Rome, Italy, Mar 26, 2010 / 19:07 pm
Fr. Álvaro Corcuera, general director of the Legionaries of Christ, wrote a letter to Legionaries and members of the Regnum Christi Movement on March 25, explaining the intent behind a communique that was issued on Thursday that acknowledged and asked forgiveness for the “reprehensible actions” of their founder, Fr. Marcial Maciel. In the letter, Fr. Corcuera said that leaders of the order hope to “close this chapter of history and open a new one.”
Jim Fair, communications director for the Legionaries told CNA on Friday that the communique was issued during the territorial directors annual meeting in Rome.
“It has been a very painful time for everyone, even traumatic,” Fr. Corcuera wrote on Thursday. “The sudden uncovering of some facets of our founder’s life that were so removed from what we lived by his side, was a totally unexpected surprise for us all. We were not prepared for it.”
“In recent days,” he added, “I have been thinking through all of this with the general counselors and the territorial directors. Together, we have seen that once we have all read and assimilated this page in the life of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi, our task is to take a step forward, individually and as an institution, to close this chapter of our history and open a new one.”