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77-624: The meaning of the acronym ECyD was changed in 2011. Originally, the acronym was ECYD , which stood for Educacion, Cultura, y Deportes in Spanish. This translates literally into English as Education, Culture, and Sports . Sports was changed to Youth Development in English-speaking ECYD groups. From 2008 to today there have been a series of meetings of lay people, Legionaries , and consecrated members of Regnum Christi met to update ECyD's mission and identity. In 2011, this group changed

154-570: A "system of power" that enabled him to lead an "immoral" double life "devoid of scruples and authentic religious sentiment." The Vatican issued the statement after Pope Benedict XVI met with five bishops who investigated the Legion to determine its future. The Vatican statement was remarkable in its tough denunciation of Maciel's crimes and deception. The "very serious and objectively immoral acts" of Fr. Marcial Maciel which were "confirmed by incontrovertible testimonies" represent "true crimes and manifest

231-560: A Legionnaire, over time, becomes in turn an aggressor". The Legion of Christ also singled out former Secretariat of State Angelo Sodano for leading efforts to cover up the reports of abuse. In 1998, nine men lodged formal charges at the Vatican that Maciel had abused them as youths and young men while studying under him; Maciel was initially investigated by the Holy See and suspended from his ministry in 2006. In 2009, an apostolic visitation

308-550: A devout Catholic family—four of his uncles were bishops—during a time in which the Mexican government was fiercely anticlerical . He became a priest after a troubled youth. Maciel was expelled from two seminaries for reasons that have never been explained, and became a priest only after one of his bishop uncles ordained him after private studies. Maciel was ordained a priest on November 26, 1944, in Mexico City, but had already founded

385-545: A diocesan newspaper one club president summarized what Conquest means to him: "Conquest trains boys to become self-disciplined and confident young men, Catholic leaders who possess moral integrity and are committed to improving the communities in which they live." Another affiliate program of ECyD is Pure Fashion, an international faith-based program encouraging young women (ages 14–18) to discover their value and femininity. Pure Fashion began as an outgrowth of Challenge, attempting to show that one can dress stylishly and modestly at

462-418: A lawsuit against ReGAIN, an organization founded by ex-Legionaries critical of Legion practices and its founder Marcial Maciel . The lawsuit alleges that written property of the Legion, including letters written by Maciel and copies of unpublished principles and norms "intended only for dissemination and use by Legion members" were stolen and posted online "out of context ... as part of a concerted effort to wage

539-520: A life of "prayer and penance" in 2006. Maciel died in Jacksonville, Florida, on January 30, 2008, aged 87, and was buried in his hometown of Cotija de la Paz, Michoacán, Mexico. Immediately following Maciel's death, the Legion's leaders proclaimed "his ascent to heaven". According to the BBC , the 2019 report by the order found that Marcial Maciel had abused at least 60 children, and that another 33 priests of

616-570: A life without scruples or authentic religious sentiment", the Vatican said. After the scandals of Maciel came to light, some priests and seminarians left the congregation. Several schools and centers of formation closed. In 2019, the organization admitted that Father Fernando Martínez Suarez had abused eight minors between 1990 and 1993. A month later, they admitted that members of the organization had sexually abused 175 children between 1941 and 2019. 60 of those were abused by its founder, some of whom were his own children from several relations. Six of

693-486: A life without scruples or authentic religious sentiment," the Vatican said. The Vatican said Fr. Marcial Maciel created a "mechanism of defense" around himself to shield him from accusations of abuse. "It made him untouchable," the Vatican said. The statement decried "the lamentable disgracing and expulsion of those who doubted" Maciel's virtue. Actions taken by the current Legion leadership will be scrutinized; but no specific sanctions were mentioned. The Vatican acknowledged

770-608: A list. One month later, Father John again addressed the territory in a letter saying, “We must pray that these victims receive the healing they need and that those who are still trying to find the courage to come forward are able to find it. This is an important part of the healing process for victims and it’s important for the Congregation to listen to the experiences of victims so that we can make reparation and be further purified.” In his letter, Father John also affirmed that facing our history with determination and helping victims heal

847-463: A long time, the Vatican dismissed accusations by seminarians that Father Maciel had abused them sexually, some when they were as young as 12. After years of denial by the Congregation and the Regnum Christi movement and dismissal of accusations made by many former members, an investigation prompted by the Vatican concluded that allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Maciel were true. On 1 May 2010,

