History – Legionaries of Christ

Our History

De facto foundation

January 3, 1941

The Legion of Christ was founded on January 3, 1941, in Mexico City. What happened that day? The “Apostolic Missionary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” was born, initially created as a separate section of the Diocesan Seminary of Cuernavaca, with the authorization of the bishop of that diocese, Mons. Francisco González Arias, and the archbishop of Mexico City, Mons. Luis María Martínez.

This new “missionary work” consisted of a group of adolescents with a clear objective: to form a new religious congregation. In fact, the diary of that first community referred to these adolescents as “future congregants,” and a group of these young seminarians would go on to establish a novitiate on March 25, 1946. However, this was a de facto foundation, as it lacked the formal recognition of the Church of Rome.

Altar used in the Mass for the foundation of the Legion of Christ on January 3, 1941, at the “Apostolic Missionary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” in Mexico City.

June 12, 1948

The Nihil Obstat and Canonical Erection

In those years, the norms for founding a religious congregation were contained in certain articles of the 1917 Code of Canon Law and in two documents from the Sacred Congregation of Religious: the instructions In novis religiosis congregationibus approbandis from March 6, 1921, and the decree Circa congregationes religiosas aut pias societates iuris dioecesani from November 30, 1922. These texts indicated that the interested bishop could ask the Holy See for the Nihil Obstat to proceed with the official canonical erection.

Thus, on May 25, 1946, Monsignor Francisco González Arias signed the petition and sent it to the competent dicastery of the Roman Curia. Two years later, on May 25, 1948, Cardinal Luigi Lavitrano, who at the time was the Prefect of the Congregation of Religious, sent the Nihil Obstat to Monsignor Alfonso Espino y Silva, the new bishop of Cuernavaca, to proceed with the foundation attempt.

A few days later, on June 12, 1948, Monsignor Espino y Silva issued the decree of canonical erection of a new diocesan right congregation called Institutum clericale Missionariorum a sacratissimo Corde Iesu et beatissima Virginis perdolente. By virtue of this same decree, the first vows, the profession of faith, and the oath of the first superiors were made the following day, according to the rituals that were in force at that time. Therefore, after the de facto foundation of 1941, in 1948 the Congregation would legally depend on the Bishop of Cuernavaca. At the end of 1952, it would come under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, where it would remain until 1965.

Mexico City, 1941: the first members of the “Apostolic Missionary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” a separate section of the Cuernavaca seminary.

Mexico City, January 3, 1942: On the first anniversary of the foundation, a group photo of the “future congregants” of the Legion of Christ with the Bishop of Cuernavaca, Mons. Francisco González Arias, and other superiors of the seminary.

Rome, 1940s: Palace of the Sacred Congregations in Piazza San Callisto, headquarters of the Congregation of Religious.

February 6, 1965

The Decretum Laudis and the transition to pontifical right

The legal norms for religious groups mentioned earlier indicated that the next step was to obtain another approval document: the Decretum Laudis. The requirements set by the Holy See for issuing this document were: having houses in five different dioceses and showing evident fruits of holiness, religious observance, and spiritual benefits. It was also necessary to have good financial resources.

The Legion of Christ requested the Decretum Laudis from Pope Paul VI on August 6, 1964. Along with the request, as prescribed, a series of testimonial letters from the bishops of the dioceses where the Congregation had houses were included, along with a full report on its origin and foundation, as well as the current state of personnel, discipline, and finances.

On February 6, 1965, after a thorough review of the documentation presented, the plenary congress of the consulting fathers of the Sacred Congregation of Religious gave its favorable opinion. On July 1, the prefect of the dicastery, Cardinal Ildebrando Antoniutti, signed the corresponding act. The Legion of Christ ceased to be a diocesan right congregation and became the 172nd religious institute of pontifical right in the history of the Church. As a result, the Legion became immediately and exclusively subject to the Apostolic See in all matters related to its internal governance and discipline.

1952

The name: Legionaries of Christ

Over the years, the Congregation has developed a highly interconnected symbolic system, which includes the name, motto, shield, hymn, and flag. These symbols reflect its purpose and charism. Since its foundation, the Apostolic Missionary was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Between 1945 and 1946, the name of the new religious institute was chosen: Missionarii a Sacratissimo Corde Jesu et beatissima Virgine Perdolente (Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Virgin of Sorrows). This name appears in the documents of the Nihil Obstat and the canonical erection of 1948. However, around the late 1940s, the religious of the young Congregation began to define themselves as Legionaries, embracing a suggestion from Pope Pius XII, with which they felt identified. Initially, they called themselves “Legionaries of the Pope,” but later definitively opted for “Legionaries of Christ.” Soon, this new name prevailed over the original one.

In fact, when in 1952 a name was sought for the newly founded college of the Congregation in Rome, it was chosen to be Collegium Maximum Legionariorum Christi (The Great College of the Legionaries of Christ). Remnants of these changes can be seen in the acronyms often placed at the end of the names of religious institutes: until around 1949, the acronym CJ was commonly used, meaning “Cordijesuita” (Jesuit Heart); around 1950 and 1951, the acronym LP was used, which meant “Legionaries of the Pope”; and finally, from 1952 until today, the acronym LC has been used, meaning “Legionaries of Christ.”

