On the 4th of June at 19:00 hours, Rome time, a panel of members from the General Comitee that elaborated the Regnum Christi’s General Statutes Draft, will give a conference about this important document for the Movement.
What path has been taken to get here? What’s left to do to get to the definitive Statutes? Download a timeline that shows the process here.
[English translation of Spanish original]
Prot. DG-RC 349-2016
Clas. III.5.10
October 12, 2016
To the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi
To the Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi
To the Legionaries of Christ
To all lay members of the Movement
Dear friends in Christ,
On this day in several countries the Church commemorates the Blessed Virgin Mary under various titles, each involving lovely expressions of popular piety. Under her maternal gaze, we turn to all members of Regnum Christi to look back at the path we have taken in recent years in the course of drafting the General Statutes of the Movement. We also want to look at the steps still to be taken in the coming months and suggest some basic attitudes to help us take advantage of this period, which can help us grow in personal holiness and as a Movement offer fruitful service to our brothers and sisters and to the Church.
The general assemblies of the consecrated branches, which took place in November and December of 2013, and the General Chapter of the Legion of Christ, held in January and February of 2014, all expressed their awareness that they form part of the Regnum Christi Movement, and as such participate in the same charism and share the same spirituality and mission with the Catholic lay people who live it out according to their own specific vocation. The complementarity of the different vocations was seen as a special strength of the Movement in terms of evangelization. Likewise, the General Chapter recognized “the self-government of the consecrated branches as a step forward for the consolidation of Regnum Christi as a whole” (CCG 2014, 28).
On March 19, 2014, the General Regnum Christi Committee was set up for the purpose of “involving all branches of the Regnum Christi Movement in a coordinated way, through participation and shared responsibility in the evangelizing mission of the Movement” (Government Act No 1/2014). It approved the Framework for Collaboration in the Mission, a “temporary instrument that springs from the need to address in the short term the elements related to coordinating our evangelizing mission” (Letter of March 19, 2014) and that has guided us and helped us to learn how to govern the Movement in common over the past two and a half years.
On July 3, 2014, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life made official the appointment of Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlanda, SJ, as pontifical assistant, with the special task of helping us with his advice and support to find “a suitable canonical formulation for […] Regnum Christi and a fitting structural relation among the different vocations that compose it” (Letter from the General Director to the Legionaries of Christ, July 3, 2014).
On October 2, 2014, the process of preparing the General Statutes of Regnum Christi formally began. The Statutes were to offer a description of its charism and spirituality, as well as “the most appropriate legal structure to foster communion in mission” (Letter from the General Director to members of the first and second degree of Regnum Christi, October 2, 2014). In the first stage of this process the lay members of first and second degree were supposed to express their particular way of living the charism of Regnum Christi, analogous to what the general assemblies and the General Chapter had done for the other branches respectively.
All members were invited to participate in this process. The celebration of the various territorial conventions during the first months of this year marked an important milestone. Some Legionaries and consecrated members also participated in these conventions, bringing to the discussions their experience of service and support to the Movement over the years. At the territorial conventions delegates were elected for the international convention of lay members, to be held in Rome around the celebration of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, the conclusion of the Jubilee Year for the 75th anniversary of the foundation.
The celebration of the international convention in Rome marked the end of the first stage. On June 4, the General Director shared the most important conclusions reached by the Regnum Christi lay members. These included the ratification of the essential elements of the identity of the Regnum Christi member, namely, spiritual life as a progressive development of divine life in the person, leading to configuration with Christ; integral formation; the apostolate as a response to the inner call to evangelize; personal accompaniment; and team life. The lay members ruled out the option of becoming a separate legal entity and opted instead to form an entity linked to Regnum Christi as a whole, though not to any of the consecrated branches in particular. As bearers of the charism of the Movement, they expressed their willingness to participate actively and responsibly in common governing bodies of the Regnum Christi Movement at various levels and particularly in decisions that affect their particular way of life.
From June 28 to July 1, the second plenary session of Regnum Christi took place in Rome. The members of the general governments of the consecrated branches and some lay members participated. As the Director General mentioned in his letter dated July 2, the contributions of the General Chapter and the general assemblies were looked at again, in addition to the contributions of the international convention of the laity. It helped us to get acquainted with other ecclesial organizations that, like us, have a common charism lived out in different forms of life. It was especially helpful to hear about their current canonical configuration, how they had reached this point and how they lived it out in practice in light of their mission.
