Legion of Christ

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Introduction

The Legion of Christ is a Catholic religious congregation established in 1941 in Mexico by Fr. Marcial Maciel. It enjoyed the favor of Pope John Paul II, possibly in part because of its flexibility in facing contemporary challenges and reputation for sound teaching. It is currently one of the Church's fastest-growing congregations, with a presence in 20 countries, and over 550 priests and 2,500 seminarians. Critics cite recruitment from their schools of children identified as having vocations to the priesthood and aggressive fundraising required of its priests as two reasons for such rapid growth, particularly in Latin Countries. It also operates several schools in North America as well as Mexico and other Latin American countries.

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The founder

Fr. Marcial Maciel (1920-?) was born into an extremely devout Catholic family living in a fiercely-anticlerical Mexico. On June 19, 1936, Fr. Marcial - just a young seminarian at the time - felt called to establish a new religious order. Marcial Maciel responded to God's call and in 1941, with the support of the bishop of Cuernavaca, Bishop Francisco González Arias, the Legion was born. A recent letter explains the foundation in terms of Christian love:

"Charity, love, is then the essence of Christianity, the deepest explanation of the Incarnation and Christ’s work of Redemption. That’s why I cannot picture a Christianity or understand a truly Christian life whose soul is not charity. This is clearly the essence of the charism God inspired in me when I was sixteen and he asked me to found the Legion and Regnum Christi. And this was what the first cofounders with the help of grace strove to live from the early foundation." (Letter for the Feast of Christ the King, 23 October 2001)

Fr. Maciel was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop González Arias in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City on the 26th November 1944, after which he continued to build up the Legion and its lay companion, Regnum Christi.

Called to accompany Pope John Paul II on his visits to Mexico in 1979, 1990, and 1993, Fr. Maciel was also appointed by the Holy Father to the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the formation of Candidates for the Priesthood in Actual Circumstances (1991). He has been 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 26th November, 1994, with 57 Legionary priests ordained on the anniversary's eve. Presently, Fr. Marcial Maciel also serves as Chancellor of the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, which is based in Rome.

In January of 2005 Fr. Maciel, at age 84, was succeeded by Fr. Alvaro Corcuera, LC as General Director of the Legion shortly after a reopening of a sex abuse investigation by the Vatican against Fr. Maciel by then Cardinal Ratzinger.

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Ethos

Members of the Legion take vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty, as well as private vows not to criticize the actions or the person of the superiors and to inform the superior if anyone else does and, like Cardinals entering a conclave to elect a pope, they take a vow of humility not to pursue any particular position. The Legion's spirituality can be described as three loves: love for Christ, love for Mary, and love for the Church and Pope. Image:Legionordination.jpg

Love for Christ is, for Legionaries, a personal experience. Through the Gospel, the Cross, and the Eucharist, Legionaries come to know Christ intimately, and love him in a passionate way by embracing him as their only 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. Legonaries consecrate their spiritual and apostolic lives to her care, and seek to taken on her virtues of faith, hope, charity, obedience, humility, and cooperation with Christ´s plan of redemption.

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 evangelisation, 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." 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.

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Politics

Many have argued that the congregation incorporates right-wing and conservative politics. The Legion, however, states that its focus is not on political alliances nor activism but on advancing the Church's social agenda as articulated by the Holy See. Its priests are particularly active on bioethical issues; the Legion's emphasis on bioethics is demonstrated by the facts its Pontifical Atheneum in Rome, the Regina Apostolorum, is the first university in the world granting bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in bioethics.

The congregation has been compared to Opus Dei because of its views and their mutual fidelity to the Church's Magisterium.

The congregation is pro-life. The Legion of Christ, like the Catholic Church, is also against homosexual activity as it considers the act a sin, and collaborates with psychologists who treat same-sex attraction as a disorder (see reparative therapy).

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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 stages: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral. This formation is very controversial, and critics charge that the Legion is producing "robots" who all speak and behave in the same way.

A large number of rules do guide the Legion members actions, ranging from "take the steps one at a time","do not use urinals", and "scoop French fries with a fork, do not poke them." Template:Fact Other rules restrain members from sharing their inner thoughts and feelings with people they encounter, including their own family members: "Always display happiness and serenity as a manifestation of inner richness. At the other extreme, avoid all sign of depression, insecurity or timidity. Do not display a worried, sad, melancholy or disgusted face, or show an exaggerated form of happiness." and even: "When receiving family visits, always appear happy, cordial, attentive, grateful and satisfied with the vocation that God has granted you." Template:Fact

"177. The first duty of a legionary is to love and esteem the Legion. As Nuestro Padre says, it is not a sin to love our Mother who is with all her being dedicated to the expansion of the Kingdom of Christ. On the other hand, when we do this, we are not laboring blindly for we have before our eyes the splendid fruits that the Legion has produced for forty years, the formation of its men and the radiance of its apostolates which confirm that it is work of God and of the Church.

