Regnum Christi: Difference between revisions
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The Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi have received criticism both from members within the Catholic Church and without.<ref>[http://ncronline.org/news/abolition-legionaries-should-be-table Abolition of Legionaries should be 'on the table'], National Catholic Reporter.</ref><ref>Nelly Ramírez Mota Velasco, El reino de Marcial Maciel, Editorial Planeta, Mexico City, 2011, ISBN 978-607-07-0624-0.</ref><ref>[http://regainnetwork.org/ ReGAIN Network].</ref><ref>[http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2010/05/the-cost-of-father-maciel The Cost of Father Maciel], First Thing.</ref><ref>[http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/money-paved-way-maciels-influence-vatican Money paved way for Maciel's influence in the Vatican], [http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/how-fr-maciel-built-his-empire How Fr. Maciel built his empire], National Catholic Reporter.</ref> |
The Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi have received criticism both from members within the Catholic Church and without.<ref>[http://ncronline.org/news/abolition-legionaries-should-be-table Abolition of Legionaries should be 'on the table'], National Catholic Reporter.</ref><ref>Nelly Ramírez Mota Velasco, El reino de Marcial Maciel, Editorial Planeta, Mexico City, 2011, ISBN 978-607-07-0624-0.</ref><ref>[http://regainnetwork.org/ ReGAIN Network].</ref><ref>[http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2010/05/the-cost-of-father-maciel The Cost of Father Maciel], First Thing.</ref><ref>[http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/money-paved-way-maciels-influence-vatican Money paved way for Maciel's influence in the Vatican], [http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/how-fr-maciel-built-his-empire How Fr. Maciel built his empire], National Catholic Reporter.</ref> |
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On May 1, 2010 the Vatican issued a statement condemning Maciel as "immoral" and acknowledging that Maciel had committed "true crimes."<ref>[http://press.catholica.va/news_services/bulletin/news/25517.php?index=25517&po_date=01.05.2010&lang=it COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE HOLY SEE].</ref> Pope Benedict also said he would appoint a delegate to reform the Legionaries’ |
On May 1, 2010 the Vatican issued a statement condemning Maciel as "immoral" and acknowledging that Maciel had committed "true crimes."<ref>[http://press.catholica.va/news_services/bulletin/news/25517.php?index=25517&po_date=01.05.2010&lang=it COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE HOLY SEE].</ref> Pope Benedict also said he would appoint a delegate to reform the Legionaries’ charism, spirituality and constitutions. On July 9, 2010, Archbishop [[Velasio De Paolis]] was appointed as the papal delegate<ref>[http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1344290?eng=y Goodbye, Old Legion. All the Powers of the New General], Espresso Chiesa.</ref>. He was also given power to open a visitation of its lay affiliate Regnum Christi,<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/world/europe/02legion.html Pope Reins In Catholic Order Tied to Abuse (New York Times, May 2, 2010)]</ref> ended in june 2011 with the need for a similar reform.<ref>[http://www.regainnetwork.org/article.php?a=47246191 Vatican Commissioner DePaolis Says Regnum Christi Rules Are Invalid], ReGAIN Network.</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 13:15, 15 March 2012
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."
Ethos
The Ethos of Regnum Christi is essentially the same as the Legion of Christ with appropriate adaptations for lay life. Its spirituality can be described as four loves: love for Christ, love for Mary, love for souls, and love for the Church and Pope.
Love for Christ is, for Regnum Christi members, a personal experience. Through the Gospel, the Cross, and the Eucharist, they come to know Christ intimately, and love him in a passionate way by embracing him as their model of holiness.[1]
Love for Mary flows from imitating Christ; the Blessed Virgin is loved as both Mother of the Church and their mother. Regnum Christi members try to practice her virtues of faith, hope, charity, humility, and cooperation with Christ's plan of redemption.[1]
Love for Souls is expressed in an ardent desire to spread Christ's kingdom in this world and an ardent charity for one's neighbour. Regnum Christi members want Christ to reign in everyone's heart and practice charity with all independent of any external factor.[1]
Finally, there is Regnum Christi's love for Church and Pope. The Church is loved because it is the Body of Christ, and the beginning of his Kingdom on earth. Thus Regnum Christi members 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 Regnum Christi to speak of being always in step with the Church, neither ahead nor behind: a commitment to Catholic Orthodoxy. It also explains the members' 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.[1]
Activities of its members
Members of Regnum Christi make a commitment to specific daily prayers and meditation, weekly meetings, and annual spiritual retreats. They are required to work actively in some concrete way in service to the Catholic Church - usually through specific Regnum Christi apostolates. Its members call these works apostolates. These include those specific Regnum Christi (Mission Youth [Youth for the Third Millennium], Helping Hands Medical Missions, Familia, Conquest, Challenge, and Pure Fashion[2]), and other works in parishes or dioceses.
