Benedictus XVI

The following text presents some excerpts from the letter Fr. Álvaro Corcuera, LC, General Director, wrote to all Regnum Christi members at the beginning of May. In these paragraphs, Fr. Corcuera invites members to pray for the new Pope, Benedict XVI. He thanks God for this great gift he has given the Church and is grateful to the Pope for the affection and benevolence he has extended to the Legion and Regnum Christi, starting from when he was still Cardinal Ratzinger.

“I would like to invite you, dear members of Regnum Christi, in a special way this month of May, to give thanks to Mary for the countless gifts she has granted the world and the Church through John Paul II in person and word, and not to let a single day go by without imploring her intercession and help for the ministry of Pope Benedict XVI. In these first days of his service to the Church as Bishop of Rome and Universal Shepherd, he has insistently asked us for prayers that God will help him fulfill this transcendental mission. We cannot ignore this request from the Vicar of Christ on earth, the Successor of Peter, especially at the beginning of his Pontificate, when the Church’s enemies redouble their attacks on the Holy Father in an effort to discredit him in a variety of ways.

“If it is a custom characteristic of the Movement to pray for the Pope in support of in his ministry, we cannot forget the other reasons which, humanly speaking, create for us a debt of gratitude to Pope Benedict XVI. How could we not be grateful for the countless expressions of affection and benevolence he has constantly extended in recent years during various encounters with the Legionaries and Regnum Christi members? On how many occasions did he visit our Center for Higher Studies and our Athenaeum in Rome to share with us his experience as a man of faith, a theologian, a shepherd of the Church, and a close collaborator of the Holy Father on the front line! How could we not be grateful for those entire days of study he dedicated to the professors and students at our Pontifical Athenaeum in Rome, and to the priests and religious of our community, despite his work-laden agenda? On those occasions he was always generous with his time, staying on after meals in long conversation with our Founder, with formators and professors, showing in this way his closeness, affection and kindness. He also had many encounters with various Regnum Christi groups that went to see him where he worked in the Vatican, and he always had words of encouragement for them to fulfill their apostolic mission with greater zeal and holiness. There are many testimonies from Legionaries and Regnum Christi members whom he received personally for various reasons, or whom he recognized as he came and went between his office and his residence, stopping to share some friendly conversation with them as simply and spontaneously as can be.

“On all these occasions he not only showed himself to be a genuine Teacher in the faith, but also a true Father who in a most considerate and humble way wanted to devote time to be with his children. On a personal level, I keep in my heart the memories of the many occasions I have had the grace of meeting and spending time with him in a climate of friendship, affection and trust. In the Successor of Peter we have not only a beacon of truth and light that enlightens our journey through the world, but also a loving Father who confirms us in our faith and guides us, as a Good Shepherd, along the path of God’s will.”
(Fr. Álvaro Corcuera, LC, May 1st, 2005, Letter to all Regnum Christi members)