The Holy See, through the secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, has delivered to the Consecrated Women and Lay Consecrated members of Regnum Christi the pontifical decrees that canonically recognize them as Societies of Apostolic Life, and that approve their Constitutions.
With this official recognition, the Church expresses that the Consecrated Women and Lay Consecrated members of Regnum Christi are recognized as a gift that contributes to the mission of the Church itself, and as a path for the encounter of men with God. It is also a step so that, together with the Legionaries of Christ, they can form a federation, thus giving canonical configuration to Regnum Christi, to which the laity of this ecclesial reality will associate individually.
The inaugural Mass of the General Assembly of Regnum Christi took place at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Philip Martyr, in Rome, with the participation of the delegates of the General Assembly, as well as members of the consecrated communities, lay consecrated, and Legionaries of Christ present in Rome.
During the homily, Mons. Rodríguez Carballo reminded them: “None of you will be able to develop your mission in isolation; none of you: neither the Legionaries, nor the consecrated women, nor the lay consecrated… This first step of establishing two societies of apostolic life will culminate with a subsequent step on the day you legally associate as a federation, which is another way of saying as a family. I will always repeat to you ‘unite yourselves!’ because the charism is one, even if the ways of developing and living it are diverse.”
He also congratulated the members of the branches: “Congratulations, and from this moment on, may Regnum Christi continue working, if possible even more strongly, as a united family in Christ and in the same charism. Always count on each other and on the help of Holy Mother Church, which will surely extend its hand to you as it has done until today, in any moment and circumstance.”
At the conclusion of the Mass, Mons. Rodríguez Carballo handed over both establishment decrees to the general directors of the consecrated women and the lay consecrated.
“The news of the canonical erection fills us with joy and comes at a Providential moment,” affirms Gloria Rodríguez, general director of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi. “On December 8th, we will begin the jubilee year preparing for the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the first three consecrated women of Regnum Christi – Margarita Estrada, Graciela, and Guadalupe Magaña – to which Patricia Bannon and Fátima Portillo would soon join,” she recalled in a letter to all the consecrated women. “We feel like living stones of the Church, which recognizes us as a Society of Apostolic Life that collaborates in the service of the universal mission received from Christ,” she concludes.
“We must feel very grateful to God first, to the Church that has accompanied us over these years, and to all the members of Regnum Christi, whom we consider as our brothers,” affirms Jorge López, the general leader of the Lay Consecrated of Regnum Christi. “With this step, we want to express, once again, that we feel fully members of Regnum Christi, and that we want to continue contributing to the common mission,” he assures in the letter he sent to all the lay consecrated members.
Documents:
- Transcript of the homily by Mons. José Rodríguez Carballo
- Audio of the Homily by Mons. José Rodríguez Carballo
- Gallery of photos
- Decree of establishment of the Society of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi
- Decree of establishment of the Society of Apostolic Life of the Lay Consecrated of Regnum Christi
- Letter by Gloria Rodríguez, general director of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi
- Letter by Jorge López, general leader of the Lay Consecrated of Regnum Christi.
- Letter by Father Eduardo Robles-Gil, general director of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi, on the occasion of the decrees of establishment of the Societies of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Women and Lay Consecrated of Regnum Christi
- Video of the Lay Consecrated to the consecrated women of Regnum Christi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpe5DIojypc
- Video of the Lay Consecrated on the meaning of being a Society of Apostolic Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TPt4IfJCA8
- Website of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi
- Website of the Lay Consecrated of Regnum Christi