The Central Commission presented various criteria to guide the preparation of the General Statutes and these were approved.
The different options that canon law currently provides for structuring the Movement were presented. We looked at the relative advantages and disadvantages of each, trying to understand what each implied on the practical level, so as to make an informed choice about which of them could best express, preserve, guard and promote the charism of the Movement. As we reflected on the possible forms of government and of administration available, the main guiding criteria was to look for what would best foster communion and collaboration in the mission, participation in and responsibility for the charism and the autonomy of the internal life of each branch: the Legion, consecrated lay men and consecrated women. It was these considerations, more than any purely organizational ones that drove the discussions.
In September, at the assembly of the territorial directors, we tried to offer them a concentrated experience similar to that of the second plenary session of Regnum Christi and get their feedback. Together we reflected on the identity and mission that the Lord has given us for the good of the Church and how these can best be reflected in the General Statutes, which should “protect more faithfully the vocation and identity” of the Movement, which contain “fundamental rules about the government […] discipline […], incorporation and formation of [its members] “(c. 587).
Since this process does not spring from purely theoretical considerations, but from a lived history, Salvatore Bonventre of the General Historical Archives, gave a presentation, based on the source material, of the evolution and various modalities of the relationship between the Legion and the Movement over time.
The territorial directors approved the criteria for the drafting of the Statutes proposed by the attendees at the plenary session. They had time to study and discuss various models of administration and governance of the Movement, as well as the canonical options currently available. All agreed that this theme still requires more prayer, reflection and analysis.
No decision has been taken for any of the options that canon law currently provides since that corresponds to the General Assembly of Regnum Christi, and to the extraordinary General Chapter of the Legion and the extraordinary general assemblies of the consecrated members that precede it. However, looking at what we discovered during the process of renewal, our history and what we have learned over the past two and a half years, the structure that seems best to reflect our reality from the legal point of view would be that of a federation composed of three consecrated branches, which lay people would join directly as individuals.
This canonical configuration seems to be the one that best ensures the unity of the Movement and its apostolic effectiveness through joint bodies of government in which everyone can participate, as well as the legitimate autonomy in the internal life of the Legion, the consecrated women and the consecrated men. This scheme allows each of the branches to have their own patrimony that will permit them to work towards their own specific ends as they are reflected in the Constitutions and Statutes.
We general directors and our councilors are aware that, as is usual in the case of anything new, some might feel a bit worried or resistant when they hear that Regnum Christi could be set up as a federation. Before jumping to conclusions that can cause uneasiness, we should all make the effort to inform ourselves well about what this does and does not mean, so that questions and concerns that arise are based on solid information. When the draft version of the Statutes are presented, the reasons will be given for which proposals seemed best.
Clearly both the scope and characteristics of an eventual federation still have to be studied. Still to be defined are what is common to all branches, what is specific to each and what the configuration and powers of the governing bodies will be. In all of this, the draft proposal will have to protect and ensure the possibility of the communion typical of our charism and mission. It will also have to preserve everything we have gained in the renewal process.
The second stage of development of the General Statutes, as proposed by the Central Commission, began with the conclusion of the international convention of the lay members held this past June. This stage aims at preparing a draft of the Statutes that contains all the convictions gathered up until this point according to the criteria we just laid out.
It is undeniable that the process of drafting the Statutes and the experience of governance in each of the consecrated branches are closely linked. For this reason, and following the recommendation of the members of the Central Commission for drafting the Statutes, and after consultation with the Regnum Christi General Committee, the General Director has dissolved the Commission and transferred its functions to the Regnum Christi General Committee itself. The draft, therefore, will be prepared by the General Committee, which will be advised by the pontifical assistant and supported by an editorial team under the leadership of Fr. Sylvester Heereman. We want to publicly thank the commission members for the quality work and the sincere commitment and sense of responsibility shown during this time.
The plan is to have the draft version of the Statutes ready to be sent to all members in May 2017. At that point the third stage of the process begins. The draft will be studied by the members of all the branches in various modalities.