As of 2010, there were about 70,000 members in more than 30 countries.[3] Among these members, there are three degrees of commitment:
1st Degree: non-consecrated lay members of Regnum Christi.
2nd Degree: non-consecrated Regnum Christi members offer a greater service to the movement.
3rd Degree: consecrated members. These are both the consecrated women, consecrated men, and consecrated Legionaries. As of 2010, there were about 900 such members (not counting Legionaries), nearly all women, but also a handful of men. They give up possessions and ties to their former lives much in the way nuns or priests do. They adhere to Vatican-approved statutes that have promises in the same style (poverty, chastity and obedience) as nuns or religious men have vows. This is a new form of consecrated life in the Church with a unique canonical status.[4]
There is also a special reduced level of commitment for young people who are members of ECYD (Education, Culture and Youth Development). The members of ECYD make commitments to be a better friend of Christ, by saying a few prayers, practicing virtue, and doing some apostolate (service project).[5]
History
The first draft of the statutes for Regnum Christi was written and promulgated in 1959. On November 25, 2004, Pope John Paul II personally approved the statutes of the movement (this approval was for the core statutes not every single statute).[6] These statutes define the goals, spirituality, and structure of Regnum Christi. In a November 21, 2011 letter, Cardinal Velasio de Paolis asked the consecrated in Regnum Christi to edit their core set of norms, and took force away from a more extensive set of norms. He set up a small commission to revise them.[7][8]
Relationship with the Legion of Christ
Regnum Christi is directly tied to the Legion of Christ but is a separate entity within the Catholic Church. The nature of the association is that each member of the Legion of Christ is first a member of Regnum Christi and then a member of the Legion of Christ. A priest of the Legion is considered to be a third degree member of Regnum Christi. "Working with lay people is an essential part of the Legion’s apostolic methodology. The Legionaries carry out their apostolate above all with Regnum Christi members, forming them in human and Christian virtues, serving them with their priestly ministry, launching them in pastoral action, uniting efforts in their shared mission, and thus spurring on a great variety of works at the service of the Church."[9]
Criticism and controversy
The Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi have received criticism both from members within the Catholic Church and without.[10][11][12][13][14]
On May 1, 2010 the Vatican issued a statement condemning Maciel as "immoral" and acknowledging that Maciel had committed "true crimes."[15] Pope Benedict also said he would appoint a delegate to reform the Legionaries’ charism, spirituality and constitutions. On July 9, 2010, Archbishop Velasio De Paolis was appointed as the papal delegate[16]. He was also given power to open a visitation of its lay affiliate Regnum Christi,[17] ended in june 2011 with the need for a similar reform.[18]
References
- ^ a b c d Spirituality - Regnum Christi
- ^ www.missionnetwork.com
- ^ What is Regnum Christi
- ^ Canon Law and Consecrated Life in the Regnum Christi Movement Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
- ^ ECYD on the Regnum Christi Site
- ^ Pope, Vatican officials spotlight Legionaries, Regnum Christi
- ^ English Translation of Card. de Paolis's Letter
- ^ Rules for Legion-linked group invalid
- ^ What we Do - Legion of Christ
- ^ Abolition of Legionaries should be 'on the table', National Catholic Reporter.
- ^ Nelly Ramírez Mota Velasco, El reino de Marcial Maciel, Editorial Planeta, Mexico City, 2011, ISBN 978-607-07-0624-0.
- ^ ReGAIN Network.
- ^ The Cost of Father Maciel, First Thing.
- ^ Money paved way for Maciel's influence in the Vatican, How Fr. Maciel built his empire, National Catholic Reporter.
- ^ COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE HOLY SEE.
- ^ Goodbye, Old Legion. All the Powers of the New General, Espresso Chiesa.
- ^ Pope Reins In Catholic Order Tied to Abuse (New York Times, May 2, 2010)
- ^ Vatican Commissioner DePaolis Says Regnum Christi Rules Are Invalid, ReGAIN Network.