Dublin, 1971: group photo of the consecrated women of Regnum Christi from the community of the first formation center of the female Third Degree with Father Gregorio López, LC.
Consecrated Members of Regnum Christi
Apostolic delegation of Mexico City, January 1979: the young consecrated members of Regnum Christi, who collaborated in the first apostolic journey of Saint John Paul II in Mexico, with some ecclesiastics who accompanied the Holy Father. Among these young people was the future Father Álvaro Corcuera, LC.
1969 – 1972
Beginnings as third-degree members
An important part of Regnum Christi is made up of those who, responding to the divine call, choose the path of consecrated life. They are 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. They also dedicate themselves completely to the service of the Church, ordinarily living in community.
The internal structure of the Movement, as outlined in the 1969 Manual, defines them as members of the third degree. A document titled Instructive and Program prioritizes the implementation of an instruction program for young women in Regnum Christi for the 1969-1970 biennium, with two subjects: one on Christology and the other on specific formation. The launch of this program led to the birth of the female third-degree branch; in fact, on December 8, 1969, the first six consecrated women made the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience at the Centro Cultural Interamericano in Mexico City.
In the following years, this first reality grew: in 1970, the first formation center was founded in Dublin; in 1971, the first apostolic center was established in Madrid; and in 1972, the consecrated women began to lead the first apostolic works.
That same year, the male third-degree branch was also born in Madrid. The first two consecrated men joined on January 25, followed by seven others in December. This formed the first team of consecrated men. Three years later, on April 13, 1975, the first incorporations to the male third degree took place in Mexico.
During the summer of 1976, both branches of the third degree held significant seminars: the female branch in Reajo del Roble and Argomilla (Spain), and the male branch in Santa Maria Annunziata (Italy). These seminars aimed to ensure that members of the third degree were trained to uniformly transmit the spirituality of the Movement and carry out the entrusted apostolic works in the best possible way. Both branches were consolidating, convinced of their mission.
January 1979
John Paul II and the consecrated members
In January 1979, Pope John Paul II made his first visit to Mexico on the occasion of the Third General Conference of Latin American Bishops. The consecrated members of Regnum Christi had the opportunity to assist with some of the logistical needs under the direction of the apostolic delegate, Mons. Girolamo Prigione.
A few months later, the Holy Father wanted to personally thank them with a Mass at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican. During the Mass, the pope said to them:
“One final word. I know that among you are the young people who, during my stay in Mexico, offered their generous and enthusiastic collaboration in the Apostolic Delegation. To them, I extend my deep appreciation and gratitude.”
The 1988 Statutes of the Movement clarified certain points regarding the governance and stages of consecrated life in Regnum Christi: consecrated men and women have a period of study before beginning full-time apostolic work, which is periodically interrupted by a year of renewal. For the governance and direction of the female branch, the general director had the help of an assistant, to whom functions could be delegated either definitively or temporarily. Over the years, other organizational forms have emerged.
For example, those who felt a vocation to consecrated life from adolescence could join student centers. The houses where the consecrated women live were called Domus Mariae. On January 2, 2002, a group of consecrated women attended an audience with Pope John Paul II, who addressed them with the following words:
“Following the example of Mary, keep, meditate, and follow the Word who became flesh in Bethlehem, to enthusiastically spread the message of salvation.”
At the beginning of the third millennium, members of the third degree from both branches were engaged in numerous apostolates. The consecrated men contributed particularly to the development of ECyD and the sections of Regnum Christi, as well as in universities, schools, and administrative fields. The consecrated women, for their part, carried out tremendous work, especially in educational centers. In 2002, for example, the consecrated women of Regnum Christi were in charge of 43 schools worldwide.
Mexico City, Formation Center of the Male Third Degree of Regnum Christi, September 29, 1991: some young men make their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Brazil, Formation Center of the Female Third Degree of Regnum Christi in São Paulo, March 10, 1994: some young women make their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Presided by Father José María Escribano, LC.
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 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