First, members will study the Statues individually or together in small groups, teams or communities—or even as localities—to become acquainted with the text and reflect upon it. As a next step, territorial assemblies will be held between September and November 2017. Legionaries, consecrated women, consecrated men and lay members will participate with voice and vote. After that, in April 2018, the Regnum Christi General Assembly will take place with the participation of all the lifestyles that make up the Movement. Its mission will be to review and approve the General Statutes and submit them to the Holy See for its approval.
Immediately before the Regnum Christi General Assembly, the Legionaries will hold an extraordinary general chapter and the lay consecrated men and consecrated women will hold their own respective extraordinary general assemblies. These will be convened by the general directors of each branch in accordance with their proper law. In the case of the Legionaries and the consecrated women, this presupposes the prior celebration of territorial assemblies. In this way all Legionaries and consecrated members will be able to express their opinion on the draft of the Statutes through the official organ that is the highest authority in the Congregation and in the associations of the consecrated members.
As you can see, 2017 and 2018 will be intense years filled with hard work in preparation for the territorial assemblies and the General Assembly. That is why we want to offer some recommendations so that we take advantage of this as the moment of grace that it is, in order to avoid falling into the trap of getting lost in the merely practical elements.
First, we encourage everyone to experience this process with a contemplative and evangelizing attitude. We need to put our faith into practice as we do what the Lord has asked of us through the Church and the signs of the times, to discover in them expressions of his love. Only if we see the gift we have received from a supernatural perspective will we be prepared to be those instruments by which we can help the Regnum Christi charism take on flesh in the “today” of salvation history. From the perspective of faith this process gives us the chance to renew ourselves inwardly and renew our enthusiasm for the mission that the Lord has entrusted to us.
Second, we invite each and every one of you to cultivate a mature outlook that transcends personal points of view. We all have to open ourselves up, as it were, to the “catholicity” of the Movement, which is called to take form in different cultural contexts and historical circumstances. With a good dose of generosity and trust in the Lord, as well as supernatural spirit, a true gift of God, we will in this way be able to detect what is truly essential to the identity and mission of Regnum Christi and to better describe the charism, spirituality, lifestyle and mission of the Movement.
Probably there is no perfect solution for the formulation of the charism and spirituality of the Movement or for our canonical configuration, because language is always limited when it comes to the supernatural. It also does not seem realistic to expect to completely satisfy everyone. However, it is important that instead of looking for what will not work, we constantly ask ourselves what will allow the Movement to function within the boundaries of what is possible at this time. It is understandable and even healthy that there may be some objections to parts of the draft of the Statutes. We invite everyone to try to go deep and understand what is being proposed, taking into account what we have already learned during the renewal process and offering concrete alternative solutions when not in agreement with a certain proposal.
Thirdly, we ask everyone to continue to accompany this process in prayer and by living out the charism, to foster open communication among all and, above all, to promote the experience of giving oneself entirely to the mission and the service of others. Hopefully the process will help us all to rediscover the beauty of our vocation and mission. We can take advantage of this time to sow deeply in our hearts and so to experience the joy of working together that can manifest a little better each day the communion that springs from our common vocation. If we grow in our appreciation and understanding of what each vocation brings to the Movement, and of the beauty of unity in our diversity, our very way of living will be able to help many other people to meet Jesus Christ and become his apostles.
Finally, we invite everyone to take the time to read and study the documents that mark out the path which began at the end of the extraordinary General Chapter and the general assemblies of the consecrated members. By knowing them and living out their content, may we all come to be true “prophets of the New Testament” who know how to discover the Lord’s voice and, like St. John the Baptist, be able to point out his living presence among us.
This is a period of hope that we want to experience with the Blessed Virgin Mary at our side. May she attain for us from her Son the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we do whatever Jesus wants to tell us.
United in prayer,
Father Eduardo Robles-Gil, L.C.