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924-408: A malicious disinformation campaign against the Legion." The Legion has pleaded that the value of the alleged stolen property is "worth at least $ 750,000." The president of ReGAIN has asserted that, to the best of his knowledge, "nothing was obtained improperly," and expressed the opinion that the lawsuit request for information on anonymous message board posters was an action "proving that the Legion

1001-526: A model of Christian or priestly life." At first the Legion had denied allegations and since 2006 had not made an official statement one way or the other. In 2010 The Vatican named a delegate to review the Legionaries of Christ following revelations that the order's founder is suspected of abuse of minors and fathered at least three children. In a statement, the Vatican denounced the Rev. Marciel Maciel for creating

1078-526: A month later the Legion promised "accountability and transparency" and "vowed to investigate the confirmed cases of past abuse by 33 priests and 71 seminarians". Films Controversies surrounding the Legion of Christ There were several controversies surrounding the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi , including its recruiting practices, perceived elitist theology, Sexual abuse cases of Marcial Maciel sexual abuse by its founder and his confidants, and

1155-558: A program in their home country or another country based on interest, parental consent, and mission needs. In addition to retreats and camps, often offered through Challenge and Conquest, ECyD members can attend ECyD Conventions where they can meet and receive spiritual formation with other teens. Since ECyD is a way of life and a way of youth ministry, its scope is not restricted to the above programs but can be embodied in others such as Leadership Training Program or sports teams. ECyD does not have its own separate government but depends on

1232-484: A revision of its constitutions, which were approved during an extraordinary general chapter. The entire congregation revised the Constitutional document under the direction of a central committee and presented a final version to the new Pope Francis. On 4 November 2014, after an extensive process of the reform of the Legionaries of Christ, the Vatican approved the congregation's amended constitutions. In December 2019,

1309-519: A spiritual army." Legion culture has been described as "insular" and "cultlike". The Legion began in Mexico where its largest base remains. It is said to have created "a vast network" of private schools and universities for the children of the elite in that country, which provided funding for his movement’s worldwide expansion. Houses of formation were established in Spain and Italy within its first decade. In

1386-655: A time of direct Vatican control and purging of corrupt elements, from 2011 until 2019. ECyD has a Christ-centered spirituality, together with the spirituality of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi. The purpose of Regnum Christi, the Legionaries of Christ, and ECyD is to spread the kingdom of God on earth through personal love of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church lived out through apostolate. ECyD members share in this spirituality by making commitments to guide them in their relationship with Christ and to help them become authentic Christians. ECyD members strive to develop

1463-618: A visitation by the Vatican and a process of renewal through a series of discussions revolving around the charism of the movement, the relationship of the congregation to the lay movement, and the place of both within the Church. In 2006, Maciel was investigated by the Holy See and suspended from his ministry, initially over breaches of celibacy. This followed public revelations that he had sexually abused minors, which were later confirmed. The Legion's additional vow of "charity" had been used to induce secrecy, promising not to criticize superiors. This

1540-493: Is a cult which controls information, stifles freedom of expression, and goes after dissenters." At the conclusion of the lawsuit, the internet discussion board xlcrc.com about the Legion and its activities was taken down. The controversies stem from the order's late founder, Fr. Marcial Maciel. The Vatican has ordered an apostolic visitation of the institutions of the Legionaries of Christ following disclosures of sexual impropriety by Fr. Marcial Maciel. The announcement of

1617-581: Is a place for girls to grow in their Catholic faith, make friends, and grow in virtue. It was founded in 2000 and has had new groups start every year. ECyD is the heart of Challenge Club. Challenge's mission is "to evangelize and transform the world by forming today’s young girls to give their very best to others so that Christian culture will prevail in the hearts of everyone they meet." Challenge uses virtues education, Gospel reflections, service projects and activities to help girls develop and grow in their Catholic faith. There are also leadership opportunities within

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1694-507: Is an important part of our mission as a Congregation, not a distraction from it. It is what God is calling us to at this point in our history. We are committed to transparency about the abuse that has been perpetrated by Legionaries of Christ, to working towards a culture in which all our priests deeply understand the effects of sexual abuse and their role as spiritual fathers dedicated to nourishing God’s people, and to helping those who have been harmed to heal from their wounds.” In early 2009,

