Above: Bishop Ricardo Blázquez, Bishop Giuseppe Versaldi, and Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati. Below: Archbishop Charles Chaput and Bishop Ricardo Watty. (Photocomposition: ACIPRENSA)

July 8, 2009. Rome, Italy. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State for His Holiness, has officially informed Father Álvaro Corcuera, LC, the general director of the Legion of Christ, that the announced apostolic visitation to the congregation will begin on July 15th.

Five visitors will carry out the visit:

• • Bishop Ricardo Watty Urquidi, M.Sp.S., Bishop of Tepic (Mexico) in Mexico and Central America.
• Archbishop Charles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M., Archbishop of Denver (USA) in the United States and Canada.
• Bishop Giuseppe Versaldi, Bishop of Alessandria (Italy) in Italy, Israel, South Korea, and the Philippines. 
• Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, S.D.B., Archbishop of Concepción (Chile) in South America.
• Bishop Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, Bishop of Bilbao (Spain) in Europe (with the exception of Italy).

When sharing this news with all of the members of the congregation, Father Álvaro Corcuera said, “I invite all of us to give thanks to God and to the Church for the help that the Holy Father is offering us, and to welcome the visitors to each and every one of our communities with sincere charity and faith as representatives of the Vicar of Christ.”

The visitors will carry out their work according to the calendar and program that each one will set. Afterwards, they will hand over a report to the Holy See, which will then give the congregation the appropriate guidelines.

We ask all of our readers and friends to pray for the mission of the visitors and for the Legionaries of Christ.