US diocese clamps down on Legionaries
By Dennis Sadowski
20 June 2008

Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, centre, is restricting the activities of the Legionaries of Christ                   CNS

A senior American Church leader has clamped down on a controversial new movement.

Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore has established a series of requirements under which the Legionaries of Christ and its lay branch, Regnum Christi, must operate in the archdiocese.

The archbishop said priests had raised concerns "regarding a lack of pastoral transparency at times and a tendency to conduct parallel programmes within our parishes without the knowledge of local pastors".

The detailed requirements were finalised during a meeting between the archbishop's staff and Fr Alvaro Corcuera, the order's Rome-based superior general.

Archbishop O'Brien said that while the work of the Legionaries has "operated with the blessing of the Holy See" the order's activities "have not been without certain tension" in the United States and the archdiocese.

He said that "undue pressure was placed on individuals to conform to the rule of Regnum Christi and in a context of secrecy".

"In addition, some youth programmes tended to alienate parents from their children, and various clubs and activities for high-schoolers often presented the vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life as an obligation rather than an informed choice. In short, a lack of necessary transparency," the archbishop said.

Archbishop O'Brien said that he asked Fr Corcuera to appoint a Legionaries priest as a liaison to oversee the activities of Regnum Christi in the archdiocese "and keep our chancery and appropriate pastors fully informed".

The requirements cover all programmes, youth activities and methods of vocation recruitment.

The archbishop's letter to Fr Corcuera revealed a full list of requirements concerning the order's work in Baltimore.

Archbishop O'Brien gave the Legionaries until last Friday to submit the name of the priest-liaison for his approval. Once the liaison is in place, the order will have until June 30 to submit other information to the archdiocese.

These include the name and ministry of all Legionaries of Christ priests ministering in the archdiocese.

They include a list of all Regnum Christi groups and Legionaries/Regnum Christi youth programmes in the archdiocese, including activities, meeting locations and schedules, membership roles and methods for gaining new members. They also include the identification of all other Legionaries/ Regnum Christi ministries and apostolates including a description of their activities and the location and frequency of the activities.

In addition, the order must provide to pastors a list detailing where Legionaries/Regnum Christi ministries and apostolates are in place with information about their activities.

Noting that the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and religious life is vital to the Church, Archbishop O'Brien said that to "avoid any undue sense of vocational obligation, ongoing and individual spiritual direction is not to be given" to anyone under 18.

In addition, he is requiring the priest-liaison to notify the archdiocese of "the content, timing and location of all Legionary/Regnum Christi summer programmes and the names and addresses of all persons under the age of 18 who will participate in those programmes".

The information will then be forwarded to the pastors of the participants, the letter said. The priest-liaison also must notify the archdiocesan vocation director of all candidates for the priesthood or religious life who plan to attend Legionaries' high school seminaries or boarding schools.