178. To love the Legion is to believe in it and in all that which makes up its specific charism - spirituality, discipline, apostolic methodology. To love the Legion is to intimately know it, accept it in all its fullness, without reticence or diminution. To love the Legion is to actively pledge oneself to it, living its spirit and enriching it with the contribution of all of one’s personality. To love the Legion is to feel oneself fully realized within it and to make it an essential part of one’s own happiness."

Contact with the family is severely restricted as well. High school seminarians are permitted to visit home: 276. During periods of summer vacation for fifteen days. During this period the Rector and, if the number requires it, the Vice-Rector - each accompanied by another religious - should visit apostolics in their homes to attend to them spiritually and to cultivate the family. 277. During the Christmas holidays for three days. However, all apostolics should celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the vocational center and should do the same during the last day of the year. 278. For the name day or corresponding birthday of their parents for one day. This visit will, however, be subject to the approval of the Rector based on the individual environment of each family. 279. For their parents anniversary for one day. 280. For the wedding, religious profession or priestly ordination of one of their siblings for one day. 281. On the occasion of the death or serious illness of a parent, sibling or grandparent for three days.

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Papal support

Since its founding, successive popes have expressed support for the Legion. When Maciel visited Rome in 1946, Pope Pius XII expressed a keen interest in the undertaking and gave it his personal blessing. In light of the order's achievements, particularly in education, Pope Paul VI was pleased to award it the "Decree of Praise" in 1965. The most enthusiastic support has, however, been that of Pope John Paul II, who in a recent address picked out the qualities which have made the Legion so successful:

"[One] trait which distinguishes your charism is apostolic fervour. show this in all the many works you have undertaken, especially in education, evangelization, social communications, the spreading of the Church's social teaching, the cultural and human promotion of the disadvantaged, and the training of diocesan priests. In all of this you strive to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, who constantly renews the face of the Church with gifts and charisms which enrich and strengthen her. In a secularized world such as our own, built in large part on neglect of transcendent truths and values, the faith of many of our brothers and sisters is sorely tried. Because of this, there is a need today more than ever for a confident proclamation of the Gospel which, casting aside all crippling fears, announces with intellectual depth and with courage the truth about God, about man, about the world. To you, Legionaries of Christ and members of Regnum Christi, I repeat the words of St Catherine of Siena which I proposed to the young people at the World Youth Day: "If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!"" (Thursday, 4 January 2001)

The Legion's strong commitment to papal authority leads many to believe that the order can look forward to good relations with future occupiers of the Petrine office.

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Controversy

In 1997, Marcial Maciel was accused of having repeatedly sexually abused other congregation members, including young children. Of the nine men making the accusations, one subsequently retracted his story, claiming it had been a fabrication intended to damage the Legion. The other eight continue to maintain these allegations. Fr Maciel and the organization deny the accusations. According to the ReGain organization, as many as 24 men have come foward with accusations of sexual abuse against Fr. Maciel. Fr Maciel and the organization deny the accusations. The original Vatican investigation was spearheaded by Cardinal Ratzinger before he was appointed Pope. That investigation was suspended and later reopened shortly before Pope John Paul died. Shortly after the announcment of the reopening of the investigation in late 2004, Fr. Maciel stepped down as leader of the Legion.

Furthermore, the Legion's recruiting practices have been criticized as predatory, and some Bishops have refused permission to Legionaries to work in their dioceses.

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Reading list

  • Marcial Maciel: Christ Is My Life, Sophia Institute Press, 2003. ISBN 1928832970
  • Marcial Maciel: Integral Formation of Catholic Priests, Alba House, 1992. ISBN 0818906294
  • Anthony Bannon: Peter on the Shore, Circle Press, 1996. ISBN 0965160106
  • Patrick Langan: Founders, Circle Press, 1998. ISBN 0965160114
  • Jason Berry, Gerald Renner: Vows of Silence : The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II, Free Press, 2004. ISBN 0743244419
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External links

es:Legión de Cristo nl:Legionairs van Christus pl:Legion Chrystusa

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