1771-588: Is an important part of the mission of the congregation. The Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ is a Roman Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men that forms part of the Regnum Christi Federation, founded by Maciel in 1959, which includes the Legionaries of Christ, the Society of Apostolic Life of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, the Society of Apostolic Life of

1848-455: Is composed of Legionary of Christ priests, Consecrated Women and Men and lay members of Regnum Christi. In 2019, the congregation published an extensive report on abuse by Marcial Maciel , finding Maciel himself had abused at least 60 children, and 33 Legionaire priests (many of whom had been abused in the Legion as minors) had abused at least another 115 minors. The Director General John Connor has said that responding to these sexual abuses

1925-538: Is defined in the Legion as an ardent desire to spread Christ's kingdom in this world. Legionaries focus on helping the greatest number of souls know and love Christ. In Legionary theology, time is a gift given by God which he wants to maximize to spread the Gospel and help bring the love of God to many souls. According to the National Catholic Reporter , the Legion or Legionaries of Christ was founded so early in

2002-501: Is not one of the 3 vows taken by all major Catholic religious institutes, obligates Legionaries not to seek positions of power within the Legion or the Church as a whole. In addition, until 2007, all Legionaries were compelled to take "private vows", never to "speak ill of Maciel or any superiors, and to report to their superiors anyone who did", a policy that impeded the discovery of wrongdoing by Maciel and other Legionary leaders, according to investigative journalist Jason Berry . This vow

2079-491: Is on "evangelizing society's leaders ... the wealthy and powerful", in the hope that this would multiply "the beneficial impact on society" ( Wall Street Journal ). As of 2019 , the Legionaries of Christ had religious communities in 21 countries. Its members included four bishops , 970 priests and 481 seminarians (not including minor seminarians ). The order is part of the Regnum Christi Federation , which

2156-652: Is the Mission Corps, formerly known as the ECyD coworker program. Participating members can travel to other Regnum Christi or Legionary of Christ sites in different cities around the world. These summer-long programs usually involve working in children's camps, teaching English, conducting missions, working in ECyD conventions, or working in the local Challenge or Conquest clubs or their international equivalents. Participants live with consecrated members of Regnum Christi and experience community spiritual life. They can choose to apply for

2233-469: Is the equivalent to Challenge. Conquest Boys' Club has three levels, Conquest Father and Son Program (ages 5–7), ConQuest Junior Program (ages 8–10), and the Conquest Club (ages 11–18). Similarly to Challenge, Conquest promotes development of virtue, leadership, character, and spiritual growth "within an atmosphere of adventure." In Spanish-speaking countries, Club Faro is the equivalent to Conquest. In

2310-532: Is the practice in many religious congregations of the Roman Catholic Church, Legionaries may visit their family according to their superiors' discretion and the norms of the Congregation, the average being for about 4–7 days a year not counting special occasions. Regular contact with their families is encouraged with respect to written, verbal, and video communication. The apostolate of the Legionaries (i.e. organizations "directed to serving and evangelizing

2387-471: The "hardships" faced by Maciel's accusers through the years when they were ostracized or ridiculed, and commended their "courage and perseverance to demand the truth." As a result of the visitation, Benedict XVI named Archbishop (now Cardinal) Velasio De Paolis as the Papal Delegate to oversee the Legion and its governance, and review the constitutions on July 9, 2010. In August 2007, the Legion filed

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2464-558: The 10 basic needs of adolescents. ECyD is affiliated with several youth organizations under the Regnum Christi, and the Legionary of Christ umbrella. This affiliation is usually listed as being "Powered by EcyD." For girls, these include Challenge, Pure Fashion, leading K4J and Mission Youth. The boys' programs include ConQuest, Mission Youth, leading K4J and other leadership activities. Members of these other groups do not have to be ECyD members, but ECyD members are expected to be leaders within

2541-404: The 1950s and finally had to be hospitalized. Cardinal Valerio Valeri received reports "from an older seminarian in Mexico City" and the head of the one Legion high school at the time (Cumbres Institute), who were concerned about Maciel's drug use and "overly affectionate behavior with boys". Valeri suspended Maciel but in 1959 he was reinstated by Clemente Micara, the interim vicar of Rome. For

