Baltimore, Md., Jun 12, 2008 / 03:34 am
Edwin F. O’Brien, the Archbishop of Baltimore, has written to the Superior General of the Legionaries of Christ, Monsignor Alvaro Corcuera Martinez del Rio, asking the leader of the prominent religious order to identify all Legionary-associated clergy, ministries, apostolates and youth programs in the archdiocese. The archbishop also asked Father Alvaro to impose certain restrictions on vocations promotion in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Some critics of the Legionaries of Christ have said that the order recruits people under age 18 for vocations and doesn’t explicitly identifying groups and apostolates associated with the order.
In his June 6 letter to Father Alvaro, Archbishop O’Brien noted the importance of ecclesial movements and communities and the calling of bishops to “reach out to those groups with love.” He then made several specific requests from Father Alvaro.
The archbishop first requested that the superior general appoint a priest by June 13 to be liaison from the Legionaries of Christ to the archdiocese. The archbishop said the liaison should be knowledgeable about the Baltimore-area activities of the Legion and its affiliated association Regnum Christi, which is an apostolic movement that includes laymen and women as well as deacons and priests.