The Church took note of the name change and gradually ratified it: in 1952, the Congregation of Religious and the Vicariate of Rome set the building known as the “Major College of the Legionaries of Christ in Rome” as the General Curia. The Decretum Laudis, received in 1965, still used the first name but specified that the new institute was commonly known by the name “Legionaries of Christ.” Later, Cardinal Ildebrando Antoniutti decreed the definitive change in 1969: the old name was no longer used, and the name “Legionaries of Christ” remained. In a general audience on January 2, 1974, Blessed Pope Paul VI addressed the new priests of the Congregation.

On that occasion, he summarized the charism behind the name “Legionaries of Christ” as follows:

“What does ‘Legionaries of Christ’ mean? Legionaries of Christ means that you belong to a spiritual and religious family that is not very old and was founded with our knowledge. We remember the first steps… You are legionaries, meaning not inert people or those who are only watching how things go, but those who want to imprint on things a force and give Christianity an expression that is its own: militancy; Legionaries, meaning combative in the name of Jesus. May God bless you and always keep this characteristic trait in you. It is certainly not a small thing; the word is magnificent, but it is rightly referred to Christ. To be conquerors, legionaries to fight and defend, legionaries to conquer and call other brothers to the same faith and the same communion in the Lord.”

Version of the Legionary shield used in the Legionary Novitiate of Salamanca, Spain, in the late 1950s.

Signatures of the legionary Carlos Mora between 1948 and 1954, using the three different identifying acronyms employed in the Congregation: CJ (Cordijesuita), LP (Legionario del Papa), and finally LC (Legionario de Cristo).

Signatures of the legionary Alfredo Torres between 1948 and 1954, using the three different identifying acronyms employed in the Congregation: CJ (Cordijesuita), LP (Legionario del Papa), and finally LC (Legionario de Cristo).

Our History by Topics

This section has been taken from the publication «Historia Institucional de la Congregación de los Legionarios de Cristo y del Movimiento Regnum Christi» (2015), prepared by the General Historical Archive of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi and published on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Congregation.

Published originally in Spanish and Italian.

Texts: Salvatore Luciano Bonventre | Translations: Fr. Gonzalo Franco, LC | Selection of photographs: Salvatore Luciano Bonventre and Luigi Baldassarri | Coordination: Fr. Jaime Rodríguez, LC and Fr. Rodrigo Ramírez, LC

01

Legionary Symbols

History of the Legionary Shield, the Motto “Adveniat Regnum Tuum!” (Thy Kingdom Come!), the Legionary Hymn, and the Use of the Image “The Head of Christ”.

02

History of Legionary Spirituality

Christocentrism, Charity, and Other Aspects of Legionary Spirituality. Devotions, Patrons, and Special Protectors of the Congregation.

03

General and Territorial Government

First Government Formed in 1948, Apostolic Visits of the 1950s, the New Government of the Congregation in 1959, and the Elections of 1968, 1980, and 1992, the Election of Father Álvaro Corcuera in 2005 and Father Eduardo Robles-Gil in 2014.

04

General and Territorial Direction

The Collegium Maximum Legionariorum Christi, which would become the future General Directorate of the Legion of Christ, the priestly ordination of Father José María Escribano, L.C., and the territorial directions.

05

The General Chapters

The Extraordinary General Chapter of 1968-1969, the First Ordinary General Chapter, the Second Ordinary General Chapter, the Third Ordinary General Chapter of 2005, and the Extraordinary General Chapter of 2014.

06

The Legion in the Service of the Church

Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Philip the Martyr, Prelature of Cancún-Chetumal, and the collaboration of the Legion of Christ in priestly formation through the Pontifical Maria Mater Ecclesiae International College and the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome.

07

The Figure of Father Marcial Maciel, LC

The progressive discovery of the founder’s double life, the institutional crisis, the capitular statements, and the words of Cardinal Velasio de Paolis and Pope Benedict XVI regarding his figure.

08

Intervention of the Holy See

The Apostolic Visit of 2009 initiated by Pope Benedict XVI through a team of five prelates, and the period of the Pontifical Delegate by then Mons. Velasio de Paolis (2010-2014).

09

Towards a Culture of Safe Environments

Creation of a commission for approaching abuse victims on January 15, 2011, by the Pontifical Delegate Velasio De Paolis, and the current Safe Environments platform of the Legion of Christ.

10

Beginnings of the Regnum Christi Movement

The beginning of the “special organizations of lay people who collaborate unconditionally in the establishment of the Kingdom of Christ according to the demands of Christian justice and truth” from 1968 to 2004.

11

History of ECyD

First incorporations motivated by the positive experiences of the early steps of Regnum Christi, and in 1971, the foundation of ECyD in Latin America, the United States, and Europe, along with the first statutes of ECyD.