2618-624: The 1960s, chapters of the organization were founded in Ireland and then in the United States. In the 1970s and 80s the congregation expanded throughout Latin America . In the 90s it expanded to France and Central Europe . The Legion presents itself as dedicated to advancing the Church's mission in the world, and to this end claims to submit candidates to a rigorous formation of four dimensions: human, spiritual, intellectual, and apostolic. Critics accused

2695-556: The Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ from its Founding to the Present Day.” According to the report, “the report was the result of an extensive study carried out by an internal commission that, within the limits of a study of this nature, verified the various accusations of sexual abuse of minors throughout the history of the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ. It collected the global statistics of cases of abuse by its priests between 1941 and 2019 and included an appendix with

2772-487: The Holy See issued a communique on its year-long investigation of the Legionaries, condemning "system of power" created by Marcial Maciel, that hid "true crimes" and a private life "without scruples or authentic religious sentiment." The communique called for the Legionaries to follow a "path of purification," including a "sincere encounter" with Maciel's abuse victims. The superiors of the congregation did not officially inform

2849-490: The Holy See took over the Legion, in an address directed to Legionaries during their General Chapter of 2020 and to the General Assemblies of Regnum Christi held during the same period, Pope Francis recognized the progress made in their renewal saying: "The new Constitutions and the new Statutes are truly 'new,' be it because they reflect a new spirit and a new vision of religious life, consistent with Vatican Council II and

2926-476: The Lay Consecrated Men of Regnum Christi, and other Catholics who associate individually. Its members add the nominal letters (LC) after their names to indicate their membership in the Congregation. The "larger culture" is often referred to as "the movement" within the Regnum Christi Federation. Members of the Legion take vows of humility, poverty, chastity, and obedience . The vow of humility, which

3003-519: The Legion in his archdiocese. He had particularly objected to its alleged practice of "blind allegiance", lack of "respect for human dignity for each of its members," and "heavily persuasive methods on young people, especially high schoolers , regarding vocations ." He had since directed them to disclose all activities within the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and to refrain from spiritual direction with anyone under eighteen years of age. He later stated that

3080-402: The Legion of producing priests and religious who all spoke and behaved in the same way. The Legion's defenders argued that, just as members of a family receive similar upbringing, so the members of the Legion were formed in like ways, but still respected the freedom of the individual. The new constitutions approved by Pope Francis present a more balanced approach to the formation of members. As

3157-600: The Legion/Regnum Christi does as a whole, with brand-name-type recognition. The youth wing of Regnum Christi, offering spirituality for youth 11 to 16, is called ECYD . The commitments in ECYD vary over time, adapting to the ages of the members. Many ECYD members are involved in clubs run or overseen by Legionaries or consecrated members of Regnum Christi . Marcial Maciel was born in Cotija, Michoacán on March 10, 1920, into

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3234-431: The Legionaries fully complied with his orders. Since the outbreak of the scandal of the founder, the Legion of Christ underwent a Vatican investigation. This led to a renewal of the congregation under Cardinal De Paolis. In 2014, the five-year process culminated in a new set of constitutions and new leadership. Legionary seminaries said that students were from a broad variety of backgrounds. The congregation's mission

3311-630: The Legionaries of Christ ( Latin : Congregatio Legionariorum Christi ; also Legion of Christ ) is a Roman Catholic clerical religious order made up of priests and candidates for the priesthood established by Fr. Marcial Maciel , LC in Mexico in 1941. Maciel was also Director General of the congregation for over 60 years until forced to step down in January 2005 as a result of grave sexual scandals against seminarians and children. The Legionaries of Christ describes itself as being made up of men "driven by

3388-578: The Sacred Heart, which is the patron of the Legion, in their vocation as religious and priests. Love for Mary is seen as arising from the imitation of Christ. In the Legion, Our Lady is venerated as both Mother of the Church and of the individual Legionary's vocation. Legionaries consecrate their spiritual and apostolic lives to her care, and seek to take on her virtues of faith , hope , charity , obedience to God, humility , and cooperation with Christ's plan of redemption and justice. Love for Souls

3465-402: The United States, and Canada . In 2006, the Legion launched a test phase of Mission Network in the United States. Catholic Mission Network, Inc. , is the umbrella organization that oversees and approves Legionary-endorsed apostolates that are not stand-alone like a school or retreat center. Its purpose is to provide both structure and supervision of the apostolates, and an overview as to what

