Address of the Holy Father to the participants in the General Chapter of the Legionaries of Christ and the General Assemblies of the Consecrated Women and Consecrated Laity of Regnum Christi
Pope's full speech in Spanish
Pope's full speech in Italian
Rome, February 29, 2020.This Saturday, February 29th, Pope Francis was scheduled to hold an audience with the participants in the General Chapter of the Legionaries of Christ and the Assemblies of Consecrated and Consecrated Women and the Lay Consecrated Men which has not taken place because of third consecutive day there have been cancellations in the Holy Father's schedule. The Holy See has published the message which the Pope wished to address to the attendees, and was read in the Assemblies and Chapter during the morning.
A change of mentality to get out of self-referentiality
The Pope insisted in his speech that the renewal “is not finished” because “the change of mentality in individuals and in an institution requires a long time of assimilation”, therefore a “continuous conversion”. In his message, the Pope recalled that the criminal life of the Founder “contaminated to a certain extent the charism that the Spirit had originally given to the Church” which was reflected in the norms, in the praxis of government and in the lifestyle “of the whole Regnum Christi”. But that, hand in hand with the Church, Regnum Christi has traveled a path that has meant a real “change of mentality” that has been reflected in the new Constitutions and Statutes, which are “truly new”, says the Pope, “because they reflect a new spirit” and a vision “consistent with the Second Vatican Council”, the result of a work in which “your communities have been involved”.
The Pope says in his message that “this has been possible because you have been docile to the help and support that the Church has offered you”, and because you have realized “the real need for a renewal that would make you come out of the self-referentiality in which you had enclosed yourselves”. He insists that the path of renewal “must continue” because “the change of mentality in individuals and in an institution requires a long time of assimilation”, therefore a “continuous conversion”.
He also insisted that the process continues: ”I hope that your new governments are aware that the path of renewal is not over, because the change of mentality in individuals and in an institution requires a long time of assimilation, therefore, of a continuous conversion”, his speech says.
“The words of Pope Francis fill us with gratitude and encourage us to follow the path of discernment and renewal with commitment and docility to the Spirit”, he said. Nancy Nohrden, The fact that he confirmed the steps we have taken in recent years reinforces our desire to address with courage and humility the mistakes of the past and to walk in truth to make present the kingdom of Christ,“ she said. ”That he confirmed the steps we have taken in recent years reinforces our desire to address with courage and humility the mistakes of the past and to walk in truth to make present the reign of Christ," she said.
For its part, Félix Gómez Rueda, The General Director for Consecrated Laity, thanked the Holy Father for “hearing that the work of these years has allowed us to highlight the charism originally given by the Holy Spirit and truly inserted in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council”.
“We are grateful for the Holy Father's message and the close accompaniment of the Holy See,” expressed the P. John Connor, L.C. recently elected director general of the Legionaries of Christ. “Aware of what we have learned, recognizing and purifying the sad aspects of our past, we look to the future with hope, seeing a new stage in the path of renewal that must continue,” he assured.
For Francisco Gámez, The Pope calls us to have a continuous attitude of spiritual renewal. The lay members of Regnum Christi do not want to live a static charism, nor a closed one, only for a few. We want in a constant discernment to put our charism in contact with reality, with those who do not know God, with the existential peripheries“, he assured.
Regnum Christi Federation
On June 12, 2019, the Holy See, through the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CIVCSVA), constituted the Regnum Christi Federation and approved its Statutes. The new Statutes express the common ground reached by the four vocations of Regnum Christi during the renewal process with regard to their common charism and mission, spirituality, membership, organization and governance. It has been a participatory and global process in which all the members of Regnum Christi of the four vocations that make up this ecclesial reality, some 22,000 among Legionaries of Christ, consecrated women, consecrated laity and lay people, have been involved since 2010.
Collegiate governance
Hand in hand with the Church, the mechanisms that regulate the exercise of government and authority have been reformed, in order to exercise it as the Holy See indicated after the apostolic visitation in 2010, “united to the truth, to respect conscience and to be exercised in the light of the Gospel as authentic ecclesial service”. In addition to the changes in the constitutions of the three consecrated vocations, Regnum Christi has introduced a collegial mode of government for the whole. In this way, it seeks to highlight the spirit of communion, co-responsibility and complementarity of the vocations while respecting the autonomy of each one.
Regnum Christi in figures
In the world, at the end of 2018 Regnum Christi had 22,652 lay members, 523 consecrated women, 59 consecrated laity and 1,501 Legionaries of Christ.
The educational work has 185,000 students in the world. It has 14 civil universities in Mexico, Italy, Spain, Chile and the United States, 154 schools (31 of which are Mano Amiga schools for children in marginalized areas of Mexico, Chile, Argentina, the Philippines, Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil). In addition, it has the Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, the John Paul II Institute for the Family in Mexico, the Pontifical International College Maria Mater Ecclesiae in Rome and the Seminary Maria Mater Ecclesiae in Brazil.
Evangelization missions
Thousands of families and young people, especially during Holy Week and summer periods, put 100% at the service of the parish priests of the diocesan church to collaborate with them in evangelization. There are missionaries from 30 countries: United States, El Salvador, Venezuela, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Ivory Coast, Poland, New Zealand, Australia, Romania, Hungary, Philippines, Canada, Belize, Italy, France, Spain, Mexico, Ireland, Germany, Bosnia, Bahamas, Lebanon, England, Austria, Belgium and Lithuania.
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