Rome, April 1, 2011. By a decree dated March 29, 2011, Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, papal delegate for the Legion of Christ, has suspended the numbers of the Legion’s constitutions that referred to the ordinary nuncios. As a result, the current ordinary nuncios of the Legion of Christ—all of whom combined this responsibility with other apostolic tasks—will no longer hold this position.

In the past, the ordinary nuncios of the Legion of Christ functioned as permanent representatives of the general director in the territories and in various formation centers, carrying out tasks analogous to those of the apostolic nuncios that the Pope sends to various countries (visits, meetings, talks, periodic reports, various procedures).

This step, which is part of the current revision process, was analyzed in a meeting of the papal delegate and the general director of the Legion of Christ, along with their respective councilors. There, it was decided that the figure of an ordinary nuncio can be a redundant element in a religious congregation. Thus, the government structures have been simplified with the assumption that the territorial directors and community superiors, supported by their councilors, can guide the Legionaries in their religious life and in the fulfillment of their apostolic mission without needing additional support from the nuncios.

As it has been done up to now, and as is common practice in religious congregations, the general director can appoint extraordinary nuncios for the canonical visits to the Legion of Christ’s territories, centers, and apostolates.