as consecrated hermit...

, chastity
Chastity
Chastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....

, and poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...

. They originally took a private vow of charity, promising never to criticize their superiors. This private vow was originally opposed by the Vatican when it chartered the Legion decades ago, but that opposition disappeared after a final decision by the Vatican. This vow was repealed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. Their private vow of humility remains intact.

The Legion's spirituality can be described as four loves: love for Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...

, love for Mary, love for souls, and love for the Church and Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

.

Love for Christ is, for Legionaries, a personal experience. Through the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...

, the Cross
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....

, and the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...

, Legionaries come to know Christ intimately, and love him in a passionate way by embracing him as their model of holiness.

Love for Mary flows from imitating Christ; the Blessed Virgin is loved as both Mother of the Church and of the individual Legionary's vocation. Legionaries consecrate their spiritual and apostolic lives to her care, and seek to take on her virtues of faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...

, hope
Hope
Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. It is the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" or the act of "look[ing] forward to with desire and reasonable confidence" or...

, charity
Charity (virtue)
In Christian theology charity, or love , means an unlimited loving-kindness toward all others.The term should not be confused with the more restricted modern use of the word charity to mean benevolent giving.- Caritas: altruistic love :...

, obedience
Vow of obedience
The Vow of Obedience in Catholicism concerns one of the three counsels of perfection. It forms part of the vows that Christian monks and nuns must make to enter the consecrated life, whether as a member of a religious institute living in community or as consecrated hermit...

, humility
Humility
Humility is the quality of being modest, and respectful. Humility, in various interpretations, is widely seen as a virtue in many religious and philosophical traditions, being connected with notions of transcendent unity with the universe or the divine, and of egolessness.-Term:The term "humility"...

, and cooperation with Christ's plan of redemption.

Love for Souls is expressed in an ardent desire to spread Christ's kingdom in this world. Legionaries try to use every moment of their time to help the greatest number of souls know and love Christ. They want to be able to say when they get to Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...

 that they never wasted one minute or one soul.

Finally, there is Legionaries' love for Church and Pope. The Church is loved because it is the Body of Christ, and the beginning of his Kingdom on earth. Legionaries see the Church both as she currently stands and as Christ wants her to be. Thus Legionaries honor her by faith, submit to her in obedience, win souls for her through evangelization, and put her above all other earthly things in their lives. This love of the Church leads many in the Legion to speak of being always in step with the Church, neither ahead nor behind: a commitment to Catholic Orthodoxy. It also explains the Legionaries' special affection for the Pope, who is supported in his charism of primacy and magisterium. All bishops in communion with the Roman Pontiff, as the Apostles' successors and teachers of the Catholic Faith, are likewise honored.

Formation

As a whole, the Legion is dedicated to advancing the Church's mission in the world, and to this end submits candidates to a rigorous formation of four dimensions: human, spiritual, intellectual and apostolic. This formation has caused critics to accuse the Legion of producing priests and religious who all speak and behave in the same way. In fact, the Legion has been called a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...

. But, the Legion's defenders argue as members of a family receive similar upbringing, so the members of the Legion are formed in like ways, but still respecting the freedom of the individual.

Contact with the family is moderated, so as to not restrict their mission, although they are allowed considerably more contact with their families than religious in past centuries. If they live in the same country as their parents, the religious and priests are permitted to visit their families usually once a year provided it does not inhibit their individual assignments. In addition, they are permitted to visit for landmark anniversaries of parents and grandparents and, their families are encouraged to visit them normally two or three times a year. However, the novices do not go home during their two-year novitiate, but their families may visit. The high school seminarians are permitted to go home in the following cases:

All members of the congregation are required to write their families every two weeks, for the high school seminarians, every week. Periodic phone calls are also permitted: once a week for the high school seminarians, three times a year for novices, and roughly once a month for religious and priests. The above are the usual, but each individual case is seen with the superior.