3542-496: The Vatican ordered an apostolic visitation of the institutions of the Legionaries of Christ following disclosures of sexual impropriety by Maciel. Vatican authorities named five bishops from five different countries, each one in charge of investigating the Legionaries in a particular part of the world: They met with the pope to report on the visitation in April 2010, and the Vatican issued a statement on 1 May 2010. The Legion underwent

3619-666: The acronym to ECyD, which now stands for Encounters, Convictions, your Decisions . The team believes that this new name reflects what "happens in the heart of youth when they experience a life-changing moment of grace." ECyD was founded in Mexico by Marcial Maciel in 1971. One of the first members was Álvaro Corcuera , who later became the general director of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi. From 1972 to 1973, ECyD clubs were founded in Salamanca, Spain; Monterrey, Mexico; Mexico City, Mexico; Crystal Lake, Illinois; Rome, Italy; and Madrid, Spain. The first international ECyD convention

3696-706: The career of Marcial Maciel, he was ordained as a priest after he was leading the order. The Legion has been described as "conservative" and focusing on "ministering to the wealthy and powerful in the belief that by evangelizing society's leaders, the beneficial impact on society is multiplied". Today the Legion purports its priests "are the confessors and chaplains to some of the most powerful businessmen in Latin America". Legionaries have been described as "easy to spot in Rome, young men with close-cropped hair in traditional cassocks or double-breasted blazers, walking two by two like

3773-551: The club. Older high school girls can work as Team Leaders within the club, often planning lessons, activities, and projects for their teams of younger girls. Many girls hear about and join ECyD through participation in Challenge. Challenge has over 4000 members in the US and Canada and clubs range from 20 to 200 members. There are similar clubs operating under Regnum Christi throughout the world. In Spanish-speaking countries Club Alpes or Club Giro

3850-465: The congregation in 1941, with the support of Francisco González Arias, Bishop of Cuernavaca . Two years later in 1946, he presented a donation to the Vatican for $ 10,000, “a huge sum in a city reeling from the war.” Pope John Paul II praised him in lavish ceremonies and called him an "efficacious guide to youth". In general, the Holy See held Maciel "up as a model of sainthood for the faithful" in large part "because he brought in money and vocations to

3927-422: The congregation announced the congregation's Extraordinary General Chapter in Rome in January 2014, for a "total restructuring". Apologies to the victims were issued and a compensation commission established. In 2019, new statutes were adopted introducing collegial leadership and more transparent community life to prevent possible abuses in the future. The Legion completed a five-year renewal process that included

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4004-470: The desire of Jesus' heart to set the world ablaze" and lead others to "transform their hearts, their families and their world" with "the love of Christ the King". It has been described as a "conservative" religious institute whose ability to attract large numbers of "young Catholics to religious vocations" and large financial donations once made it "a favorite" of the Vatican ( New York Times ); and one whose focus

4081-414: The directions of the Holy See, be it because they are the product of a three-year endeavor, in which all your communities were involved and which has led to a change in mentality." However, a report emerged around January 2020 alleging that the papal envoy in charge (the by then deceased Cardinal Velasio De Paolis) "refused to punish or even investigate" a case where a Legion priest, who had direct links to

4158-501: The early years of the congregation and loyal to him during his removal on allegations of drug abuse, though it is not known if Maciel sexually abused them. Guillermo Izquierdo has also been accused of another instance of sexual abuse, though not of a minor. The alleged victim was also a novice under his guidance in Connecticut. In October 2016, accusations against Fr. Luis Garza and Fr. Jose Sabin surfaced that they both sexually abused

4235-459: The founder, raped "little girls aged 6 to 8 or 9" in front of their classmates at an elite Catholic school in Cancun , Mexico, and noted a "high-level cover-up by superiors who are still in power". According to a former Legion priest, Rev. Christian Borgogno, "De Paolis' decision to leave in place Legion superiors, many of whom were close to Maciel, 'made reform' of the Legion 'impossible'". In response,

