ROME – Pope Benedict XVI has given his new papal delegate
broad powers of authority over the Legionaries of Christ as
part of a major Vatican-led reform of the order.
The delegate, Italian Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, has
authority over the order’s current superiors and can even
override the order’s constitutions. He will have a say in all
areas of the order including its governance, decisions
involving personnel, education and ordination, as well as how
assets are spent.
In a letter to Archbishop De Paolis announcing him as papal
delegate, the pope said the archbishop was to be in charge of
the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ and all its
members “for as long as it takes to carry out the path of
renewal and lead it to the celebration of an extraordinary
general chapter, whose main purpose will be to bring
completion to the revision of the constitutions.”
The letter, dated June 16, was made public on the
Legionaries’ website July 23.
Pope Benedict wrote that the results of the recent visitation
of the order’s religious houses and most of its pastoral
institutions “made clear” the urgent need for an “in-depth
revision of the institute’s charism.”
The pope also noted the “sincere zeal and fervent religious
life of a great number of the congregation’s members.” He
said that the papal delegate was also “a concrete sign of my
closeness” and desire to help sustain and guide them on their
journey toward reform.
The papal appointment was one of a number of steps Pope
Benedict has taken in the reform of the Legionaries of Christ
after revelations that the order’s founder, the late Mexican
Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, had fathered children and
sexually abused seminarians.
In his letter, the pope said he chose Archbishop De Paolis
for such an important mission because of his skill and
experience in juridical and ecclesial matters, his spirit of
service and his keen sense of religious life.
The 74-year-old archbishop is an expert in church law who
specializes in religious institutes and has served on the
governing body of his religious order, the Scalabrinians, and
held the positions of counselor and procurator general for
the order.
Archbishop De Paolis met with the order’s superiors July 21
to present them with the Vatican decree, which specified the
scope and nature of his authority.
The decree was written by the Vatican secretary of state,
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, July 9, and was approved by the
pope. The order published the decree on its website July 23.
One of the 11 points outlined in the decree detailed “the
broad authority” the papal delegate was granted over the
entire institute, including the order’s superiors on the
general, provincial and local levels.
The delegate is allowed to “even overrule the constitutions”
if deemed necessary for the good of the order, it said.
The order’s current leaders were to remain in their
positions, it said, “unless it becomes necessary to provide
otherwise.”
The three-page decree said the Legionaries’ leadership was to
cooperate with the delegate and keep him informed of the life
of the institute.
All decisions concerning governance, the appointment of
personnel, admission to the novitiate and the priesthood,
formation decisions, important administrative matters, and
“the disposal of assets” must be approved by the papal
delegate, it said.
Every member of the Legionaries of Christ has open access to
the delegate and can deal personally with him, it said.
Any appeals against actions by the superiors can be directed
to the delegate and any appeals against actions or decisions
made by the delegate may be taken to the pope, the decree
said.
“The paramount task of the papal delegate is to initiate,
accompany and complete the revision of the constitutions,” it
said.
Archbishop De Paolis will lead a commission in charge of
revising the order’s constitutions, and all members of the
order are to take an active part in the reform, including
“revising and rewriting their own plan of Gospel living,
always in harmony with the teaching of the church.”
The archbishop also was granted permission to have four
personal advisers to help him in his task. The four advisers
had not been named as of July 23.
Archbishop De Paolis also will coordinate the visitation of
the Legionaries’ Regnum Christi movement as well as name the
visitor. According to the Legionaries’ website, the
archbishop said the Vatican would release specific details
about that visitation “at a future date.”
Archbishop De Paolis was to meet with the Legionaries’
general council again in early September “to plan the various
tasks to be carried out,” the website said.
The archbishop met with leaders of the order in Rome July 10
and distributed a letter he wrote to the priests and
religious of the Legionaries.
He encouraged members to hold fast to their dedication to
Jesus and said the reform was not about questioning one’s
vocation, “but for re-examining it in depth and renewing our
adherence to it in a new spirit and more intense
participation.”
While some members may have already decided to leave the
order, he urged caution and patience, saying, “A vocation is
of too great import to decide it in a moment of turmoil.”
The Vatican-led reform and renewal aim at revisiting the
institute’s charism and its constitutional norms in such a
way that the constitutions will be freed “from elements that
can cloud your charism,” so that members can strengthen their
relationship with Christ, he wrote.
He said the Vatican’s intervention was necessary to save the
order. Had the church not intervened, certain “facts, events
and people,” he wrote, “would have threatened the very roots
of the congregation.”
He asked that members rejoice in the gifts they have received
from God and not become discouraged by the “sad events that
are now behind you.” Jesus has begun and wishes to complete
his plan in each one of them and he has “kept you from the
dangers that threatened you.”
All members are called to help with the order’s reform, he
said.
“Your vocation and your congregation is in your hands, you
are responsible for them. The church is with you; the Lord is
merciful and generous,” he said.