Papal support

Before Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

 popes have expressed support for the Legion. When Maciel visited Rome in 1946, Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

 Pius XII expressed a keen interest in the undertaking and gave it his personal blessing. In light of what were believed to be the order's achievements, particularly in education, Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

 Paul VI was pleased to award it the "Decree of Praise" in 1965. The most enthusiastic support has, however, been that of Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

 John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

, who in an address, picked out the qualities which have made the Legion so successful:

The close relationship between Maciel and Pope John Paul may have been one of the reasons that Vatican investigation regarding sex abuse allegations made against Fr. Maciel proceeded slowly although the first allegations were provided to the Pope in the late 1970s. There are also suggestions that bribery and corruption may have been a factor, see
History of Maciel with the Vatican.

Apostolates

The primary apostolate
Apostolates
Apostolates are organizations of the Catholic laity devoted to the mission of the Catholic Church.-Explanation:Most understand the term "apostolate" to be synonymous with the term ministry, or outreach, such as "youth ministry." The disambiguation is seen when one considers that within Catholic...

 of Legionary priests and brothers is to attend to the spiritual needs of the members of their lay branch, Regnum Christi. Since Legionary priests and brothers are themselves members of Regnum Christi, often they are put in charge of directing the apostolic projects.

Regnum Christi has many apostolates for charitable and spiritual welfare. It essentially does not limit itself to any one apostolate, but each member is encouraged to work on his/her area of interest or expertise.

As a spirituality, it encourages its members to work innovatively and systematically. Members are given the option to work on an apostolate not associated with the Legion, a Legion-endorsed apostolate, or to create their own apostolate which may eventually receive Legion endorsement.

In 2006, the Legion launched a test phase of Mission Network, in the United States.
Catholic Mission Network, Inc., is the umbrella organization which oversees and approves all Legionary-endorsed apostolates in the US, soon to be internationally. Its purpose is to provide both 1) structure and supervision of the apostolates, and 2) An overview as to what the Legion/Regnum Christi does as a whole, with brand-name-type recognition.

The youth wing of Regnum Christi offering the same spirituality for youth 11 to 16 is called ECYD
ECYD
ECYD stands for Education, Culture and Youth Development. In translating the original Spanish Educación, Cultura y Deportes , the acronym was kept while changing the words slightly. It is a Catholic youth organization affiliated with the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi movement for youth aged...

. The commitments in ECYD vary over time, adapting to the ages of the members. Most ECYD members are involved in clubs run or overseen by Legionaries or consecrated members of Regnum Christi.

The founder

Marcial Maciel
Marcial Maciel
Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado was a Mexican-born Roman Catholic priest who founded the Legion of Christ and the Regnum Christi movement. He was accused of pedophilia early in his life and having fathered at least one child...

 was born on March 10, 1920, into a devout Catholic family during a time in which the Mexican government was fiercely anticlerical.

On June 19, 1936, Maciel—a young seminarian at the time— apparently felt called to establish a new religious order, and in 1941, with the support of the bishop of Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago...

, Bishop Francisco González Arias, he founded the Legion of Christ, which was originally known as the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Sorrows. The name was eventually changed because Maciel saw a likeness of his missionaries in the legions of Rome. Coupled to this was also the militancy of the Christian life found in St. Paul's letters. He claims he received his final inspiration concerning the name through Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....

 when the Pope quoted the Song of Solomon when addressing a group of Legionaries: "Sicut acies castrorum ordinata" (Like an army in battle array). Maciel was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop González Arias in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic church, minor basilica and National Shrine of Mexico in the north of Mexico City. The shrine was built nearby the place where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin...

 in Mexico City on November 26, 1944, after which he continued to build up the Legion and its lay counterpart, Regnum Christi
Regnum Christi
Regnum Christi is an international Roman Catholic lay ecclesial movement associated with the Legion of Christ, founded by Fr. Marcial Maciel. Regnum Christi is dedicated to promoting the Catholic faith. Their motto is "Love Christ, Serve People, Build the Church."-History:The first draft of the...

.