4312-483: The founder’s multi-million dollar offshore holdings in tax havens. In the United States, after the sexual scandal regarding the founder, beginning in 2002 a few bishops restricted the Legion and Regnum Christi in Columbus , Ohio ; St Paul-Minneapolis , Minnesota ; Richmond , Virginia ; and Miami , Florida . In June 2008, the former archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore began to require greater oversight of

4389-433: The government of the Legion and Regnum Christi. Fr Eduardo Robles Gil is hence the general director. Sonia González and Fr José García Sentandreu lead the specific wing dedicated to ECyD. The criticism of ECyD relates primarily to the controversies surrounding the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi such as issues with dioceses and the sexual scandal of Marcial Maciel. Legionaries of Christ The Congregation of

4466-475: The groups. Participating in these organizations fulfill ECyD members’ apostolic commitments whether through activities in their clubs (Challenge or Conquest) or missionary work through Mission Youth. The most common way that one participates in ECyD is through a club. In the US, these clubs are usually named Conquest (boys) and Challenge (girls). These clubs are distributed by Mission Network who affiliates them mainly to parishes and schools. Challenge Girls' Club

4543-544: The order abused minors, bringing the total number of children abused by the order since its founding in 1941 to at least 175. One of the first English language public reports of abuse came in 1997 exposing abused that happened in the 1950s. Juan Vaca and seven other early victims of Maciel "gave graphic accounts" in the Hartford Courant of how they watched Maciel inject himself with a morphine painkiller in Spain and Rome in

4620-486: The organization accepted responsibility for 175 cases of child sexual abuse by 33 priests, including 60 minors who were abused by Marcial Maciel. However, Archbishop Rogelio Cabrera López , head of the Episcopal Conference of Mexico , said on December 22, 2019, that the report is "late and incomplete": "How is it possible that the founder committed crimes for 70 years and no one ever said anything?" 10 years after

4697-506: The priesthood." In the Legion of Christ, Maciel was called "nuestro padre". Members of the congregation were taught "the Legion message"—that Maciel "had his enemies, but that he was a living saint for his leadership as an evangelist, drawing the church back from liberal abuses of the Second Vatican Council and attracting young men to a strict religious life." After Maciel's abuses came to light, Pope Benedict XVI sentenced him to

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4774-401: The priests have died, eight have left the priesthood, one left the Congregation, and 18 continue in their posts but have been removed from tasks where they interact with the public or with children. The 2019 report by the Legion noted that 14 of the 33 priests who abused minors had been victims themselves when they were young, thus highlighting what it called "chains of abuse", where "a victim of

4851-629: The rest of the congregation until a year after his death, during which time, they continued to permit an internal culture of revering him as a saint. The Legionaries of Christ eventually acknowledged their founder's "reprehensible and objectively immoral behavior" as head of the congregation. As a result of the scandal, Pope Benedict XVI also removed the vow of charity, which required members to maintain secrecy, impermeability, and refrain from criticism of superiors. The "very serious and objectively immoral acts" of Maciel, which were "confirmed by incontrovertible testimonies", represented "true crimes and manifest

4928-585: The same time. Pure Fashion includes a seven-week model training program during which girls learn about public speaking, presentation, fashion, and faith. The program culminates in a fashion show. Mission Youth is an apostolic group affiliated with Regnum Christi and the Legionaries of Christ that gives teens and young adults ages 14 and older the opportunity to evangelize. Programs include Holy Week Missions, Extreme Missions, and World Youth Day Missions. Many ECyD members participate in these mission programs as their apostolate. A unique program available to ECyD members

5005-695: The so-called Paradise Papers leak in November 2017. In December 2013, the National Catholic Register published a report on a statement by the Legion, admitting that an investigation concluded that Fr. Guillermo "William" Izquierdo, LC, had sexually abused a minor while director of novices at its center in Cheshire, CT, between 1982 and 1994. The minor involved was a novice under his guidance, and charges were not conclusively investigated until Fr. Luis Garza Medina, LC, then Territorial Director of North America,

5082-411: The steps taken to prevent future abuse and guarantee safe environments. On the same day, Father John Connor, LC, then North American territorial director and currently the general director of the Congregation worldwide, released a communication compiling the previously released names of Legionaries of Christ who were active in ministry with substantiated sexual abuse allegations in the United States into