Jorge Lopez
Gloria Rodriguez
On June 3, 2016, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, the Jubilee Year for the 75th anniversary of our founding came to an end, as did the International Convention of Regnum Christi in Rome. Our General Director prepared the homily published below. (Readings: Ezek 34:11-16; Ps 22; Rom 5:5-11; Lk 15:3-7)
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want! This acclamation, which we sang in the responsorial Psalm, expresses very well the meaning of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart that we celebrate today. At the same time, it sheds light on the closing of the Jubilee Year for the 75th anniversary of our foundation that began one year ago on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart in 2015. The acclamation also relates well to the wrapping up of the work of the International Convention of Regnum Christi Members of the 1st and 2nd degree of Regnum Christi, whose contributions enrich us and have brought us a step closer to General Statutes for the Movement.
“I myself will feed my sheep” (Ezek 34:15)
The prophet Ezekiel conveys a vision of the future, one that reawakens in the people of Israel their longing for the coming of the Messiah. Jesus Christi is identified in the Gospel with the Good Shepherd, but he also speaks of the future, of sheep that are in another fold, saying that there will be one fold and one shepherd …
This prophecy gradually comes to fulfillment in time. We have ourselves experienced the tenderness and mercy of God who has come to seek out each one of us as individuals, and the Legion and the Movement as a whole, when we were lost in days of darkness and gloom (see Ezekiel 34) – and there sure were enough of those in our history which we are not going to forget any time soon! Jesus wanted to give his life for us, to reconcile us to the Father.
Is it not so that this Jubilee Year brought us to remember once again the mercy of Christ who called us to help build up his Kingdom, each according to his specific vocation, be that as a Legionary, a lay consecrated woman or man, a married or single lay person? For many of us, this year gave us the chance to see that Christ is not afraid of going to seek us out wherever we might be. He did this personally, but also through the Church, through other members of the large family of those baptized into Christ.
“Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.”
Today this year of grace marking our 75th anniversary comes to an end. We had wanted to thank God for his faithfulness and all the gifts he has blessed us with and to rekindle the desire to serve him through prayer and apostolate, especially through charity and the works of mercy. We also wanted to purify our memory, make reparation for our sins and open ourselves to the grace of personal and institutional conversion.
Each of us knows to what extent he has opened himself up to this extraordinary period that the Church gave us and which winds up today. The spiritual gifts that he wanted to give remain in our hearts. But perhaps the most important thing is that we have learned to contemplate the face of Christ, to let ourselves be found by Him and receive his mercy and to allow him to send us forth as witnesses of his love.
I therefore believe that today the Heart of Christ tells us in a special way, “Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.” He is the protagonist in our story. We are not. He is the one who guides our steps. The best thing we can do is recognize that he has done wonders for us and showered his mercy upon us. This is not due to any merit on our part but simply because he loves to show us his goodness and tenderness. His heart rejoices when we welcome the gifts he offers us, even though many times that involves leaving aside our personal ways of looking at things, our preconceptions, our way of doing things …
The heart of Christ rejoices because he was able to find us. We rejoice for the same reason. There is obviously no place in our rejoicing for vain triumphalism, nor for any self-exaltation on the part of the Legion and Regnum Christi. Both as individuals and as a spiritual family in the Church, over this period we had the chance to become fully aware of our limitations, our weaknesses, our hesitation and our sins. We were able to ask God’s forgiveness for our infidelities during the first 75 years of our history. Today we apologize once again to all those whose faith was shaken or who were harmed by our mistakes. We ask the Heart of Jesus to help them experience his nearness and peace. But we cannot stop trembling with joy, knowing the Lord loves us deeply, sought us out even though we were sinners and enemies (see Rom 5:9), and carries us on his shoulders and allows us to rest our head on his chest (see Lk 15:5).
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, wants us to get in tune with what he feels in his heart: “Rejoice with me!” We have been found! We have received his mercy!
“He guides me along right paths … Your goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life.” (Psalm 22)
Today the international convention of lay Movement members as well as our Jubilee Year have come to an end. In a way we now go back to our usual occupations but we cannot be the same. Jesus goes ahead of us, leading the way …We have to start afresh from Christ and go forward with Him.