Maciel was asked by Pope John Paul II to accompany him on his visits to Mexico in 1979, 1990, and 1993, and was appointed, also by Pope John Paul II, to the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the formation of Candidates for the Priesthood in Actual Circumstances (1991). He was a member of the Interdicasterial Commission for a Just Distribution of Clergy (1991), the IV General Conference of Latin American Bishops (CELAM) (1992), the Synod of Bishops on Consecrated Life and Their Mission in the Church and the World (1993), the Synod of Bishops´ Special Assembly for America (1997) and, since 1994, a permanent consultant to the Congregation for the Clergy. The golden anniversary of his priestly ordination was celebrated on 26 November 1994, with 57 Legionary priests ordained on the anniversary's eve. Fr. Marcial Maciel also served as Chancellor of the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, which is based in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "The Legion of Christ...became a global phenomenon in Catholicism over the past few decades by joining a devotion to orthodoxy and secrecy with an equal fidelity to the Legion's charismatic founder, Father Marcial Maciel, who helped his community's cause by liberally dispensing funds to hierarchs in Rome. Other bishops complained of the Legion's cult-like aspects, but it was only in 2006, when the truth of Maciel's extensive record of sexual abuse and financial shenanigans was finally acknowledged, that the Vatican forced the elderly priest from ministry and launched an investigation."

He died in Jacksonville, Florida, on January 30, 2008, aged 87, and was buried in his hometown of Cotija de la Paz, Michoacán, Mexico.

Controversies

In January 2005, Maciel, at age 84, was succeeded by Álvaro Corcuera, LC, as General Director of the Legion shortly after the reopening of a sex abuse allegation by the Vatican. Maciel died on 30 January 2008.

Archbishop Edwin O’Brien
Edwin Frederick O'Brien
Edwin Frederick O'Brien is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the current Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 29 August 2011...

 of Baltimore has banned the Legion of Christ from counseling people under the age of 18 in his jurisdiction.
The ban on counseling minors, O’Brien said in an interview with NCR on Wednesday, is related to concerns that the Legionaries and Regnum Christi practice “heavily persuasive methods on young people, especially high schoolers, regarding vocations.”


Archbishop O’Brien further wrote among other matters,
“I want to ensure that encouragement of vocations is carried out in a way that respects the rights of parents in the upbringing of their children and the rights of young persons themselves to be able to make free and fully informed decisions about their futures,” O’Brien wrote.


Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese also removed the Legion of Christ from his area.

Accusations against the founder

In July 2009, media in Spain published an interview with a woman who had a child with Maciel over 20 years ago and now lives in a luxury apartment in Madrid which Maciel purchased for her. The woman, Norma Hilda Baños, says that she was abused by Maciel as a minor and later was impregnated by him and she bore him a daughter, Norma Hilda Rivas. At least one source claims that Rivas is an alias that Maciel used during his life.

A day later, Mexican media reported that an attorney, José Bonilla, will represent three of a possible total of six of Maciel's children in a civil suit to recover Maciel's estate. The lawyer claims that there are several properties in Mexico and around the world which Maciel owned in his own name.
In March 2010, Bonilla announced that he would no longer represent the three reputed children of Maciel, since one of them admitted to asking the Legion of Christ for $26 million USD in exchange for silence.

In March 2010, the Legion of Christ in a communiqué acknowledged as factual "reprehensible actions" by Maciel, including sexual abuse. The communique stated that "given the gravity of his faults, we cannot take his person as a model of Christian or priestly life." This occurred after the Legion spent more than a decade denying allegations from the victims of abuse.

Apostolic visitation

On March 31, 2009, the Legionaries of Christ and the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI has ordered a Vatican investigation of the Legion of Christ. The Legion of Christ has acknowledged that its founder fathered a child and is also responding to claims that the founder molested seminarians. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, said church leaders will visit and evaluate all seminaries, schools and other institutions run by the Legion worldwide.

The Vatican has ordered an apostolic visitation of the institutions of the Legionaries of Christ following disclosures of sexual impropriety by the order's late founder, Marcial Maciel. The announcement of the unusual investigation was posted on the Web site of the Legionaries of Christ March 31, 2009 along with the text of a letter informing the Legionaries of the pope's decision.

Vatican authorities named five bishops from five different countries, each one in charge of investigating the Legionaries in a particular part of the world. Their report was given to the Holy Father in late April 2010.

Ricardo Watti Urquidi, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tepic
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tepic
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tepic is in Mexico and is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Guadalajara.-Ordinaries:*Ignacio Díaz y Macedo *Andrés Segura y Domínguez *Manuel Azpeitia Palomar...