12

Consecrated Members of Regnum Christi

The beginning of the consecrated members of Regnum Christi: lay men and women who offer their lives to God to follow Christ in a free and total way through the practice of the three evangelical counsels.

13

Apostolate of Regnum Christi

The birth of the various apostolates of the movement, the beginning of educational institutions such as Colegio Cumbres and the Irish Institute, the creation of the Anáhuac University in Mexico, and the development of various educational institutions.

14

Regnum Christi from 2006 to 2014

The growth of Regnum Christi, the apostolic visit to the consecrated members of the movement, the birth of the association of Consecrated Lay People and Consecrated Women, and Regnum Christi understood as a “charismatic and apostolic family.”

History of the Constitutions of the Legion

The first version of 1945-1946

In the case of the Legion of Christ, the process of approving the Constitutions goes hand in hand, in general, with the nascent Congregation, as at that time the rules for both processes were the same. For this reason, when in 1946 the Bishop of Cuernavaca, Mons. González Arias, sent the request for canonical erection to Rome, he attached the first version of the Institute’s Constitutions.

The Constitutions of 1948

With the concession of Nihil obstat, the Holy See prescribed making some corrections to the text received in 1946. This text was examined by the Commission for the approval of new institutes and the five-year reports within the Sacred Congregation for Religious. After making the requested changes, the text of the 1948 Constitutions was finalized, which remained in effect until 1965.

The Constitutions of 1965

In order to obtain the Decretum laudis, it was also necessary to send some copies of the Constitutions. In the General Historical Archive of the Legion of Christ, there is an original copy of this text, written in Latin in 1965, with the autograph signature of Cardinal Ildebrando Antoniutti. The Decretum laudis approved the Constitutions for a period of seven years, experimenti gratia.

Las constituciones post conciliares de 1970

The Extraordinary General Chapter of the Legion of Christ, which took place between 1968 and 1969, had among its main tasks the adjustment of the text of the Constitutions to the guidelines given by the Second Vatican Council. From this revision came the 1970 text, which partially renewed the 1965 version. These Constitutions remained in effect until 1983 and were also printed and disseminated in Spanish.

The Constitutions of 1983 and 1994

After a further process of drafting and reviewing the text, concluded with the work of the I Ordinary General Chapter, the Legion of Christ presented a new text to the Holy See. The Congress of the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes made some modifications and granted approval in the session on May 31, 1983. It was then that Cardinal Eduardo Pironio, then prefect of that dicastery, signed the decree with the final approval of the Constitutions on June 30, 1983.

This version was later amended with approval from Cardinal Eduardo Martínez Somalo, prefect of what was then called the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, through a decree on March 2, 1994.

The Constitutions of 2014

After the Apostolic Visitation that took place between 2009 and 2010, Pope Benedict XVI deemed it necessary to proceed with a new revision of the Constitutions and entrusted this task to the pontifical delegate, then Monsignor Velasio De Paolis. This process was guided by the Central Commission for the revision of the Constitutions, which was established in 2010 and chaired by the same pontifical delegate. The Commission was also made up of Fathers Gianfranco Ghirlanda, SJ, Agostino Montan, CSI, as well as some Legionary priests, along with the commissions established in the territories. For two and a half years, all Legionaries reflected on the constitutional text both in community and individually.

Following the instructions given by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 and Pope Francis in 2013, the Extraordinary General Chapter of 2014 proposed a new text for the Constitutions which, after being approved by the pontifical delegate, was presented to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. This dicastery, after making some observations, approved it with a document dated October 16, 2014, signed by the secretary, Monsignor José Rodríguez Carballo, OFM. Although the legal nature of the relationship with the Regnum Christi Movement remains to be defined, the Constitutions of 2014 are the ones currently in force and represent the sixth version of this fundamental law of the Legion of Christ approved by ecclesiastical authority.

The Constitutions of 2020

The amendments to the 2014 text mainly refer to the following topics:

The relationship with Regnum Christi: This was defined at the General Assembly of Regnum Christi and the Extraordinary General Chapter of 2018, followed by the approval of the Federation Regnum Christi on May 31, 2019, and the approval of its Statutes. Therefore, the most important amendment to the current text of the Constitutions is what is now stated in the first paragraph: “The Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ: 1° is a clerical religious institute of pontifical right, constituted by priests and candidates to the priesthood; 2° belongs constitutionally to Regnum Christi, a spiritual family and apostolic body; 3° is part of the Federation of Regnum Christi, governed by its own statutes.” Based on this foundation, all other passages mentioning Regnum Christi have been adjusted.
The directors of the works of apostolate: Two new numbers (nn. 220 and 221) were introduced to fill a thematic gap in the 2014 Constitutions.
Other minor content changes: Some other amendments respond to the experience of recent years and concern the parishes (n. 5), the composition of the Territorial Assembly (n. 135), piety practices (n. 53), and the founding of houses of apostolate (nn. 196 and 209).