We can and must accompany Christ on the right path. In what does that consist? Drawing from the instructions and recommendations we received from the General Chapter and the general assemblies of the consecrated branches, as well as from what we heard during these past days of work from the 1st and 2nd degree members, I think it has to include the following points:
Be witnesses of his mercy, of communion and reconciliation. Let us not forget our history, with its lights and shadows. At the same time let us not get stuck in the past, with all the good and bad that it holds. Let us bear witness today to the effects of the mercy we found in the Heart of Christ. Let us foster communion among ourselves and throughout the whole Church. Let us foster dialogue, the ability to accept others, to forgive and ask for forgiveness. Let us be patient with one another, as Jesus has been with all of us. Let us not stop along the way nor leave anyone behind, since the Good Shepherd does not allow any sheep to go lost. Let us open up to the future with hope, witnessing to the truth of the Gospel in the world.Today a year of special grace for our family of the Legion and Regnum Christi come to a close. Let us continue to immerse ourselves in the celebration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Let us pray for Pope Francis and his ministry. Let us also pray that God send good and holy vocations to the consecrated branches of the Movement and to the Legion. Let us ask the Heart of Christ to bless families, especially those in difficulty, so that they are places that make his love visible. Above all, let us ask the Good Shepherd to help us understand the program he has laid out for our future, the program that can be summed up in six words: “Christ Our King! Thy Kingdom Come!”
From May 30th to June 3rd, 64 delegates elected by the territorial conventions and 16 participants of the Legion and the consecrated members gathered in Rome to celebrate the RC International Convention. It is another milestone in the renewal process of the Movement.
Today, Fr. Eduardo Robles-Gil sent a letter to Legionaries and members of Regnum Christi to share what was lived during the Convention as well as some of its highlights. He also explains in a succinct manner the steps ahead in the process of renewal. Here is the full text of the letter:
Thy Kingdom Come!
Prot. DG-RC 101-2016
Clas. II.1.2
Rome. June 4th, 2016.
Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
To the members and friends of Regnum Christi
Dear friends in Christ,
Yesterday, on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Jubilee Year marking the 75th anniversary of our founding came to a close, as did the Regnum Christi International Convention. Both events served as special times of grace, helping us discover the hand of God acting in our lives and in the life of our spiritual family. They gave us the chance to thank the Lord for that infinite mercy of his that allows us to continue on the journey filled with hope.
From May 30th to June 3rd, 64 delegates elected at the territorial conventions and 16 participants from the Legion and the consecrated branches gathered in Rome to celebrate the International Convention. This was another important step in the Regnum Christi’s renewal process, which is helping us to delve more deeply into our charism, renew our passion for the mission and find an appropriate canonical configuration for the Movement. Our pontifical advisor, Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlanda, SJ, was present at the convention, and on Tuesday the Secretary of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Msgr. José Rodríguez Carballo, OFM, celebrated the Eucharist for the group. On Wednesday Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, CS, joined us, presiding at Mass, and that same day we also had the chance to participate on the general audience with the Holy Father in the Plaza of Saint Peter’s.
I wanted to share with you some of the experiences of these days and the most important results of the convention. I also wanted to lay out briefly the steps we will have to take in the upcoming months.
This text from St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy was read in the Mass last Wednesday. I think it expresses well the spirit with which we worked during these days.
Our discussions were guided by a Working Document prepared by the Central Commission that included the recommendations from the territorial conventions. We worked in plenary sessions and in small groups made up of members of various ages, backgrounds and countries of origin, trying to discern well and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
In the working sessions and during breaks we spoke to each other quite a bit and shared what we thought, at times passionately, due to the love and appreciation we all have for our charism. We have also had the chance to listen to points of view that differed from our own. Through this we experienced firsthand that diversity is in no way a threat to Regnum Christi’s unity but rather an expression of its richness and its capacity to adapt to different cultural and ecclesial contexts.
The essential elements of our spiritual patrimony (see Code of Canon Law, c. 578), common to all the vocations which form part of Regnum Christi, resounded in our hearts and were reaffirmed. We looked at those characteristics particular to the identity and mission of the lay members, which were summarized in the following way: “The lay members of the Regnum Christi Movement are Christian faithful who personally accept a divine vocation to live their baptismal commitments in the midst of temporal realities according to the charism of Regnum Christi.”