, Mexico, is in charge of the Vatican's oversight of the Legionaries in Mexico and Central America, where the order has 44 houses, 250 priests, and 115-120 seminarians;
Charles J. Chaput
Charles J. Chaput
Charles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the ninth and current Archbishop of Philadelphia, serving since his installation on September 8, 2011. He previously served as Archbishop of Denver and Bishop of Rapid City .Chaput is a professed Capuchin and...

, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver
The Archdiocese of Denver is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for Denver, Colorado and the Colorado counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan and Weld in the northern part of the state. The Archdiocese's home is at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate...

, is in charge of the Vatican's oversight of the Legionaries in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, where the order has 24 houses, 130 priests, and 260 seminarians;
Giuseppe Versaldi
Giuseppe Versaldi
Archbishop Giuseppe Versaldi is the president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, since his appointement by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 September 2011. He had previously served as bishop of Alessandria....

, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alessandria della Paglia
Roman Catholic Diocese of Alessandria della Paglia
The diocese of Alessandria della Paglia is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Piedmont, northern Italy. It is a suffragan of the diocese of Vercelli.-History:Alessandria della Paglia was made a see in 1175 by Pope Alexander III...

, is in charge of the Vatican's oversight of the Legionaries in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, the Philippines, and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

, where the Legion has 16 houses, 200 priests and 420 religious seminarians (in Italy itself there are 13 houses, 168 priests, and 418 seminarians);
Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Concepción
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Concepción
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Concepción is an archdiocese located in the city of Concepción in Chile.-History:* March 22, 1563: Established as Diocese of La Imperial from the Diocese of Santiago de Chile* 1603: Renamed as Diocese of Concepción...

, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

, is in charge of the Vatican's oversight of the Legionaries in Chile, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

, where the Legion has 20 houses, 122 priests and 122 religious seminarians;
Ricardo Blázquez Pérez :es:Ricardo Blázquez, formerly the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bilbao and now the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Valladolid
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Valladolid
The Archdiocese of Valladolid is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Spain. It was erected as the Diocese of Valladolid by Pope Clement VIII on September 25, 1595, and was elevated to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Pius IX on July 4, 1857, with the...

, both in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, is in charge of the Vatican's oversight of the Legionaries in Spain, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, Holland, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

, and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

 - the rest of Europe outside Italy- where the Legion has 20 houses, 105 priests, and 160 seminarians.

Papal Delgrate

On May 1, 2010 the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

 said that the Pope will name a delegate and appoint a commission to review the Legionaries of Christ following revelations that the order's founder sexually abused numerous underage seminarians and fathered at least three children with two women. In a statement, the Vatican denounced the Rev. Marciel Maciel for creating a "system of power" that enabled him to lead an "immoral" double life "devoid of scruples and authentic religious sentiment" and allowed him to abuse young boys for decades unchecked. The Vatican issued the statement after Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

 met with five bishops who investigated the Legion to determine its future. The Vatican statement was remarkable in its tough denunciation of Maciel's crimes and deception.

The "very serious and objectively immoral acts" of Fr. Marcial Maciel, which were "confirmed by incontrovertible testimonies" represent "true crimes and manifest a life without scruples or authentic religious sentiment," the Vatican said. The Vatican said the Legion created a "mechanism of defense" around Maciel to shield him from accusations and suppress damaging witnesses from reporting abuse. "It made him untouchable," the Vatican said. The statement decried "the lamentable disgracing and expulsion of those who doubted" Maciel's virtue. The Vatican statement did not address whether the Legion's current leadership will face any sanctions. Actions taken by the current Legion leadership will be scrutinized; but no specific sanctions were mentioned, amid suspicion that at least some of the current leaders must have been aware of Maciel's sins. The Vatican acknowledged the "hardships" faced by Maciel's accusers through the years when they were ostracized or ridiculed, and commended their "courage and perseverance to demand the truth."

As a result of the visitation, Benedict XVI named Archbishop (now Cardinal) Velasio De Paolis
Velasio de Paolis
Velasio de Paolis, CS JCD STL is an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was president emeritus of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See and is Pontifical Delegate for the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ.-Early life:De Paolis was born in Sonnino, and became a...

 as the Papal Delegate to oversee the Legion and its governance on July 9, 2010.

