Regnum Christi receives details of apostolic visitation

Rome, Italy, Nov 11, 2010 / 13:36 pm

The Apostolic Visitation of the consecrated members of the Regnum Christi movement will be completed by the end of June 2011, according to Archbishop Ricardo Blazquez of Valladolid.

The visitation of the lay movement follows the one conducted of the Legion of Christ in 2009-2010. At the conclusion of the Legion visitation in May 2010, Pope Benedict granted requests from the consecrated religious of Regnum Christi to have one of their own.

"I am here for you," Archbishop Blazquez told the consecrated members in his first letter to them this week. He expressed his "closeness and readiness" to carry out the visitation.

As the apostolic visitor, his role is "to meet people, gather information for the purpose of getting a picture of the current situation, and offer the competent authority suggestions and proposals” for resolution of those elements that must be changed.

He will answer to the papal delegate, Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, who Pope Benedict placed in charge of overseeing the renewal in the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi.

Greeting the consecrated members of Regnum Christi and giving thanks for their vocations in the Nov. 9 letter, Archbishop Blazquez described the situation as "particularly marked by suffering and trials, discernment and purification, renewal and hope.”

He also entrusted the situation to God, writing, "I pray to God the Father of mercies for you and I ask for your prayers. In the Church we are never alone; the fellowship of brothers and sisters in the faith is shown especially in difficult situations."

Archbishop Blazquez was one of five bishops who took part in the visitation of the Legion of Christ, which confirmed that the order's founder, Fr. Marcial Maciel, had lived a life "devoid of scruples and authentic religious sentiment." The news was a shock to the order.

Archbishop Blazquez said that after meeting with Archbishop De Paolis in October, and then with directors of Regnum Christi's consecrated men and women last week, he is hoping that the process of the visitation will be completed by June 30, 2011. At that point he will compile a report of his impressions and submit them to papal delegate Archbishop De Paolis.

According to the Regnum Christi movement, his work will take him to their centers in Atlanta, New York, Brazil, Venezuela and several European countries between January and June.

Archbishop Blazquez said that he is completely available to the consecrated members and invited them "to live these months as a providential time God has given you.

"It should be a period characterized especially by Christian hope, which involves prayer, reflection, penance and conversion, patience, work to reread – personally or in community – the Church documents on consecrated life," he said.

Archbishop Blazquez closed his letter by entrusting the process to the intercession of Mary.