5159-464: The unusual investigation by the Vatican was posted on the web site of the Legionaries of Christ on March 31, 2009, along with the text of a letter informing the Legionaries of the Pope's decision. On June 27, 2009, according to Vatican commentator Sandro Magister , Vatican authorities named five bishops from five different countries, each one in charge of investigating the Legionaries in a particular part of

5236-551: The virtues of charity, sincerity, friendship, purity, generosity, and joy. Upon joining ECyD, a member commits to be a better friend of Christ, say specific prayers such as the rosary and the ECyD morning and night prayers, practice virtue, and do apostolates (service projects). ECyD explains such a dedication to apostolate as "Service-Driven Apostolic Outreach and Sense of Mission." The formation, apostolate and prayer in ECyD are all designed to be age-appropriate ways to bring teens to Christ. ECyD uses an experiential methodology based on

5313-740: The world") has many aspects, but focuses on the following: In the US, the congregation runs four schools. In 2012, all three of its high schools (Everest Collegiate High School, The Highlands School and Pinecrest Academy) were named in the list of top 50 Catholic High Schools developed by the Cardinal Newman Society . In Mexico, the Legionaries administer the Anahuac University Network . Legionaries operate centers of education (minor seminaries, seminaries, schools and/or universities) in Mexico, Venezuela , Colombia , Brazil , Korea , Ireland , Spain , Italy , France , Germany ,

5390-495: The world. They were Bishops Ricardo Watti Urquidi of Mexico , Charles J. Chaput of the United States , Giuseppe Versaldi of Italy , Ricardo Ezzati Andrello of Chile , and Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, ( es:Ricardo Blázquez ) of Spain . The Legion of Christ founder’s multi-million dollar offshore holdings, long the source of speculation given the order's studied cultivation of wealthy donors and fast expansion, were revealed in

5467-466: Was a Mexican priest and the leader of the Legion of Christ for many decades. The scandal was linked with the wider series of Catholic sex abuse cases affecting the Catholic church. In March, 2010, the Legion of Christ in a communique that "reprehensible actions" by Maciel, including sexual abuse actually happened. The communique stated that "given the gravity of his faults, we cannot take his person as

5544-558: Was described as Christianizing society through the formation and evangelization of leaders. The old Regnum Christi Member Handbook before their renewal stated: "The Movement understands that for this action to be most effective it must give Christian formation to and apostolically mobilize the men and women that exercise greater leadership in society, in its religious, cultural, intellectual, social, economic, human, artistic, and other sectors." The group's founder Father Marcial Maciel sexually abused minors and fathered children. Marciel

5621-450: Was held in Ontaneda, Santander, Spain. Currently, ECyD clubs exist in thirty countries. In 2008, Sonia González was asked to make a new international model based on the experiences of various ECyD groups over the past years. Around the early 2010s, ECyD's future was discussed among Catholic groups, as it is related to that of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi movement who underwent

5698-518: Was informed in July 2012. Garza stated that Izquierdo's health had declined since 2008, through dementia, and that he was "unable to respond to questions about the allegations." Izquierdo was one of the first seminarians recruited from Spain, along with an identical twin brother who as of 2013 was still in active ministry in South America. Sources inside the Legion say that both had been close to Maciel in

5775-458: Was lifted by Pope Benedict XVI in December 2007. Cardinal Velasio De Paolis was delegated to examine the Legionaries' constitutions and conduct a visitation of its lay affiliate Regnum Christi in 2012. On October 19, 2012, De Paolis published a cover letter for a summary of the Regnum Christi's charism which he had approved as a working document. Under the guidance of Cardinal Velasio De Paolis,

5852-522: Was lifted by the pope, and has not been taken by new Legionaries. Love for Christ is, for Legionaries, a personal experience. Through the Gospel , the cross , and the Eucharist , Legionary spirituality teaches that the Legionary should seek to know Christ intimately, and love him in a passionate way by embracing him as their model of holiness. Their spirituality is Christ-centered with a particular emphasis on

5929-492: Was ordered by Pope Benedict XVI and shortly after Cardinal Velasio De Paolis was delegated to impose "structural changes.” In 2014, the five-year renewal process was completed with the approval of amended constitutions; five years later, Pope Francis referred to the new Constitutions approvingly. On December 21, 2019, the Legionaries of Christ released the “Report 1941-2019 on the Phenomenon of Sexual Abuse of Minors in

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