Among the essential elements of our spiritual patrimony, the ones that stood out most were Christ-centeredness and the mission to form apostles and help them develop their leadership to better serve the Kingdom of God in the state of life to which they are called. We also felt again how important love for the Church and for Christ’s vicar on earth are for us, as well as fidelity to the bishops, successors of the apostles. We allowed ourselves to be challenged by the love of Christ who came to set the earth on fire and wishes it were already blazing (see Luke 12:49).
We recalled that our membership in Regnum Christi is based on a vocation. It is a free and loving response to Christ’s personal invitation to live the Gospel for the good of his Kingdom and of society in a specific way. It was evident that we need to continue deepening in our spiritual life, understood as the ongoing development of the life of the Trinity within us leading to configuration with Christ. We have to give grace pride of place and see our apostolate and our efforts to practice virtue in that light, as a response to God’s initiative.
We also saw that some guidelines are necessary to be able to offer a truly integral formation to Movement members, as well as to those who benefit from our apostolic works and those who participate actively in them. The Statutes are obviously not the place to trace out a formation program, which has to be adapted to the needs and characteristics of different cultures and of the local Churches. At the same time it seems necessary to offer some general guidelines in the Statutes regarding the formation we want to offer Movement members.
Another aspect evident to all is the sense that we belong to a single spiritual family in which the one charism can be lived out within different vocations. The lay members of Regnum Christi expressed their desire to live in communion with Legionaries, consecrated women and lay consecrated men. We also confirmed that we share in a common mission and that each person is called to make their own distinctive contribution.
The lay members almost unanimously confirmed that they preferred not to form an association exclusive to themselves, but rather to be a part of the Movement as a whole on an individual basis. This was in line with what all the territorial conventions had previously expressed. At the same time the lay members clearly indicated they want to participate in the leadership of Regnum Christi, whatever form the governing structure will have in the Statutes, and be involved in decisions which affect the common mission of the Movement.
The delegates also said that the fragmentation of apostolic activity which can occur at the local level needs to be overcome. We have to coordinate our attempts to evangelize better, and that will be the fruit of communion in the mission at the locality level.
We also shared what we think and what we have experienced concerning the apostolate of forming leaders at the service of the Church. We spoke of the need to delve deeper, purifying this aspect whenever necessary but maintaining those aspects rooted in the Gospel. The same principles have to be applied to other concepts such as, for example, efficaciousness. Rather than the product of techniques and strategies, they have to be the fruit of the docile collaboration with the Holy Spirit, where we put our whole being into play, with our talents and limitations. We have to avoid falling into worldly ways of thinking and acting that do not reflect the logic of the Kingdom as proclaimed by Christ in the Gospel.
Tensions and disagreements arose when we spoke about certain themes—some of them important—in which, despite moving ahead, we did not reach a consensus. For instance, the delegates acknowledged the existence of two types of lay membership in Regnum Christi which until now have been referred to as the “1st and 2nd degree”. The delegates felt we have to new names that better reflect the essence of the distinction and include these in the Statutes. The delegates asked the Central Commission to continue looking for an appropriate way to express the two types of membership, taking into account the proceedings from these days. In other areas the disagreements were more about terminology. Tension and disagreement did not disappear, but it was clear that what unites us is greater than the differences. We will have to praying about these topics and discussing them to find out what God wants from us.
The delegates agreed that we have to get to know the history of the Movement better, with its lights and shadows. We will then be able to look upon the past with gratitude and savor God’s mercy in a deeper way. We will be able to learn from our mistakes to avoid them in the future. Finally we will be better able to discover what the Lord is trying to say to us through these events from the past. Renewal cannot be complete if we do not remember what has happened in our history. This “remembering” is essential for allowing us to understand and develop our identity and mission in the Church.
In general there was a great fraternal and community spirit. We were not exactly sure how things would turn out, but trusted that the Holy Spirit would be active. Due to the atmosphere of mutual trust and respect, everyone was able to say what they thought. We were also able to transcend our personal experiences and discover the essential elements of God’s gift to us. We well realized that we not inventing the Movement but rather rediscovering it and embracing it with renewed enthusiasm.
Through the international convention the lay members of Regnum Christi have expressed what they see as particular to their specific vocation and what is common to the Movement as a whole. The results of the discussions in the plenary hall will soon be available for consultation on the International Convention’s website.
