Photo of the group during a break in the meetings with consecrated men and women of Regnum Christi. Among those pictured are Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlanda, S.J., Fr. Alvaro Corcuera, L.C., and the general councilors.

Rome, March 15, 2012. On March 9, the papal delegate, Cardinal Velasio de Paolis, and his council began a series of meetings with the general director of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi, Fr. Alvaro Corcuera, L.C., the members of the general council, the territorial directors, the assistants of the territorial directors for the consecrated women, and some representatives of the Regnum Christi consecrated men. The meetings took place in the general directorate in Rome over the course of several days.

The meetings included work in various teams and commissions, as well as plenary sessions.  In accordance with what Cardinal de Paolis announced in his letters from October 15, 2011, November 21, 2011, and February 15, 2012, the principal topics addressed were a provisional set of rules and regulations for consecrated life in Regnum Christi and the transfer of faculties of governance for the internal life of the consecrated men and women.

During the meetings, a draft of the provisional rules and regulations was presented for feedback, so that any needed modifications can be made before the draft is approved by the papal delegate. These rules and regulations will accompany the statutes of Regnum Christi approved by the Holy See in 2004, which are still in force.  As Cardinal de Paolis emphasized in his Nov 21, 2011 letter, the provisional rules and regulations are an extract which contains only the articles from the previous rules considered indispensable for the living of consecration within the Movement.  This set of rules and regulations will replace ad experimentum the rules contained in the volume of the “Estatutos y Reglamentos del Movimiento Regnum Christi” (Statutes and Rules of the Regnum Christi Movement) and other principles that govern the life of the consecrated men and women. The definitive text of the Statutes and other rules will be drawn up after a period of reflection and revision by the consecrated members themselves, in a way similar to what is already being done in regard to the Constitutions of the Legion of Christ.  

In the meetings it was also announced that some members of the Legion’s general council will visit various territories in order to take stock of improvements or difficulties there, especially in relation to the process of renewal which is being carried out under the guidance of the papal delegate.

On March 12, the territorial directors presented to the papal delegate and his council a summary of the situation in their territories.  The territorial assistants for the consecrated women met with Fr. Agostino Montan regarding matters of internal governance, and with the territorial directors about matters of apostolate, administration, and preparation for the transfer of faculties of government.  The consecrated men had a similar meeting with Fr. Ghirlanda.