Archbishop Ricardo Blazquez :es:Ricardo Blázquez, Archbishop of Valladolid, Spain, headed the probe into the consecrated women of the Legion's lay movement, Regnum Christi. According to an online Catholic News Service article issued September 30, 2010, Archbishop Blazquez, 68, who had been Bishop of Bilbao and was once a professor of theology, was the former President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference from 2005 to 2008 and before his presidency had been the head of the Spanish conference's commission for the doctrine of the faith from 1993 to 2003. As mentioned above and in the article, he had assisted in the earlier investigation of the congregation's centers and institutes in Europe outside of Italy. On June 7, 2011 he concluded the visitation but has as of June 16 he was still working on the final report.

Also, several clergy were named by the Vatican as assistants to Archbishop de Paolis in his work leading the commission. Bishop Brian Farrell, 66, a member of the Legionaries who was ordained a priest for the order in 1969, is a Dublin native and presently is the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity origins are associated with the Second Vatican Council which met intermittently from 1962–1965.Pope John XXIII wanted the Catholic Church to engage in the contemporary ecumenical movement...

 (from 1970 to 1976 he served as director of the Legionaries' U.S. novitiate in Orange, Connecticut
Orange, Connecticut
Orange is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,233 at the 2000 census. A 2007 Census Bureau estimate puts the population at 13,813. The town is governed by a Board of Selectmen.-History:...

). In addition, there are three canon lawyers: Jesuit Father Gianfranco Ghirlanda
Gianfranco Ghirlanda
Gianfranco Ghirlanda, S.J. is an Italian Roman Catholic priest and the former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.-Biography:Gianfranco Ghirlanda was born on 5 July 1942 in Rome....

, S.J.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

, a former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...

 in Rome; Sacred Heart Father Agostino Montan (a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a Roman Catholic religious order of priests. It was founded by Joseph-Marie Timon-David in 1852....

), who is the episcopal vicar of the Rome Diocese's office for consecrated life and a professor of canon law at Rome's Pontifical Lateran University
Pontifical Lateran University
The Pontifical Lateran University is a university by pontifical right based in Rome, Italy. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family...

; and Monsignor Mario Marchesi, who is the vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...

 of the Diocese of Cremona and who has taught canon law at the Legionaries' Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum
Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum
The Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum is an educational institute of the Roman Catholic Church in Rome.It is sponsored by the Legionaries of Christ and the lay ecclesial movement, Regnum Christi.-History:...

 in Rome. Archbishop de Paolis, Father Ghirlanda, and Father Montan are consultors to the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for everything which concerns institutes of consecrated life and Society of Apostolic Life regarding their government, discipline, studies, goods, rights, and...

. Monsignor Marchesi and Fathers Ghirlanda and Montan serve as consultors to the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for missionary work and related activities...

. Archbishop de Paolis and Father Ghirlanda also are members of the Vatican's highest legislative body outside of the Pope, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, and the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts.

Further reading

  • Bannon, Anthony. Peter on the Shore, Circle Press, 1996. ISBN 0-9651601-0-6
  • Berry, Jason and Renner, Gerald. 2004. Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II. Free Press. ISBN 0-7432-4441-9
  • Berry, Jason. Money paved way for Maciel's influence in the Vatican (First of Two Parts) and How Fr. Maciel built his empire (Second of Two Parts). National Catholic Reporter
    National Catholic Reporter
    The National Catholic Reporter is the second largest Catholic newspaper in the United States; its circulation reaches ninety-seven countries on six continents. Based in midtown Kansas City, Missouri, NCR was founded by Robert Hoyt in 1964 as an independent newspaper focusing on the Catholic Church...

    , Apr. 6 & 12, 2010
  • Conde, Angeles and David Murray: The Legion of Christ: A History Circle Press, 2004. ISBN 0-9743661-2-9
  • Langan, Patrick. Founders (Circle Press: 1998) ISBN 0-9651601-1-4
  • Maciel, Marcial. Christ Is My Life (Sophia Institute Press: 2003) ISBN 1-928832-97-0
  • Maciel, Marcial. Integral Formation of Catholic Priests (Alba House, 1992) ISBN 0-8189-0629-4

External links




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