In the upcoming months the Central Commission will work with the pontifical advisor to prepare a proposal for the canonical configuration of Regnum Christi as a whole. They will base themselves on what the lay members of the Movement discerned during the international convention, as well as the submissions from the General Chapter of the Legion of Christ and the General Assemblies of the consecrated branches of the Movement. What we have learned from the application of the Framework for Collaborative Governance in the past years will also be considered.
Following the steps laid out by the Central Commission, the Legionaries, consecrated members, and lay members, will then be asked to look over the draft of the Statutes before it is presented to the Holy See for approval. It is not exactly clear how this will be done but what is clear is that it will be in some kind of representative way.
These juridical elements are no doubt important, but beyond that we are now called to “bear our share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God”. We want to share the joy that comes from knowing that we belong to this family within the Church, that we have experienced God’s love and affection for us and that we have received this tremendous opportunity to renew and purify ourselves in order to serve others in a more Gospel-centered way.
During the time of renewal God has sown many graces in our hearts that we are called to share generously in our sections, works of apostolate, teams, and families. I trust that these graces will bear fruit in due time. With this in mind, let us once again hear Christ calling us to follow him and be his tireless apostles, to take up our cross and go forth to whole world, to preach his Kingdom of love and justice, mercy, reconciliation and peace.
And in light of all this I say to you—and to myself as well: “Let us move on! It is time to be on our way!” Let’s not let new and unexpected developments paralyze us. The journey is long and too much for us (see 1 Kings 19:7), but let us continue on this path knowing that we are not alone. Jesus accompanies us with the strength of his Spirit, with a good and merciful Heart that forgives everything, with a passionate love for all men and women, and the burning desire that his Father be loved by all.
Please pray for the delegates and participants in the International Convention, as well as for the members of the secretarial department who helped us make this event possible. We are very grateful to all those who supported us with their prayers during these days. May Our Lady bless you, your families, communities and teams.
Your brother in Christ and the Movement,
Fr. Eduardo Robles Gil, LC
After a long day of discussions (sometimes spirited) the delegates spent a holy hour on the eve of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The delegates consecrated their territories to the Sacred Heart, pledging service to the one who blesses us and calls on us to evangelize the world.
A brave and persuasive photographer gathered all the participants into the chapel for a photo. The convention has 64 voting delegates, all lay people. If you count the faces in the group picture you will quickly realize that there are more than 64 — and some obviously are not lay people.
That’s because there are Legionaries, consecrated men and consecrated women who are participating in the convention — but don’t vote (as the lay delegates do).
Most of the work goes on in plenary sessions of the entire group and small group discussions. Of course, these being humans, there is much discussion over meals, during coffee breaks and on the bus on the occasional field trip to places like St. Peter’s Square.
All participants make time for personal prayer and reflection.
Many of the delegates were up late last night to review drafts of various portions of the proposed statuates and prepare recommendations for improvements. But the group was on the bus at 7 a.m. to head to St. Peter’s Square and the Wednesday audience with the Holy Father.
Pope Francis talked about the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. (cf. Lk 18:9-14).
“Both men go up to the temple to pray, but they act in very different ways, and obtain the opposite results. The Pharisee prays “standing” (v. 11), and uses many words. His is, yes, a prayer of thanksgiving addressed to God, but in reality it is a display of his own merits, with a sense of superiority over “other men”, described as “extortioners, unjust, adulterers,” as, for example, — and he signals the who was there — “this tax collector” (v. 11).
“But this is precisely where the problem lies: The Pharisee prays to God, but in reality looks to himself. He prays to himself! Instead of having the Lord before his eyes, he has a mirror. Although he is in the temple, he does not feel the need to prostrate himself before the majesty of God; he stands, he feels secure, almost as though he were the lord of the temple! He lists the good works he has accomplished: he is irreprehensible, observant of the Law beyond what is required, he fasts “twice a week” and pays “tithes” on all he possesses. In short, more than praying, the Pharisee takes pleasure in his own observance of the precepts. Yet his attitude and his words are far from God’s way of acting and and speaking, who loves all people and does not despise sinners. On the contrary, the Pharisee despises sinners, even when he notes the one who is there. In short, the Pharisee, who thinks he is righteous, neglects the most important commandment: love for God and for neighbor.”
